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Art Schools in Italy

25 researched institutions with a campus here, offering 322 art and design programs. This is the research done to date, not a complete list of every program.

By region

Cities with several researched institutions

322 programs

How results are ordered: alphabetically by institution, or by most recently checked when you choose that sort. There is no price ranking, because tuition in different currencies, fee categories and bases (per year, per credit, whole program) is not comparable. A program appears under a subject only through a verified link (dedicated degree, major, concentration or documented pathway). A value we could not verify is shown as “not published”, never as “no”. Items marked Sponsored are paid placements; they never change verification or order. Online programs are not counted as physically located in a state or city, and an institution’s location does not tell you whether it enrols students from your country.

About art education in Italy

How art education is organised

Italian art and design education sits in two systems. State and private art academies, design institutes (ISIA) and academies such as NABA, IED and RUFA belong to the AFAM sector and award first-level academic diplomas (triennio, usually 180 credits) and second-level academic diplomas (biennio, usually 120 credits); universities such as the Politecnico di Milano, Iuav and the University of Bologna award laurea and laurea magistrale degrees. These awards are titled by level and subject (for example Pittura or Design della comunicazione), not BFA or MFA; a few private academies also use the names Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts alongside the Italian titles. Teaching is mostly in Italian, with a growing number of English-taught programmes.

Source: accademiadibrera.milano.it/it/diploma-di-1-livello

Qualification structures

Names and levels are local to Italy. Similar names in other countries are not interchangeable.

Diploma accademico di primo livello (triennio)
Three-year first-level academic diploma awarded by AFAM academies, for example the Triennio in Pittura at the Accademia di Brera or the 'Primo livello triennale' courses at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna. Source
Diploma accademico di secondo livello (biennio)
Two-year second-level academic diploma, for example the Biennio in Pittura at Brera or the 'Secondo livello biennale' courses at Bologna. Source
Laurea and laurea magistrale (universities)
University degrees in design and the arts, for example the Politecnico di Milano School of Design lists its Laurea as equivalent to a Bachelor of Science and its Laurea Magistrale as equivalent to a Master of Science. Source
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts (AFAM, private academies)
NABA states that the degrees awarded at the end of AFAM programmes are First Level (Bachelor of Arts) and Second Level (Master of Arts) Academic Degrees recognised by the MUR. Source

Bodies that matter, and what each one does

Accreditation, validation, education authority and qualification registers are different roles. Do not read a listing by one body as evidence from another.

MUR (Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca) - AFAM sector
Italian ministry that recognises the AFAM academic diplomas; NABA states its degrees are recognised by the MUR and equivalent to university degrees.

Credits and qualification framework

AFAM courses use credits called CFA (crediti formativi accademici), shown as CFA/ECTS on several academies' pages, for example 180 for a first-level and 120 for a second-level diploma at IED and NABA.

No degree on this site guarantees admission, funding, employment, a visa or teacher registration, and nothing here is visa or credit-transfer advice.

Languages and admissions

Teaching languages. iten

Admissions and portfolios. Academies normally ask for an upper-secondary diploma and run their own admission tests; the Accademia di Brera describes a life-drawing test for painting and a further graphic test. Check each academy's current Manifesto degli studi for dates, fees and test details. Source

Official study information

Country information last reviewed 23 October 2026. 4 sources consulted.