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Healthcare professions: applications for admission up by 17 per cent

From Nursing to Physiotherapy: the number of candidates for the exams on Wednesday 16 September to gain entry to the 22 degree programmes is on the rise

by Angelo Mastrillo *

14 September 2026

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5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

5' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The entrance examinations for the 22 degree programmes in Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Laboratory Technology, Radiography and other healthcare professions at the 41 state universities, for over 68,000 candidates who have applied for 33,958 places advertised, the majority of which – over 54 per cent – are for Nursing

State universities: +17.4%

Thanks to the cooperation of all the universities, the data collected shows that, overall, the number of applications submitted to state universities has risen from 57,993 last year to the current 68,067, an increase of 17.4 per cent – a figure considerably higher than last year’s 0.2 per cent. In addition to these, there are 9 private universities offering a further 4,226 places and receiving around 7,500 applications – a figure that is still provisional and rising.

Out of a total of 50 universities offering 38,184 places, there were therefore approximately 75,500 applications, representing a 17.5 per cent increase – or 11,233 more – compared with last year’s 64,260 applications.

A similar increase is seen in the number of posts advertised, with 1,311 representing a rise of 3.6 per cent, from 36,873 to 38,184, with an application-to-post ratio (A/P) of 2.0, up from 1.7 in 2025 and 1.8 in 2024.

Top-quality physiotherapy

The rise in the average D/P ratio to 2.0 across almost all courses varies between the different professions, with almost all the rankings from previous years remaining unchanged: in first place is Physiotherapy with a D/P ratio of 6.2 and an increase in applications from 20,919 to 25,146 (+20 per cent) for 4,086 places on offer; in second place are Speech and Language Therapists, with a D/P ratio of 5.0 and applications rising from 5,019 to 5,707 (+13.7 per cent) for 1,150 places; in third place, both Midwife (D/P 3.2, with applications rising from 4,165 to 4,380 (+5.2 per cent) for 1,350 places) and Radiography Technician (D/P 3.2, with applications rising from 4,748 to 6,155 (+29.6 per cent) for 1,949 posts; in fourth place, Dietitian at 2.8, with applications falling from 1,764 to 1,756 (-0.5 per cent) for 834 posts; in fifth place, Child Neuro and Psychomotor Therapists, with a ratio of 2.7 (from 854 to 1,251 applications, +46.5 per cent) for 460 posts; Dental Hygienist: 2.6, with applications falling from 1,951 to 2,798 (-43.4 per cent) for 1,070 posts.

The following programmes have an average D/P ratio of 2.0: Neurophysiopathology Technician, 1.6 (249 to 351 applications for 214 places); Podiatrist, 1.6 (141 to 192 applications for 123 places); Osteopath: 1.5, with 589 to 711 applications (+20.7 per cent) for 490 places; Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technician: 1.3, with 574 to 739 applications (+28.7 per cent) for 564 places; Laboratory Technician: 1.2 (from 1,708 to 1,908 applications, an increase of 11.7 per cent) for 1,652 places; Cardiovascular Physiopathology Technician: 1.2, from 190 to 381 applications (+100 per cent) for 329 places; Nurses: 1.1, from 18,836 to 21,907 applications (+16.3 per cent) for 20,672 posts; Orthoptists: 1.1, from 314 to 385 applications (+22.6 per cent) for 362 posts.

Below a D/P ratio of 1.0: Health and Safety Technician 0.8 – 701 to 748 applications (+6.7 per cent) for 901 posts; Professional Educator: 0.6, with applications falling from 546 to 532 (-2.6 per cent) for 834 posts; Orthopaedic Technician: 0.6, with applications rising from 93 to 134 (+44.1 per cent) for 213 posts; with 0.5 each for Occupational Therapists (101 to 122 applications, +20.8 per cent) out of 258 advertised posts and Hearing Aid Technicians (130 to 139 applications, +6.9 per cent) out of 284 posts. Finally, for the 0.4 Audiometry Technician posts, applications fell from 46 to 42 (-8.7 per cent) out of 103 places, and for Healthcare Assistants, from 182 to 178 (-2.2 per cent) out of 502 places.

However, it should be noted that the number of places filled will subsequently increase as candidates move up the ranking lists based on their second and third choices for the degree programmes. Furthermore, for the nine ‘related’ degree programmes (including Nursing), there may be new places available through the progression down the ranking lists for the degree programme in Medicine and Surgery, for which 52,300 applications were submitted, which is fewer than last year’s 57,413 (-3.8 per cent) and fewer than the aforementioned 75,500 applications for the 22 healthcare professions.

Trends across the regions

As regards the situation at universities, all 18 regions recorded an average increase of 17.5 per cent, though with variations ranging up to a maximum of +30.9 per cent in the Marche region, where the number rose from 1,110 to 1,453 out of 740 places, with a D/P ratio of 2.0. Friuli-Venezia Giulia: +28.0 per cent, from 1,214 to 1,554 out of 830 places, with a D/P ratio of 1.9. Campania: +27.6 per cent, from 5,210 to 6,650 out of 2,504 places, with a D/P ratio of 2.7. Puglia: +22.4 per cent, from 4,701 to 5,728 out of 1,984 places, with a D/P ratio of 2.9. Calabria: +22.3 per cent, from 2,145 to 2,624 out of 989 places, with a D/P ratio of 2.7. Piedmont: +19.8 per cent, from 3,733 to 4,471 out of 2,003 places advertised, with a student-to-place ratio of 2.2. The seven universities in Lombardy: an average increase of 18.5 per cent, from 8,650 to 10,552 out of 4,861 places, with a D/P ratio of 2.1. The four universities in Emilia-Romagna: +18.4 per cent, from 4,949 to 5,862 out of 3,138 places advertised, with a D/P ratio of 1.9. The seven universities in Lazio saw an increase of 18.3 per cent, from 10,004 to 11,838 (provisional figure) for 8,398 places, with a D/P ratio of 1.4. Abruzzo: +17.7 per cent, from 2,162 to 2,544, out of 1,186 places, with a D/P ratio of 2.1. Umbria: +16.9 per cent, from 723 to 845, out of 627 places, with a D/P ratio of 1.3. Tuscany: +14.3 per cent, from 3,688 to 4,217 out of 2,111 places, with a D/P ratio of 2.0. Molise: +12.7 per cent, from 365 to 400 out of 260 places, with a D/P ratio of 1.5. Sicily: +10.6 per cent, from 6,987 to 7,727 out of 3,442 places, with a D/P of 2.2. Sardinia: +9.9 per cent, from 2,234 to 2,455 out of 686 places, with a D/P of 3.6 (the highest). Liguria: +8.7 per cent, from 1,387 to 1,507 out of 889 places, with a D/P ratio of 1.7. Finally, Veneto +6.6 per cent, including some courses in Trento and Bolzano, from 5,008 to 5,338 out of 3,536 places, with a D/P ratio of 1.5.

Nurses: numbers continue to rise

Finally, and specifically with regard to Nursing, following the initial report of a +14% increase published in *Il Sole 24 Ore* on 8 September Il Sole 24 Ore on 8 September, a further rise to +16 per cent was recorded at five other state universities following the deadline for their respective application rounds on 10 September.

* Lecturer in the Organisation of the Healthcare Professions, University of Bologna