University of Genoa: engineering, robotics and marine sciences in Italy's largest port
With 33,000 students, 95 programmes, CENSIS 84.8/100 (8th large state) and a 78% employment rate, the University of Genoa is Liguria's leading university. Excellence in naval engineering, robotics and automation technologies through partnership with IIT, with 6% international students.
UniGe: robotics, naval engineering and world-class research with IIT in Columbus's city
The University of Genoa is Liguria's leading state university, with approximately 33,000 enrolled students and 95 degree programmes covering the full range of academic disciplines. UniGe stands out for a strong vocation towards naval and maritime engineering, robotics and automation technologies — fields in which it boasts internationally relevant traditions and laboratories — thanks in particular to close collaboration with the IIT (Italian Institute of Technology), one of Europe's leading technology research centres, founded in Genoa in 2003.
Engineering is the flagship sector: the Faculty of Engineering, working in synergy with IIT, has developed programmes of excellence in robotics, artificial intelligence, mechanical and naval engineering, and biomedical technologies, giving students access to world-class laboratories and internship opportunities in a cutting-edge research environment.
The CENSIS 2025-2026 score is 84.8/100 (8th among large state universities, joint with Tor Vergata). 6% of students are international, with solid Erasmus+ agreements. The employment rate is 78%. Genoa is a city of extraordinary charm: the medieval historic centre (UNESCO Heritage), the old harbour and the Palazzi dei Rolli create a university context rich in history and culture.
Academic Areas
University of Genoa by the numbers
From 1481 to IIT: Genoa, the sea and European technological excellence
The University of Genoa is one of northern Italy's oldest universities: its origins date to 1481, with the College of Doctors of the Commune of Genoa. The modern university was founded in 1812 during the Napoleonic period and developed primarily in law and the liberal arts throughout the nineteenth century.
Christopher Columbus, born in Genoa around 1451, is the symbol of a city that has always projected its identity towards the ocean. The University of Genoa has long nurtured this vocation, developing chairs in naval engineering, oceanography and maritime sciences since the nineteenth century.
In the twentieth century, with the industrial development of the Port of Genoa — Italy's second port and one of the Mediterranean's most important — the university intensified its ties with the shipbuilding industry. The founding of the IIT in 2003 marked a turning point for Genoa's research ecosystem, positioning the city as a leading European technology hub in robotics and neuroscience.
FAQ — Università degli Studi di Genova
Study in Liguria: useful resources for your journey
The University of Genoa is the excellence choice among Italian universities for those wishing to study naval engineering, robotics and marine sciences in the Mediterranean's leading port city. Explore the guide to master's degrees in Italy and discover everything about living and studying in Italy.
