Polytechnic University of Milan

Polytechnic University of Milan
Politecnico di Milano
Former name
Istituto Tecnico Superiore (1867–1927)
Regio Politecnico di Milano (1927–1945)
Motto
Scambia la tua mente (Italian)[1]
Motto in English
"Exchange your mind"
TypePublic technical university
Established29 November 1863
FounderFrancesco Brioschi
RectorDonatella Sciuto[2]
Total staff
2,919 (2022–23)[3]
Students47,959 (2022–23)[4]
1,893 (2022–23)[5]
Location
Milan, Lombardy, Italy

45°28′41″N 9°13′42″E / 45.47806°N 9.22833°E / 45.47806; 9.22833
CampusUrban university
LanguageEnglish, Italian
Colors  White
  Livid[6]
Affiliations
Websitewww.polimi.it/en

The Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano, abbreviated as Polimi) is the largest technical university in Italy, with about 42,000 students. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and higher education courses in engineering, architecture and design.

Established in 1863 by Francesco Brioschi, it is the oldest university in Milan; inspired by German and Swiss polytechnic institutes, Brioschi founded the school in order to advance Italy's scientific and technological progress. By the 20th century, the school would ultimately gain international recognition through its influential faculty and a strong emphasis on modernist principles.[7]

The university compromises of two main campuses in the city of Milan, where the majority of the research and teaching activities are located, as well as other satellite campuses in five other cities across the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions. The central offices and headquarters are located in the historical campus of Città Studi in Milan, which is also the largest, active since 1927.

The university provides a diverse selection of graduate programs and hosts over 40,000 students, around 8,000 of which are international from more than 100 countries.[8] The university also has established partnerships with several prestigious institutions worldwide, including ETH Zurich, TU Delft, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As of 2024, the Polytechnic University of Milan is regarded as selective, with an acceptance rate of 28%.[9]

It is considered one of the leading technical universities in Italy and in Europe, and is consistently ranked as one of the best schools for architecture and engineering in the world. According to the QS World University Rankings for the subject area 'Engineering & Technology', it ranked in 2022 as the 13th best in the world.[10] It ranked 6th worldwide for Design, 9th for Civil and Structural Engineering, 9th for Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering and 7th for Architecture.[10] In 2024, SCImago Institutions Rankings listed the school 6th for Architecture and amongst the top 50 in Engineering.[11] Its notable alumni or professors include Nobel laureate Giulio Natta, engineer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer Enrico Forlanini, engineer Amalia Ercoli Finzi, novelist Carlo Emilio Gadda and architects Renzo Piano and Aldo Rossi.

  1. ^ https://www.polimi.it/en/campus-e-servizi/international-mobility/study-abroad
  2. ^ "Rettore e Prorettori: polimi".
  3. ^ "Our figures - polimi". www.polimi.it. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Our figures - polimi". www.polimi.it. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Our figures - polimi". www.polimi.it. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  6. ^ "politecnico di milano – manuale di corporate identity" (PDF). Politecnico di Milano. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Politecnico di Milano History - polimi". www.polimi.it. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Politecnico di Milano". Times Higher Education (THE). 10 April 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Polytechnic University of Milan [Acceptance Rate + Statistics]". EduRank.org - Discover university rankings by location. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  10. ^ a b "QS World University Rankings". QS Top Universities. QS. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  11. ^ "University Overall Rankings - Architecture 2024". www.scimagoir.com. Retrieved 23 September 2024.