University of Bolzano (unibz): Italy's most international — trilingual, UNESCO Dolomites and on the border with Austria and Switzerland
The Free University of Bolzano is Italy's only trilingual university (Italian, German, English), its most international with 40% foreign students and #1 CENSIS for small universities. Campus in the UNESCO Dolomites, 30 minutes from Austria and Switzerland, with 7,000 students and a unique academic environment in Europe.
unibz: Italy's only trilingual university between the UNESCO Dolomites, Austria and Switzerland
The Free University of Bolzano (unibz) is a unique institution in the Italian and European university landscape: the only Italian public university to offer its programmes in three official languages — Italian, German and English — reflecting the trilingualism of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen, one of Europe's most culturally complex and fascinating realities. With approximately 7,000 enrolled students and 40% international students — the highest proportion of any Italian public university — unibz is ranked #1 CENSIS 2025-2026 among small universities with a score of 93.5/100.
The academic offering covers economics, engineering, computer science, design, education sciences, natural sciences and alpine tourism, with a unique specialisation in mountain and alpine area management — in a territory such as South Tyrol, which encompasses the Dolomites (UNESCO heritage), Val Gardena, Lake Braies and some of the most beautiful Alpine peaks. Mountain and sustainable tourism, alpine architecture and environmental sciences are recognised areas of excellence.
Bolzano's geographical position is extraordinary: the South Tyrol capital, at the confluence of the Adige and Isarco rivers, is 30 minutes from Austria (Innsbruck), 2 hours from Switzerland and 3 hours from Munich. This three-border location makes unibz a privileged access point to the German and Austrian job market for its graduates, in addition to the Italian one.
Academic Areas
University of Bolzano by the numbers
From 1997 to the Dolomites: unibz and the bet on trilingualism in the European border land
The Free University of Bolzano was born in 1997 in response to the historic absence of a university in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano — Italy's wealthiest by per capita income and quality of life. The choice of the trilingual model — Italian, German and English — reflects the linguistic reality of South Tyrol, where the Italian and German-speaking communities have coexisted for centuries with mutual recognition.
In under thirty years, unibz has become one of Italy's most innovative and international universities, attracting students from across Europe and the world thanks to its linguistic uniqueness and Dolomites location. The trilingual model has proved extraordinarily attractive for Austrian, Swiss and German students who want to study in Italy while maintaining direct access to the German-speaking job market.
Today unibz is recognised as the most international institution among Italy's small universities, with the highest CENSIS score in its category. Its modern campus, in the heart of Bolzano along the Isarco river, is one of northern Italy's most attractive.
FAQ — Libera Università di Bolzano – unibz
Study in Bolzano: useful resources
The Free University of Bolzano is the most international and unique choice among Italian universities: trilingual, in the UNESCO Dolomites and on the border with three European countries. Discover everything about living and studying in Italy.
