Italy outlines 2026/27 university enrollment for medicine, dentistry, veterinary and pharmacy

The Italian Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, signed a decree for the 2026‑27 academic year that confirms the second edition of the “open semester” model for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary programmes. The reform extends the teaching period to start on 1 September and moves the first exam session to 10 December, with results on 23 December, and a second session on 11 January 2027. Exam formats are updated to 31 questions (10 fill‑in, 21 multiple‑choice) with longer time limits, and the national merit ranking now considers the best result across the two sessions.

The Ministry of Health also published the training needs for all health‑related university courses for 2026‑27, setting roughly 85 000 places. Nursing retains the largest share with 34 222 spots, while Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary programmes receive a combined 24 174 places (20 842 for medicine). Pharmacy allocations stay at 1 500 spots, unchanged from the previous year. Other increases include 1 427 additional biology places and a modest rise for rehabilitation. The figures result from regional forecasts and proposals from professional orders, with minor adjustments for pharmacist and psychologist allocations.