University of Siena: CENSIS 3rd among medium-sized universities, medicine and history in the medieval city of the Palio
Founded in 1240, the University of Siena is one of Italy’s most fascinating historic universities. With 17,000 students, 65 degree programmes and 3rd place in the CENSIS 2025-26 ranking among medium-sized state universities (89.7/100, +2 positions), UniSI combines excellence in medicine, biotechnology and law with the unique beauty of a UNESCO World Heritage medieval city.
UniSI: quality, history and internationalisation in the heart of medieval Tuscany
The University of Siena is one of Italy’s most fascinating historic universities, located in the heart of medieval Siena — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and city of the Palio — with around 17,000 students and 65 degree programmes in humanities, economics and management, law, engineering, medical and health sciences, sciences, social sciences, education and languages.
Its CENSIS 2025-2026 score is 89.7/100, placing it 3rd in the category of medium-sized state universities — with a jump of 2 positions — an excellent result that rewards the quality of services, internationalisation and digital communication. 8% of enrolled students are international, with active Erasmus+ agreements throughout Europe and a growing presence of North American and Asian students.
The Faculty of Medicine works in synergy with the Siena University Hospital “Le Scotte”, one of the main polyclinics in Central Italy, with recognised excellence in haematology, neuroscience and emergency medicine. Medical biotechnology is another research area of international importance. The Department of Law is among the most active in scientific output.
Siena is one of the most beautiful and liveable university cities in Italy: the Palazzo Pubblico, Piazza del Campo, the Cathedral and the alleys of the contrade make university life in Siena an immersion in history. Living costs are affordable and safety is extremely high. The employment rate of master’s degree graduates is 78%.
Academic Areas
65 degree programmes across 15 departments with excellence in medicine and law
The University of Siena in numbers
From 1240 to Renaissance Tuscany: almost 800 years of Sienese knowledge
The University of Siena was founded in 1240, when the Municipality of Siena established a Studium to train the ruling class of the Republic in the field of law. It is one of the oldest universities in Italy, born during a period of great prosperity for the city, which at the time was one of the main banking powers in the Mediterranean.
Monte dei Paschi di Siena — founded in 1472 and today the oldest bank in the world — contributed financially to the cultural and academic life of the city. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Sienese environment produced artists and scientists of European importance. The physician and naturalist Pier Andrea Mattioli taught at the university: his Commentary on simples was one of the most influential botanical texts of the Renaissance.
Today the University of Siena is a vibrant and international university that has built a modern and competitive academic profile on a history of almost 800 years, with frontier research in medicine, biotechnology and legal sciences — confirmed by its jump of 2 positions in the CENSIS 2025-26 ranking.
FAQ — University of Siena
Study in Italy: useful resources for your university journey
The University of Siena is one of the best Italian universities for those looking for a historic university on a human scale, with excellence in medicine, biotechnology and law, in one of Europe’s most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage cities. With affordable living costs and a high percentage of international students, it is also ideal for those arriving from abroad. Consult the guide to master’s degree courses in Italy to discover the available offer. To plan your arrival in Italy, the living and studying in Italy section guides you through visas, accommodation and university life. Finally, discover how admissions to Italian universities work and begin your journey in one of the most fascinating university cities in the world.
