1. The Attractiveness of Italian Universities
An Evaluation by International Students
1

2. The sample
N=504 (no required questions, Median age: 23,5
therefore, the total number of
respondents varies per question) They studied at 20 different
Italian universities
Former and current international
students in Italy
Other
Continents Nordics
Europe rest 3% 2%
4%
Eastern
Europe
16% Southern EU
41%
Regional distribution:
Western EU
34%
Data in %, 100% =
2
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

3. What do/did they study?
Natural Sciences
and Maths Social Sciences
Communication 8%
7% 17%
Law
7% Economics and
Business
14%
Others
11%
Architecture
Medicine, 14%
Pharmacy,
Psychology
22%
Data in %, 100% = 503
3
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

4. What were their reasons to come
to Italy?
Friends or family
Possible future
living abroad Academic
careers
4% 13%
6%
New living
environment
16%
Other
5%
Cultural
56%
Data in %, 100% = 493
4
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

5. How did they choose
the university?
City Rankings
5% 11%
No choice
11%
Other
8%
Placement Quality of faculty
services 44%
21%
Data in %, 100% = 465
5
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

6. Quality of courses
8,3
Bad
27,6
Sufficient
Good 49,3
14,8
Excellent
,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0
Data in %, 100% = 493
6
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

7. Quality of university
facilities and services
32,3
35,0 30,9
30,0 25,7
25,0
20,0
15,0 11,1
10,0
5,0
,0
Excellent Good Sufficient Bad
Data in %, 100% = 495
7
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

8. What aspect of your stay did
they not appreciate?
40,0 35,9
35,0
30,0 24,7
25,0
20,0 15,8 15,6
15,0
7,9
10,0
5,0
,0
None of Too Bad quality Lack of Language
these expensive of classes integration difficulties
Data in %, 100% = 495
8
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

9. Overall impression
43,6
36,0
11,9
5,9
2,6
1 (very bad) 2 (bad) 3 (ok) 4 (good) 5 (excellent)
Data in %, 100% = 495
9
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

10. Different nationalities-
different quality assessment?
Country of origin Total
West EU South EU East EU North EU Europe other
rest continents
Quality of Bad 9 9 1 11 19 7 8
courses
Sufficient 34 24 17 33 33 43 27
Good 45 50 62 56 43 29 49
Excellent 12 17 20 0 5 21 15
100% = 167 203 76 9 21 14 490
10
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

11. Different nationalities -
different problems?
Country of origin
Europe other
West EU South EU East EU North EU rest continents Total
32.74 39.22 37.84 44.44 23.81 28.57 35.92
None of
these
20.24 25.98 35.14 0 38.1 7.14 24.9
Too
expensive
Factors you 20.83 16.18 6.76 11.11 4.76 21.43 15.92
Bad quality
did not
of classes
appreciate
22.02 10.78 14.86 22.22 9.52 14.29 15.51
Lack of
integration
4.17 7.84 5.41 22.22 23.81 28.57 7.76
Language
difficulties
100%= 168 204 74 9 21 14 490
11
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

12. Different nationalities-
different satisfaction?
Country of origin Total
West EU South EU East EU North EU Europe rest other
continents
5 30.8 51.0 52.0 33.3 38.1 50.0 43.3
4 38.5 36.3 36.0 33.3 23.8 28.6 36.2
Overall 3 16.6 8.8 4.0 22.2 23.8 21.4 12.0
satisfaction
2 9.5 2.9 4.0 11.1 14.3 0.0 5.9
1 4.7 1.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.6
100% = 169 204 75 9 21 14 492
12
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

13. Who will come back?
Probability to return to Italy to work
0-25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-100%
Other 43 14 21 21
continents
Country of origin
other Total
South North Europe
West EU East EU continent
EU EU rest
s
Europe rest
None of
33 19 33 14
these
32.74 39.22 37.84 44.44 23.81 28.57 35.92
Too
North EU
expensiv 20.24 25.98 33
35.14 0 38.1 22 7.14 24.9 33 11
e
Region of origin East EU
Factors
Bad
quality 15 32 35 18
you did
of
20.83 16.18 6.76 11.11 4.76 21.43 15.92
not
classes
appreciat
eSouth Lack of
EU
integrati 22.02 10.78
27
14.86 22.22 9.52
2914.29 15.51
32 12
on
Languag
West EU
e 27 35 27 11
difficulti
4.17 7.84 5.41 22.22 23.81 28.57 7.76
es
Country of origin Total
Total 26 31 31 13
Data in %, 100% = 495
13
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

14. Further observations
The most popular countries
• A large majority (83.5%) to study in:
has learned the Italian 1 United Kingdom
language before
• Most students spend 10
months in Italy 2. Spain
• The average length is 9
months
• 62% think that this period 3. France
is just fine, whereas 35%
find it too short
4. Germany
14
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

15. Conclusions
UPS DOWNS
• Global evaluation of talian
Universities is positive
• A good feedback on courses
quality and overall • Likelihood of coming back for
experience studies or work is relatively
low.
• Services and facilities are
able to receive students
15
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

16. Conclusions
• Italy is still regarded mainly • Need for promotion of
as a destination for leisure excellence and programs to
incentive foreign students in
extending their stays
• Need for an
internationalisation of the
courses- more classes to be
taught in English
• Difficulties in retaining
potentially high skilled
foreigners
17
Source: ThinkYoung " Survey on Foreign Students in Italian Universities" October 2010

17. ThinkYoung aisbl aisbl
ThinkYoung
Avenue Lloyd George 7
Avenue Lloyd George
7
1000 Brussels
1000 Brussels
+32 2 669 07 50
+32 2 669 07 50
info@thinkyoung.eu
info@thinkyoung.eu
www.thinkyoung.eu