Collages

Pavia has a good supply of student accommodation, both private and provided by the town’s system of university colleges.

The University colleges are divided into “merit” colleges (collegi di merito) and “right-to-study” colleges (collegi dell’EDiSU). Places in the merit colleges are assigned according to academic merit, and access is highly competitive. Places in the right-to-study colleges (which constitute the majority of colleges) are less expensive and are assigned on the basis of need, giving priority to students with lower family incomes. The oldest colleges (which are both merit colleges) were founded in 1564 (Collegio Borromeo) and 1567 (Collegio Ghislieri), while the two most recent (Collegio del Maino and Collegio Volta) were founded in 2000.