The University of Milan is a public teaching and research university, which is distinguished by its wide
variety of disciplinary fields.
A leading institute in Italy and Europe for scientific productivity, the University of Milan is the largest
university in the region, with approximately 64,000 students; it is also an important resource for the socio-
economic context of which it is a part.
Milan is, in fact, the capital of Lombardy, one of the most dynamic and international regions in the European
Union, a leader in the national economy that stands at the Italian forefront of research and development
investments and commitment to technological innovation.
The University of Milan also possesses a remarkable artistic and cultural heritage that includes important
historic buildings, inherited and acquired collections, archives, botanical gardens and the old Brera Observatory
commissioned by Maria Teresa of Austria.
The University’s departments are housed in important historic edifices in the centre of Milan and in modern
buildings in the area known as Città Studi (the City of Studies).
Among the palazzos that house the University’s facilities are the old Ca' Granda – a monumental complex
from the 15th-century in the heart of the historical city centre – the 18th-century Palazzo Greppi designed by
Giuseppe Piermarini – who built the Scala Theatre in Milan – and the 17th-century Sant’Alessandro
College commissioned by the Arcimboldi family.
The book collection, which is one of the richest in the region, is preserved in 47 libraries, while the APICE
Centre collects rare and valuable book stocks and archives.
The University also has a Choir and its own Orchestra, which actively contributes to the cultural life of the city
and receives international acknowledgements on an increasingly frequent basis.
The Present
At the present time, the University offers 8 faculties and 2 schools, 138 study programmes (divided
between Undergraduate and Graduate courses), 31 doctoral schools (scuole di dottorato) and 76
specialisation schools (scuole di specializzazione).
Approximately 64,000 students are enrolled at the University. The teaching staff is composed of 2,000
tenured professors and researchers and approximately 500 adjunct professors.
More than 1,947 people work in the technical and administrative sector.
The University of Milan was one of the institutions that helped to found LERU, the League of European
Research Universities, and is the only Italian University to be a member of the organisation.
Thanks to its commitment to basic and applied research, the University is among the top institutions in the
main national and international rankings.