University of Brescia: 2nd CENSIS small state, 84% employment in medicine and engineering in Italy's Lioness
With CENSIS 92.5/100 (2nd among small state universities) and an 84% employment rate — among Italy's highest — the University of Brescia is an excellence largely unknown to the wider public. 14,000 students, 40 programmes in medicine, engineering, economics and law. Brescia: UNESCO Roman heritage, Italy's capital of steel and automation.
UniBS: excellence in medicine and engineering at the heart of Italy's most productive industrial district
The University of Brescia ranks 2nd in the CENSIS 2025-2026 small state university ranking with a score of 92.5/100 — one of the highest in its category — and an employment rate of 84%, among the highest in the Italian university system. With approximately 14,000 enrolled students and 40 degree programmes in medicine and surgery, civil, computer, industrial and information engineering, economics, law and communication sciences, it is a high-quality institution largely unknown to the wider public.
The ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia — one of northern Italy's largest and best-equipped hospitals — is the university clinical partner, with recognised excellence in cardiac surgery, neurology, haematology and transplants. Engineering is the second pillar: deeply rooted in Brescia's productive fabric — the steel, precision mechanics, automation and defence district — it trains professionals in very high demand each year.
The CENSIS score is 92.5/100 with 5% international students. Brescia is historically rich — a UNESCO heritage site for its Roman and Lombard monuments including the Capitolium — and economically dynamic: Italy's fourth largest productive area by GDP.
Academic Areas
University of Brescia by the numbers
From 1982 to CENSIS excellence: Brescia, Italy's Lioness and its secret university
The University of Brescia was born in 1982, relatively late compared to Lombardy's historic universities, but with a precise mission: to serve the Brescia industrial district — one of Europe's most productive — with high-level technical and medical training. The proximity to the Spedali Civili di Brescia, one of northern Italy's leading hospitals, laid the foundations for an excellent Faculty of Medicine from the outset.
In forty years of history, the University of Brescia rapidly climbed the national rankings, reaching second place in the CENSIS small state category. The exceptional quality of student services, one of Italy's highest employment rates and strong integration with the local productive fabric built a solid reputation, albeit less well known than larger and more prominent universities.
Brescia is often cited as Italy's most underreported city despite its excellences: a UNESCO site for its Roman and Lombard monuments, Italy's steel capital, home to great international companies such as Beretta, OTO Melara and hundreds of excellent SMEs. The University of Brescia mirrors this extraordinary city.
FAQ — Università degli Studi di Brescia
Study in Brescia: useful resources for your journey
The University of Brescia is the hidden gem among Italian universities: top CENSIS quality, 84% employment rate and Italy's most productive industrial district as a natural career outlet. Discover everything about living and studying in Italy.
