Healthcare professions: 38,000 places on offer; applications now open

- Monday 24th: Trento, Verona and Palermo;

- Tuesday 25th, Messina;

- Wednesday 26th, Turin;

- Thursday 27th: Varese and Catania;

- Monday 31: Novara, Bologna, Bari, Cagliari, Catanzaro and Cosenza;

September

- Tuesday 1: Pavia, Genoa, Naples (Parthenope) and Sassari;

- Wednesday 2: Udine, Parma, Modena-Reggio and Ferrara;

- Thursday 3: Milan, Brescia, Trieste, Pisa, Sapienza University of Rome and Federico II University of Naples;

- Friday 4th: Ancona, Florence, Siena, Perugia, Naples, Campania, Salerno and Lecce;

- Sunday 6th, Chieti;

- Monday 7th, Rome Tor Vergata;

- Tuesday 8th: Padua and Foggia;

- Wednesday 9th, Milan Bicocca;

- Thursday 10th, Campobasso.

Of the total average increase of 1,311 places, 16 courses are included, with an increase of 263 for Nursing – from 20,409 last year to 20,672 (+1.3 per cent), +824 for Physiotherapy, from 3,262 last year to the current 4,086 (+25 per cent); Dental Hygiene +148, from 922 to 1,070 (+16 per cent); Midwifery: +89, from 1,261 to 1,350 (+7.1 per cent); Radiography Technicians: +86, from 1,863 to 1,949 (+4.6 per cent); Osteopathy: +65, from 425 to 490 (+15 per cent); Laboratory Techniques: +62, from 1,590 to 1,652 (+3.9 per cent); Speech and Language Therapy: +38 from 1,112 to 1,150 (+3.4 per cent); Cardiovascular Physiopathology Technicians: +37 from 292 to 329 (+13 per cent); Developmental Neuropsychomotor Therapy: +32 from 428 to 460 (+7.5%); Neurophysiopathology Techniques: +8 from 206 to 214 (+3.9%); Orthoptics: +7 from 355 to 362 (+2.0 per cent); Orthopaedic Techniques: +6 from 207 to 213 (+2.9 per cent); Occupational Therapy: +5, from 253 to 258 (-2.0 per cent) and Podiatry: +4, from 119 to 123 (+3.4 per cent). The number of places for Healthcare Assistance remains unchanged at 502, and for Audiometric Techniques at 103.

By contrast, there was an overall decrease of 74 places across the remaining five courses: Dietetics – down by 5, from 623 to 618 (-0.8 per cent); Vocational Education: -10, from 844 to 834 (-1.2 per cent); Hearing Aid Technicians: -15, from 299 to 284 (-5.0 per cent); Prevention Techniques – 20, from 921 to 901 (-2.2 per cent); Psychiatric Rehabilitation Techniques – 24, from 588 to 564 (-4.1 per cent).

Finally, for Paediatric Nursing, the number of places has fallen from 290 to zero, as the three-year degree programme has been discontinued this year, whilst the Master’s degree programme in Specialist Nursing Sciences in Neonatal and Paediatric Care, with 119 places, has been introduced.

As regards the number of applications for admission to the 22 healthcare professions, over the last two years there have been a total of around 64,000 applications for approximately 36,000 places, with an average ratio of almost two applications per place advertised, though there are significant variations.

The highest ratio is for Physiotherapists, with 6.5 applications per place, followed by Speech and Language Therapists (4.3); Midwives (3.1); Dietitians (3.0); Radiography Technicians (2.5); and Dental Hygienists (2.3). All others are below the average of 1.8: Osteopaths at 1.4; Neurophysiopathology Technicians at 1.3; Podiatrists, Laboratory Technicians and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Technicians at 1.2; Nurses and Orthoptists at 0.9; Laboratory Technicians and Prevention Technicians at 0.8; Professional Educators at 0.7; and finally, Audiometry Technicians, Hearing Aid Fitters, Orthopaedic Technicians, Occupational Therapists and Healthcare Assistants.

In particular, for Nursing – with 20,000 places available and 19,000 applications – the ratio of 0.9 varies between 0.7 at universities in central and northern Italy and 1.5 at universities in the south.

To help candidates choose a degree programme and university, please refer to the data from the 2025 Annual Report (

https://www.conferenzalaureeprofessionisanitarie.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/report-2025-mastrillo.pdf)

We recommend checking the websites of each university for updates on both the number of places available and the deadlines for admission applications. The registration fee for the entrance examination at the 41 state universities averages €54, ranging from a minimum of €26 to a maximum of €100.

As regards the entrance examination question papers, each university prepares its own independently; however, they are the same for all 22 degree programmes. More than half of the 41 state universities make use of the CINECA Consortium, employing a single set of questions.

Generally speaking, for all healthcare professions, career prospects are relatively secure and can be realised quickly. For the approximately 500,000 students sitting their school-leaving exams this year, there are therefore excellent opportunities when choosing which degree programme to enrol in, not least given the high employment rates among graduates in Nursing and the other 21 healthcare professions.

Employment prospects have always ranked first among all the various subject areas, as highlighted by data from AlmaLaurea, with the employment rate rising from 85 per cent to 88 per cent for the healthcare professions – double the average of 44 per cent across all 16 subject areas

(https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/dall-infermiere-fisioterapista-9-10-lavorano-subito-test-d-ingresso-16-settembre-AJjxQyB)

Furthermore, there are degree programmes that offer the opportunity to make the best choice from a wide range of study and career options, which, upon completion of the degree, lead directly to employment opportunities in both the public and private sectors, as well as in self-employment.

*Lecturer in the Organisation of the Health Professions at the University of Bologna