Italy is a country located in South-central Europe, occupying a peninsula that juts deep into the Mediterranean Sea. The Italian economy is the third-largest national economy in Europe and the eighth-largest by nominal GDP in the world. Italy is currently the eighth-largest exporter in the world. A well-respected country across the globe, Italy is a member of the G7 and the G20. It is also one of the founding states of the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. Italy’s rich history and delicious cuisine draw millions of visitors as well as international students each year.
Italy has a large network of public and state-affiliated universities and institutes offering a wide range of programs. The majority of them are state-run and state-supported. Italian universities are among the oldest universities in the world. The University of Bologna (established in 1088), the University of Padua, (established in 1222), and the University of Naples Federico I are the oldest universities in Europe. Furthermore, Milan’s Bocconi University is not only one of the top 20 best business schools in the world according to The Wall Street Journal international rankings, it is also ranked by Forbes as the best in the specific category Value for Money in the world. The school is no. 5 in Europe and no. 15 globally in The Financial Times Executive education ranking. Its M.B.A. program also placed no. 17 in terms of graduate recruitment preference by major Corporations worldwide. Italy is also home to other prestigious universities and polytechnics like the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, the Polytechnic University of Turin, the LUISS, the Politecnico di Milano the University of Rome La Sapienza, many of them ranking among Europe’s top 50 schools.