IMT Lucca: Italy's #1 doctoral school for research impact, in economics, networks and complex systems
IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is ranked #1 in Italy for research impact (QS). A state graduate school entirely dedicated to doctoral programmes, with 80% international students, fully funded fellowships and programmes in economics, computer science, network science and complex systems. Campus in the medieval UNESCO centre of Lucca.
IMT Lucca: world-class economics, networks, complex systems and computer science in medieval Lucca
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca is a state Graduate School — part of the Italian system of elite graduate schools alongside the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and Scuola Sant'Anna — entirely dedicated to doctoral research in four interdisciplinary areas: economics and management, computer science and systems, network science and complex systems and analysis of economic and social systems. The QS World University Rankings ranks IMT as the Italian school with the highest research impact by citations.
The IMT campus is situated in the medieval heart of Lucca — a UNESCO-walled Tuscan city, with its celebrated Renaissance walls that can be walked and cycled — in a complex of restored historic buildings including the Monastery of San Francesco. 80% of students are international, with fully funded doctoral fellowships including stipend, accommodation and meals. Programmes are conducted entirely in English.
Post-doctoral placement exceeds 92%, with doctoral graduates finding positions at leading universities (Oxford, LSE, Bocconi, MIT), central banks, think tanks and major international organisations. IMT's interdisciplinary focus — uniting economics, computer science, network science and complexity science — makes it particularly suited to those wanting to address complex problems with innovative approaches.
Research Areas
IMT Lucca by the numbers
From 2005 to #1 research impact: IMT and scientific excellence in medieval Tuscany
The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca was founded in 2005 as a doctoral excellence institution, part of Italy's state graduate school system. The choice of Lucca — a Tuscan city of extraordinary beauty, more discreet and authentic than Florence and Siena — was driven by the desire to create a research campus immersed in a very high-level cultural context without the distractions of a large city.
In twenty years of history, IMT has built a world-class research reputation, focusing on the interdisciplinary approach that combines economics, computer science and complex systems theory. This combination has proved particularly productive for addressing problems such as systemic financial stability, information diffusion in digital networks and energy transitions.
Recognition as Italy's #1 for research impact in the QS World University Rankings — a measure that accounts for citations per publication, not absolute institutional size — confirms a selective excellence model that prioritises quality over quantity.
FAQ — IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca
Elite graduate schools and PhDs in Italy: useful resources
IMT Lucca is Italy's most impactful research institution — the excellence choice for those wanting to pursue an interdisciplinary world-class doctoral programme in Tuscany. Explore Italian academic institutions and discover everything about living and studying in Italy.
