Studying at Marche Polytechnic University

The story

Ancona waited a long time for a university. Proposals came up through the 1920s and none got past planning, and the groundwork stopped during World War II. The Free University of Ancona was established in 1969 and recognised as a state university on 18 January 1971.

It began with the Faculty of Engineering and the first years of Medicine and Surgery. Economics joined them, and Agriculture was founded in 1988/89. On 18 January 2003 the University of Ancona changed its name to Università Politecnica delle Marche.

Medicine and Surgery used to sit at Posatora until a landslide destroyed that site in 1982. Today the work in Ancona runs across three campuses: Monte Dago, Torrette and Caserma Villarey. Engineering, Agriculture and Sciences are at Brecce Bianche on Monte Dago, Medicine and Surgery is at Torrette, and Economics is in the city centre. The university also gives courses in Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Macerata, Pesaro and San Benedetto del Tronto.

The university today

The CENSIS ranking puts it 2nd among Italian universities of 10,000 to 20,000 students. In the QS World University Rankings 2025 it is placed 24th in Italy.

Courses sit in five subject areas: Agriculture, Economics, Engineering, Medicine and Science. Some degrees are taught entirely in English and some only partly. The university keeps a page that lists which is which.

Medicine and Surgery (Med-Tech) is a single-cycle master's degree, class LM-41, taught in English. Access is restricted: the places go to candidates who pass an admission test.

Programs taught in English

We list one single-cycle degree, Medicine and Surgery, taught entirely in English.

The city

Ancona is the main city of the Marche region and sits on the central Adriatic coast. The university describes it as one of Italy's most important harbours and economic centres, founded by Ancient Greeks more than 2,400 years ago. The city's tourism site lists Portonovo bay, Mount Conero and the Passetto among its sea and nature places.

Ancona is on the A14 motorway. The nearest airport is the Aeroporto delle Marche at Falconara Marittima, with an airport bus to the city centre or a train from Castelferretti station. Trains stop at Ancona's central station, and city buses run from there to the campuses. The university runs two shuttles: Politecnica Link to the Monte Dago campus on working days, and Medical Link, which connects trains with the Torrette hospital and university site. A transport discount agreement covers students on the Conerobus city network.

How admission works for international students

Applicants with a foreign qualification first send a pre-evaluation application on the university's portal. The university checks your curriculum, your language level, how well you are prepared and how your qualification corresponds to the Italian system. You can apply for at most two different programs.

For most programs, non-EU applicants who need a visa then complete pre-enrolment on Universitaly, but only after a positive pre-acceptance e-mail from the university. If your country's system requires an academic entrance exam to enter university there, such as the Gao-Kao for China, you also supply proof of it. Meeting the stated requirements is not a guarantee of admission, and a visa is issued by the embassy or consulate, not by the university.

Programs taught in English need an English certificate at level B2 of the CEFR, or other accepted documentation. The university checks this at the pre-evaluation stage.

The university publishes several pre-evaluation calls a year. Programs with restricted access are taken from the third call, and an earlier pre-evaluation cannot be carried over.

The admission tests overview shows which tests other degrees use.

Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine in English are covered on our Medicine in Italy page.

Fees

Tuition is paid in three instalments. The first is 156 euros, made up of 140 euros regional tax and 16 euros stamp duty. Visa applicants pay it only after the visa is issued. The amount of the later instalments depends on the program and, for citizens of OECD countries, on household income.

For 2026/27 a citizen of a non-OECD country who has not applied for an ISEE parificato pays 156 euros in the first year, and that is the cost. In later years the amount stays at 156 euros if enough credits are earned, and otherwise the minimum fees apply. Citizens of OECD countries submit an ISEE parificato from a tax assistance centre (CAF) or pay the maximum fees for the course.

How we help

At UNIVPM restricted-access programs enter only from the third pre-evaluation call, and an earlier pre-evaluation does not carry over. We time your application to the right call, keep the Universitaly pre-enrolment and the visa in one plan, and prepare the documents UNIVPM asks for. If UNIVPM is one of several options, we compare them with you.

Questions students ask about Marche Polytechnic

Rules, dates and fees change every year. Confirm them in the official call for your own year before you act on them.