From Pirelli factory to modern university town
The birth of the University of Bicocca was the result of a necessary change: in the 1990s the University of Milan, with a student body of over 90,000, had become so unmanageable that it had to be split up, and in September 1993 the City Council of Milan formally resolved to set up a new campus in the district of Bicocca – the site of major industrial companies such as Pirelli and Breda – in the same area as the University of Milan. Pirelli and Breda, among others.
Around 1986, a large-scale urban renewal project was launched, coordinated by the famous architect Vittorio Gregotti, to transform this old industrial area into a modern university town. Today the Bicocca Campus is unique in Italy – 28 buildings in Milan, Monza and elsewhere. The campus is equipped with 3 libraries, 4 conference facilities, 195 modern classrooms, 46 IT laboratories and 226 research laboratories, as well as halls of residence, canteens, theaters, cinemas and sports facilities.
Multidisciplinary system and internationalized curriculum
Bicocca University is truly an all-rounder! It has 7 faculties including Economics, Law, Medicine, Sociology and many more. The university offers 84 undergraduate and master’s programs, 22 doctoral programs, 60 professional master’s programs and 39 professional advancement programs. Ways to obtain a Milano Biccoca diploma
The University of Bicocca is particularly strong in business and economics – its Department of Economics, Management and Statistics (DEMS) offers great programs such as the MBA, Master of Business Economics, and more, covering areas such as management, finance, marketing, and corporate social responsibility. The school has had a particular focus on internationalization in the last few years, with a number of English-medium and bilingual courses in cutting-edge areas such as Astrophysics and Space Physics, Applied Experimental Psychological Sciences, and Innovative Technologies in Physical Sciences. Around 2,200 international students come to study here every year, and the university has set up the “Bicocca International Scholarship”, which provides €10,000 per year in financial aid and tuition fee reductions for outstanding international students.
Career prospects: a performance that exceeds the national average
When it comes to jobs after graduation, Bicocca’s graduates do very well. According to the AlmaLaurea 2025 report, the five-year employment rate for master’s graduates is a whopping 92.3%, which is another year higher than the previous year. Two-year master’s graduates had an 87.percent employment rate one year after graduation, well above the national average of 75.7 percent. Graduates (those who did not continue their education) had an 84.6 percent employment rate after graduation, also higher than the national rate of 7.6 percent. 91.6 percent of graduates were satisfied with their college experience. Moreover, 75.3% of Bicocca students found employment during their studies, which is higher than the national rate of 66.7%. Additionally, 68.4% of students graduate within the standard semester, and the average age of graduation is 25.1 years, which is lower than the national rate of 25.8 years.
Research and Innovation
Bicocca’s research prowess is also not to be underestimated. In the last five years, the university has launched 541 research projects with a total investment of 158 million euros. The university has 307 large research facilities, 200 of which are open to external institutions. in October 2025, the university officially opened Ergon-U19, a new Center for Sustainability and Innovation, with research laboratories for environmental monitoring, characterization of sustainable materials, and more.
With the motto “Audentes fortuna iuvat” (Fortune favors the brave), the University of Milan Bicocca has risen from an industrial ruin to become one of Italy’s most dynamic comprehensive universities in less than thirty years. Whether it is the authoritative accreditation of diplomas, the extensive network of international exchanges, or the employment rate that far exceeds the national average, the University of Bicocca proves to the world that the possibilities of a young university are limitless with its excellent quality of education and pragmatic philosophy of school running.
