Censis university rankings: Padua, Bologna and Luiss remain at the top

The proportion of new students with a technical education diploma has remained stable (at 22.4 per cent), whilst the number of new students from vocational schools has risen (from 5.5 per cent) and those with a foreign qualification – who ten years ago accounted for 2.5 per cent, or almost a third of the current figure – has also increased. Of these, around 70.0 per cent are of non-European origin, with 30.6 per cent coming from Asia and 28.3 per cent from Africa.

Whilst the proportion of Asian students has remained constant over time (accounting for 30.0 per cent of students with foreign qualifications in the 2015–2016 academic year), the proportion of African students has almost doubled (in the2015–2016 academic year, they accounted for 15.9 per cent). International students of European origin, on the other hand, have decreased from 40.4 per cent to 32.8 per cent.

Once again this year, the top two places are firmly held by the University of Padua, in first place with an overall score of 91.2, and the University of Bologna (87.8). La Sapienza University of Rome has moved up to third place with 86.0 points, overtaking the University of Pisa, which has dropped to fourth (85.5). The University of Milan and the University of Florence have also dropped one place compared with last year, falling to fifth and sixth place respectively, with scores of 85.3 and 84.7.

Holding firm in seventh place is the University of Palermo (84.3), followed in eighth place by the University of Turin, which, with a score of 83.8, drops two places. Bringing up the rear in the ranking of the major universities are the University of Bari (79.7) and the University of Naples Federico II (74.2), in penultimate and last place respectively.

The University of Calabria remains at the top with a total score of 91.7, ahead of the University of Pavia (90.2), which also remains in second place. Third in the rankings is the University of Cagliari, which, with a total score of 88.5, has climbed two places and now sits ahead of the University of Parma (88.3), which remains in fourth place. The University of Perugia ranks fifth this year (86.7, down two places). The University of Salerno remains firmly in sixth place with a score of 84.5, tied with the University of Milan-Bicocca, which, in contrast, has moved up one place; followed by the University of Rome Tor Vergata (seventh, up one place) and the University of Chieti Pescara (eighth, up six places), with overall scores of 84.3 and 84.2 respectively.

The University of Genoa (83.2) and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (83.0) each drop one place, ranking ninth and tenth respectively. The University of Verona (82.3) also drops one place, coming in eleventh, followed by the University of Messina (81.5), which, by contrast, climbs three places. Bringing up the rear in the ranking of the major universities are: the University of Ferrara (80.8, thirteenth), the University of Campania and the University of Roma Tre, tied for fourteenth place (80.0), and the University of Catania (79.2, fifteenth).

Topping this year’s ranking of medium-sized state universities is the University of Sassari, which, with a score of 93.2, has climbed three places to take first position, followed by the Polytechnic University of the Marche, which retains second place with 92.8. In joint third place, with an overall score of 92.7, are the University of Trento (down two places) and the University of Udine (down one place). The University of Trieste (91.7) has moved up to fourth place, overtaking the University of Siena (90.0), which has dropped from third place last year to fifth. The Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (89.3) remains stable in sixth place. The University of Salento (86.8) climbs six places to seventh in the rankings, whilst the University of Brescia (86.2) remains in eighth place, followed by the University of Eastern Piedmont (85.3, ninth, -2 places) and the University of Bergamo (84.7, tenth, -1 place). From eleventh to fourteenth place, in order, are: the University of Foggia (83.3, up 3 places), the University of Insubria (83.2, down 1 place), the University of L’Aquila (82.7, up 2 places) and the University of Urbino (81.7, down 4 places). Finally, the University of Naples Parthenope (81.3, down 3 places) and the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro (78.8) occupy the penultimate and last places respectively in the ranking of medium-sized state universities.

The University of Camerino continues to hold first place, with an overall score of 95.3, followed by the University of Cassino, which also remains in second place with 87.3. The Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria has climbed three places compared with last year’s ranking, moving into third place (86.0). The Universities of Macerata and Sannio remain in fourth and fifth place, with scores of 85.8 and 84.3 respectively. The University of Tuscia has dropped three places, falling to sixth position with a score of 84.0. The University of Teramo, on the other hand, has moved up one place to seventh with 81.0 points, taking the seventh position held last year by the University of Basilicata, which has slipped to eighth (79.0). Bringing up the rear in the ranking of small state universities are the University of Molise (75.8), second from last, and the University of Naples ‘l’Orientale’ (73.0), which has returned to the ranking this year from the category of medium-sized universities.

Once again this year, the Politecnico di Milano tops the rankings (with a score of 100.8 points), followed by the Politecnico di Torino (94.8), which occupies second place. Third in the rankings is the Polytechnic University of Bari with a score of 85.7. Bringing up the rear is the IUAV in Venice (83.7).

With specific reference to large universities (over 10,000 students) Luiss remains, as it did last year, at the top of the rankings with a total score of 95.8, ahead of Bocconi University (92.6) and the Catholic University (79.0), in second and third place respectively. Among medium-sized private universities (5,000 to 10,000 students), Lumsa once again leads the way (89.2), followed by IULM (83.8) in second place. Enna Kore University and the University of Milan San Raffaele make their debut as ‘new entries’, taking third and fourth place with scores of 80.0 and 75.4 respectively.

Bringing up the rear in this group is the Suor Orsola Benincasa University (74.6). Among small non-state universities (up to 5,000 students), the Free University of Bolzano retains first place (with a score of 95.8), followed by the Campus Biomedico University of Rome (92.4) in second place, and LIUC-Cattaneo University (90.6) in third.

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