Sapienza University of Rome
Sapienza University of Rome was founded in 1303 and is the largest university in Europe, with over 115,000 total students, including more than 11,000 international students. For 2026/27, Sapienza offers 59 English-taught Bachelor's and Master's programmes alongside 240+ Italian-taught options. This guide covers exactly what Bangladeshi students need, including the genuinely rare detail of separate IELTS thresholds by degree level.
Sapienza was founded in 1303 and has grown into the largest university in Europe by enrollment, with roughly 63,000 undergraduate and 26,000 postgraduate students. The university is organized into 11 faculties and more than 52 departments, and holds particular global recognition in Classics and Ancient History, ranking among the very top programmes worldwide in that specific field. This guide is prepared by Study Abroad in Italy, drawing on our direct experience supporting Bangladeshi students through Italian public university admissions.
Sapienza is a member of CESAER, a European association of leading universities of science and technology, reinforcing its research standing beyond Italy's own national rankings.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Academic (Bachelor's) | 12 years of prior schooling (HSC or equivalent) |
| Academic (Master's) | Completed 3-year Bachelor's degree in a relevant field |
| GPA guidance | Program-specific thresholds commonly cited around 75/100 |
| English-taught programmes | B2 level English proficiency required |
Sapienza is one of the few Italian universities where the IELTS threshold is clearly split by degree level rather than presented as one blanket number:
| Level | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's (Undergraduate) | 6.0 overall | 80 |
| Master's (Postgraduate) | 6.5 overall | Program-dependent, generally higher |
| Competitive programmes | 7.0+ with strict component minimums (Medicine, Law, English Literature) | Program-dependent |
Sapienza also accepts PTE General Level 3 (B2 CEFR), along with FCE, CAE, and CPE as alternatives to IELTS or TOEFL. One detail worth knowing specifically: your IELTS Test Report Form must be issued no earlier than two years before your intended start date, not just before your application date, which trips up applicants who test early and assume their score stays valid indefinitely.
IELTS is not strictly mandatory across all of Italy, and TOEFL, PTE, or a Medium of Instruction certificate can substitute in many cases. However, individual course pages at Sapienza can set stricter component-level requirements, especially for Writing, that go beyond the general 6.0/6.5 figures above. Our full guide to Italy's language requirements covers the MOI alternative pathway in more detail.
Sapienza's international tuition is genuinely low for a major European public university, ranging from approximately €300 to €1,500 per year, determined by your country of residence and an ISEE-equivalent household income assessment. PhD students pay a separate regional fee of roughly €440 per year plus a small stamp duty of around €6.
Tuition is typically split into three instalments (30% / 35% / 35%). Based on the most recently published full cycle, first and second instalment deadlines fell in November and December, and your ISEE value must be entered into Sapienza's own student portal, Infostud, by mid-December, or you're billed at the maximum tuition bracket regardless of your actual household income.
Sapienza's application process differs by whether you're an EU-equivalent or non-EU applicant. For the 2026/27 cycle specifically, the non-EU pre-selection deadline for English-taught programmes fell on May 15, 2026, a date that has already passed by the time this guide was written. This is included here as a reference point for how far in advance non-EU applicants generally need to apply, not as an active upcoming deadline; confirm the exact date for the next intake cycle directly through the Sapienza University of Rome official international students page.
Check the specific language proficiency and academic requirements for your target course, since these vary by department.
Confirm your IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE score meets the specific threshold for your programme, and check your TRF issue date against the two-year validity rule.
Non-EU applicants complete pre-selection ahead of the standard deadline, well before the general Universitaly window.
Submit your income documentation on time to avoid being billed at the maximum tuition bracket.
File your Type D student visa through the Italian Embassy in Dhaka, aligned with MAECI requirements.
The Infostud deadline above is one of the most commonly missed steps we see, since it happens quietly in the background between application and enrollment. Our Admission Process service tracks this specific deadline directly, so you're never billed at the maximum bracket by mistake.
University details above are based on publicly available admissions information for Sapienza University of Rome. Fee amounts, IELTS thresholds, and deadlines are reviewed annually and vary by programme, so confirm current figures directly with the university or with our team before applying.
Our Support
We confirm the exact IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE requirement for your specific faculty and programme.
We manage your ISEE documentation and Infostud submission so you never miss the maximum-bracket cutoff.
From pre-selection to Universitaly pre-enrollment, part of the full range of services we provide, detailed on our complete admission and visa support page.
MAECI-aligned visa filing and practical guidance for settling into student life in Rome.
FAQ
