There are few beds for students in Milan. But, surprisingly, it’s not all that bad

There is one key figure to bear in mind if we are to understand the university students’ protest, which has regained momentum with the tents pitched on the lawns of the Biblioteca degli Alberi. Around a third of the 210,000 students enrolled at the city’s eight universities are from outside the city – the highest percentage in Italy: a mini-army of 70,000 people searching for accommodation costing between 700 and 1,300 euros a month for a room. This is the result of a property market that has continued to grow since Expo. To meet this demand, the Milan property market is striving to rise to the challenge, despite the difficulties facing the construction sector.

The most recent example is the former Olympic Village in Porta Romana, which has been converted into Italy’s largest student accommodation block, with a capacity of around 1,700 beds. A portion of these (135) have been acquired by the University of Milan, the city’s largest university with almost 60,000 students. The number of places made available for this academic year in Via del Perdono is 1,345, an increase of 230 compared with the previous year. An additional 148 places have been provided by the completion of the Attendolo Sforza student residence, and a further 240 are expected following the refurbishment of the halls of residence at Via Bassini 36 and Via Plinio in Città Studi. The most significant development is the campus planned for Mind, which will host part of the University of Milan, comprising two student accommodation blocks with a total of 400 places.  The other major academic institution is the Politecnico, with almost 50,000 students: it provides 2,131 places, of which 1,631 are in Milan across six halls of residence, in addition to the campuses in Lecco, Piacenza, Cremona and Mantua. Plans include new accommodation on Via Mancinelli (500 places), a further 488 in the Goccia area of Bovisa and 250 on Via Baldinucci. It is worth noting that the demand for accommodation this year stood at 4,452, in line with that of 2025.

The University of Cattolica, which has 42,000 students, comprises four campuses with 735 places in the city. The average annual fee varies according to income bracket, ranging from around €2,300 to €11,000, but thanks to an extraordinary allocation of approximately two million euros, over 400 students will be able to receive a cash scholarship as well as exemption from university fees. At Bicocca, which has 30,000 students, a total of 863 places are available across four halls of residence: two in the city and the others in Cinisello Balsamo and Sondrio. Compared with last year, the number of places has increased by 52, but the figure is expected to reach 903 places by next year.

However, should the terms of the agreements guaranteeing a further 286 places be confirmed, the total number of places could reach 1,255: a significant figure when you consider that there were 1,893 applications for accommodation. The situation at Bocconi is also decidedly good, with 2,800 places available for 10,000 enrolled students. Last year, 57 million euros enabled 1,900 students to receive full exemption from fees: generally, one in three students receives some form of financial support, with 350 million euros earmarked for investment between 2026 and 2030. Finally, IULM, with almost 8,000 students, has two halls of residence offering a total of 220 beds, with fees ranging from 3,850 to 5,280 euros. It is worth noting that some beds are allocated free of charge to refugee students. This year, 246 applications were received – just under the number of places available – but IULM is nevertheless working to create new ones.

The picture of the university landscape is straightforward: smaller universities are able to meet all demand, larger ones are struggling more, whilst the Poli meets ‘only’ 50 per cent of demand. For Michele Costanzi, a member of the Coordination for the Right to Education—a moderate student movement aligned with CL—the situation is critical: “In Milan, the supply of university accommodation, both in terms of quantity and affordability, does not meet demand. More generally, there is a market that makes it difficult to find housing solutions for those coming to study in this city.” This analysis is shared by other university groups, but unity breaks down when it comes to how to respond: "We do not agree with the remedies and forms of protest adopted because they are ineffective. This is a reality that exists and must be addressed, but starting from a vision for the future. Tents and demonstrations draw attention to those organising them, but then it is necessary to move from making demands to putting forward proposals. We are trying to do just that."

As for the proposals, Costanzi outlines a couple: “The single portal for flat-sharing”, a transparent, intuitive and secure online platform set up at regional level that would, for example, enable students to find flatmates, thereby reducing rent costs. The other is more political: “A reduction in personal income tax (IRPEF) for students living away from home who study more than 100 km from their municipality of residence and who live in areas where the cost of living is high. This involves applying a regional coefficient.”