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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms in higher education
Italy

Italy

13.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

13.4National reforms in higher education

Last update: 29 January 2026
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2026

There have been no reforms.

2025

New procedures to access the faculty of medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary

On 11 March 2025 the Parliament has approved the final text of the legge 26/2025 that delegates the Government to approve a series of legislative decrees to regulate the access to the studies in medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary, in public universities, according to the general indications provided in the bill itself. 

According to the text approved, starting from academic year 2025/2026, students willing to enrol in the faculties of medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary, will not need to pass a preliminary entrance test. Instead, the access will be open to everyone, and the selection to cover the available posts is postponed to the end of the first semester. In fact, this new measure does not cancel the limited-post access to these faculties. The aim of this reform is to ensure a more efficient selection of students to cover the available posts and to reach a higher number of graduates in these disciplines at the end of the relevant course of study.

Within 12 months the Government should approve and publish one or more decrees that will regulate the new access to these faculties, according to the directions provided by the Parliament in the law, among which:

  1. the enrolment in the faculties of medicine and surgery, dentistry and prosthodontics, and veterinary, should be open to everyone,
  2. the identification of common subjects to be taught in the first semester and to be assessed at the exams to guarantee harmonised courses and study plans,
  3. the indication of the criteria to create of the national list,
  4. the recognition of the credits obtained in the first semester for those who are not admitted to the second one, to allow them continuing their studies in courses of the scientific area.

The law entered into force on 2 April 2025 and will apply from academic year 2025/2026.

2024

There have been no reforms.