In Italy, schools are mainly State schools. Non-state schools are independent public or private schools that may either have a status of parity to State schools (paritarie) or not. 

The State directly finances State schools through funds included in the budget of the Ministry of education and merit (Ministero dell'istruzione e del merito, MIM).

Independent schools with parity, as they carry out the functions of State schools within the national education system, receive State funds according to specific criteria established every year by the Ministry. Regulations also establish that priority must be given to those schools run by no-profit entities.

Funding of vocational education and training organised by the Regions (Istruzione e formazione professionale, IeFP), involves several subjects according to the different types of courses: the Regions, the Provinces, the Ministry of labour and/or the MIM and EU.

At tertiary level, the State directly finances universities and Afam institutions through funds included in the budget of the Ministry of university and research. Higher technological institutes (ITS Academy) receive funds from the State through the Regions. 

The public expenditure for education in 2021 has been 4.1% of GDP (source: ISTAT, Rapporto annuale 2023, ch. 1, pg. 47). 

In 2020, public expenditure of public institutions as been 94.7% of the total expenditure in education (source: EUROSTAT, table 'Expenditure on public educational institutions - as % of total or current expenditure'). 

Contents revised: October 2023