University of Trento: Italy's best medium-sized university by CENSIS, among the UNESCO Dolomites
The University of Trento ranks 1st in the CENSIS 2025-2026 medium state university ranking (95.9/100), with an 87% employment rate and a place in the QS World Top 600. With 16,000 students, 18% international and 60 programmes, it is Italy's most virtuous university for service quality. Campus in the UNESCO Dolomites, Europe's most beautiful Alpine region.
UniTN: #1 CENSIS medium state, QS world top 600, 87% employment among the Dolomites
The University of Trento is Italy's best medium-sized university according to CENSIS 2025-2026, scoring 95.9/100 and ranking 1st among medium state universities. It is also the only medium-sized Italian university present in the QS World University Rankings (global top 600). With approximately 16,000 students, 18% international and 60 degree programmes, it is a model of academic excellence combining small size, high quality and strong international vocation.
Key areas of excellence include the Faculty of Law — consistently among Italy's best — the Faculty of Economics and Management, cognitive sciences (a department unique in Italy combining psychology, linguistics, neuroscience and philosophy of mind), computer engineering and sociology. Research is European-recognised in comparative law, behavioural economics and artificial intelligence.
87% of graduates find work within a year of graduation — one of Italy's highest rates. 18% of students are international, double the national average for universities of this size. Trento, surrounded by the UNESCO Dolomites, is consistently ranked among Italy's best cities for quality of life, safety and environment.
Academic Areas
University of Trento by the numbers
From 1962 to the CENSIS summit: Trento and the Alpine university excellence model
The University of Trento was born in 1962 as a free institution of the Association for the University of Trento, supported by the Autonomous Province and the Trentino community. Its founding came during a period of great cultural ferment: Trento was the scene of significant student movements in the 1960s, leaving a mark on the university's critical and progressive identity.
During the 1970s and 1980s the university gained state status and developed its main faculties. The creation of the Department of Cognitive Sciences — one of the few in the world dedicated to this cross-disciplinary field — and the excellent Law Faculty contributed to building a first-rate European academic reputation.
The University of Trento's strategy is based on selective quality rather than quantitative growth: small classes, a privileged student-faculty ratio and excellent services. This approach has led Trento to dominate the CENSIS rankings in its category for consecutive years, becoming a model for the Italian university system.
FAQ — Università degli Studi di Trento
Study in Trentino: useful resources for your journey
The University of Trento is the most virtuous choice among medium-sized Italian universities: the best for services, employability and internationalisation, in one of Europe's most beautiful regions. Discover everything about living and studying in Italy.
