La Sapienza Rome: Europe’s largest university, QS 128, global excellence since 1303
With over 112,000 students and 300 degree programs, La Sapienza is Europe’s largest university and ranks 128th worldwide (QS 2026). Ranked first in the world for Classics & Ancient History, with 720 years of history, a monumental campus just steps from the Colosseum, and one of the most extensive Erasmus+ networks in Europe.
La Sapienza: Europe’s largest university in the heart of Rome
Sapienza University of Rome is the largest university in Europe and one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world. With over 112,000 enrolled students and 300 degree programs across all fields of knowledge, La Sapienza is an academic universe in its own right, able to offer every type of educational pathway at every level: bachelor’s, master’s, single-cycle degree, PhD and postgraduate master.
In the QS World University Rankings 2026, La Sapienza ranks 128th worldwide — 2nd among Italian generalist universities — with outstanding results in academic reputation and scientific output. It ranks 1st in the world for Classics & Ancient History according to QS by Subject 2026, confirming its globally recognized leadership in classical humanities. Its CENSIS 2025-2026 score is 84.2/100 (4th among large public universities).
8% of enrolled students are international — around 9,000 students from over 140 countries — supported by one of the most extensive Erasmus+ agreement networks in Europe. The employment rate for master’s graduates is 82%, with particularly strong outcomes in medicine, engineering, architecture and sciences.
The historic campus on Colle Oppio — designed by Marcello Piacentini in the 1920s — hosts museums, theatres, libraries and green common spaces just a few steps from the Colosseum. For those who want to study in Italy’s capital, at one of the largest and most cited universities in the world, La Sapienza is simply one of the most extraordinary university experiences Italy can offer.
Academic Areas
300 degree programs across 11 faculties and all disciplinary areas
La Sapienza in numbers
From 1303 to QS #128: seven centuries of academic excellence
Sapienza University of Rome was founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII through the papal bull “In Supremae Praeminentia Dignitatis”, which established the Studium Urbis. With over 720 years of history, it is one of the world’s oldest universities in continuous operation.
Over the centuries, La Sapienza has hosted some of the brightest minds in European culture. In the seventeenth century, Galileo Galilei visited the Roman university during his stays in the capital. The Città Universitaria campus, inaugurated in 1935 and designed by Marcello Piacentini, is one of Europe’s most impressive university architectural complexes, with rationalist buildings, museums, a central library and public spaces of great historical and artistic value.
Among the university’s five Nobel Prize winners, several twentieth-century scientists stand out for shaping the history of Italian physics and medicine. The physicist Enrico Fermi taught here before emigrating to the United States. Alumni include several Presidents of the Italian Republic and Prime Ministers, as well as leading figures in Italian culture such as Giorgio de Chirico and Pier Paolo Pasolini.
FAQ — La Sapienza Rome
Study in Italy: useful resources for your university journey
Sapienza is the ideal choice for those looking for one of the best Italian universities, with a complete academic offer and top-level international recognition. If you are considering pathways in medicine, engineering or architecture, we also recommend our guide to master’s degree programs in Italy. For international students, the section dedicated to living and studying in Italy provides practical information on visas, accommodation and the cost of living in Rome. Finally, discover how university admissions in Italy work and what makes La Sapienza one of the country’s most complete and international academic experiences.
