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University Directory · Europe & Central Asia

Top 25 universities in Italy

The 25 leading universities and higher education institutions in Italy, ordered by the citations their research has received. Part of the WAC University Directory.

25 institutions listed · data October 2026

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  1. 1

    Sapienza University of Rome

    Rome, Lazio, Italy

    • 281,574 research works
    • 24.7 million citations
    • h-index 1,143
  2. 2

    University of Padua (UNIPD)

    Padua, Veneto, Italy

    • 221,038 research works
    • 22 million citations
    • h-index 1,162
  3. 3

    University of Milan (UNIMI)

    Milan, Lombardy, Italy

    • 406,302 research works
    • 21.8 million citations
    • h-index 1,017
  4. 4

    University of Bologna (UNIBO)

    Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

    • 230,073 research works
    • 21 million citations
    • h-index 988
    In WAC News: Una Europa alliance enrolls first students in joint European Studies bachelor's
  5. 5

    University of Naples Federico II

    Naples, Campania, Italy

    • 179,648 research works
    • 16 million citations
    • h-index 862
  6. 6

    University of Turin (UNITO)

    Turin, Piedmont, Italy

    • 167,367 research works
    • 15.2 million citations
    • h-index 901
  7. 7

    University of Pisa (UniPi)

    Pisa, Tuscany, Italy

    • 141,655 research works
    • 13.7 million citations
    • h-index 905
  8. 8

    University of Florence

    Florence, Tuscany, Italy

    • 154,307 research works
    • 12.2 million citations
    • h-index 739
  9. 9

    University of Genoa (UniGe)

    Genoa, Liguria, Italy

    • 110,933 research works
    • 9.2 million citations
    • h-index 726
  10. 10

    University of Pavia (UNIPV)

    Pavia, Lombardy, Italy

    • 96,633 research works
    • 8.9 million citations
    • h-index 806
  11. 11

    University of Rome Tor Vergata

    Rome, Lazio, Italy

    • 100,074 research works
    • 8.8 million citations
    • h-index 777
  12. 12

    University of Perugia

    Perugia, Umbria, Italy

    • 70,245 research works
    • 7.6 million citations
    • h-index 745
  13. 13

    University of Bari Aldo Moro

    Bari, Apulia, Italy

    • 85,886 research works
    • 7.5 million citations
    • h-index 590
  14. 14

    Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC)

    Milan, Lombardy, Italy

    • 84,407 research works
    • 6.9 million citations
    • h-index 603
  15. 15

    University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB)

    Milan, Lombardy, Italy

    • 77,113 research works
    • 6.5 million citations
    • h-index 716
  16. 16

    University of Verona

    Verona, Veneto, Italy

    • 63,099 research works
    • 6.3 million citations
    • h-index 761
  17. 17

    Politecnico di Milano

    Milan, Lombardy, Italy

    • 258,166 research works
    • 6.1 million citations
    • h-index 545
  18. 18

    University of Catania

    Catania, Sicily, Italy

    • 80,249 research works
    • 5.7 million citations
    • h-index 515
  19. 19

    University of Siena (UNISI)

    Siena, Italy

    • 60,650 research works
    • 5.6 million citations
    • h-index 606
  20. 20

    University of Ferrara

    Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

    • 57,040 research works
    • 5.4 million citations
    • h-index 664
  21. 21

    University of Parma (UNIPR)

    Parma, Italy

    • 66,659 research works
    • 5.3 million citations
    • h-index 579
  22. 22

    University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

    Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

    • 65,598 research works
    • 5.2 million citations
    • h-index 551
  23. 23

    University of Palermo

    Palermo, Italy

    • 84,983 research works
    • 5.2 million citations
    • h-index 471
  24. 24

    University of Trieste (UNITS)

    Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

    • 59,767 research works
    • 5 million citations
    • h-index 637
  25. 25

    University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"

    Caserta, Campania, Italy

    • 56,849 research works
    • 4.7 million citations
    • h-index 492

Ordered by total research citations recorded in OpenAlex (October 2026). Works, citations and h-index are OpenAlex figures for the institution. How the list is made.

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About the directory

How institutions are chosen and ordered

The directory lists 1436 universities, colleges and higher education institutions in 199 countries and territories. In countries with 200 or more higher education institutions recorded in OpenAlex it lists the top 25; everywhere else, the top 5.

Institutions are ordered by the total number of citations their research has received, as recorded in OpenAlex, the open catalogue of the world’s research, with data taken in October 2026. This is a transparent, research-based order: it favours large research institutions and does not measure teaching quality, student experience or graduate outcomes. University systems are left out in favour of their campuses, and faculties or institutes are left out when their parent university is already listed. Names, cities and websites come from OpenAlex and the Research Organization Registry (ROR).

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