Italian universities decline in global rankings amid funding crisis

The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) has released a new report showing a decline in the global standing of Italian universities. Sapienza University of Rome, the top-ranked Italian institution, fell four places to 129th worldwide. The University of Molise ranks 1,929th globally and 66th nationally. CWUR president Nadim Mahassen attributed the decline to years of inadequate funding and the devaluation of science and education as public goods. The report highlights that Italian universities primarily serve a national student base, with only about 20,000 international students among 360,000 new enrollments in 2024-2025, according to USTAT data from the Ministry of University and Research. The article argues that Italian universities cannot compete globally due to financial constraints and that rankings reduce education to a productive channel, overlooking its role in fostering free will and critical thinking. The author, Stefano Monti, calls for broader indicators that reflect a more complete vision of universities beyond job preparation.