We list 7 masters Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Italy, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 6 of them are fully funded. 2 state eligibility that includes Nigerian applicants. Awards with a known closing date are listed soonest first.
United Kingdom
30
Australia
20
China
11
United States
11
Canada
8
Sweden
8
Belgium
7
Italy
Japan
7
Switzerland
7
United Arab Emirates
7
Netherlands
6
Russia
6
Germany
5
New Zealand
5
Saudi Arabia
5
Thailand
5
Brazil
4
Ireland
4
Turkey
4
Denmark
3
France
3
Singapore
3
Austria
2
Norway
2
Qatar
2
Written from the 7 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 5 min read.
This page collects 7 masters scholarships in Italy open to Nigerian students. Every award here is at masters level, and every one of the seven is based in Italy. Six of the seven are labelled fully funded by the provider; the remaining award does not state its funding position either way, so treat that one as unknown until you read the award page itself.
The list is not only for masters applicants. The same Italian providers on this page also run awards at other levels — 5 bachelors scholarships and 3 PhD scholarships sit alongside these seven — so if you are still deciding when to travel, or you are weighing a masters against doctoral study, the wider Italy collection is worth reading before you commit.
The seven awards come from six named providers. One provider, Italian Higher Education Institutes, appears once; the rest are single entries from the University of Bologna, Politecnico di Milano, the University of Padua, Bocconi University and Politecnico di Torino. That spread matters. It means the list is not dominated by one institution, and you are looking at a mix of national government funding and individual university funding.
That is six of the seven. The seventh sits in the same list and is reachable from the collection page itself.
Read the benefit lines carefully, because "fully funded" is doing different work from award to award. Of the seven, 6 state that tuition is covered. Far fewer go further: 2 name living costs, 2 name accommodation, and 1 names health insurance. One award does not state its funding at all.
For a Nigerian applicant paying transcript fees, courier charges and English test costs out of pocket before you ever board a flight, that gap between tuition-only and tuition-plus-upkeep is the difference between a viable plan and a shortfall. If an award names tuition but not living costs, you need a separate answer for rent, food and the permesso di soggiorno process. Do not assume the two travel together.
Of the seven awards, 2 state that Nigerians may apply. Both of those are open because the award carries no nationality restriction at all — neither names Nigeria or the wider region specifically. The remaining 5 do not state their eligibility on the award page, which is not the same as saying you are excluded. It means the information is not written down where we can count it, and you have to check the provider's own terms.
On qualifications, the pathway is straightforward. You need a first degree or HND — B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS or HND. These are taught and research masters, and awards usually state a minimum class of degree. An "upper second" requirement corresponds to Second Class Upper (2:1) on a Nigerian transcript. Whether an HND is accepted is decided by each university, not by this page, so ask the admissions office directly before you spend money on a courier.
For context on how established this route is: 625 Nigerian students were studying in Italy in 2023, ranking the country 25th as a destination, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. It is a real pathway, not a novelty.
Two requirements show up often enough to plan around. 3 of the seven awards ask for an English test score — IELTS or TOEFL. 2 ask for letters of recommendation.
Three out of seven sounds manageable until you price it. An IELTS sitting in Nigeria is not cheap, results take time to arrive, and some Italian universities waive the test if your previous degree was taught in English. That waiver is decided by the institution, so confirm it in writing before you book a test date. For recommendations, approach your lecturers early — Nigerian departments move slowly during strike periods and semester breaks, and a referee who is travelling cannot sign a form.
Only 1 of the seven carries a specific date on this page. 1 is still open. 6 are undated, and 1 recurs — meaning it runs again on a cycle rather than closing permanently. June is the busiest month on the list, with one deadline falling there.
The one dated award closing soonest is the Italian Government Scholarship 2026, which closes 14 June. The other named deadlines cluster in the first half of the year: Bologna in May 2026, Bocconi's undergraduate round on 14 April and its Master's round on 21 April, Politecnico di Milano in February 2026 for the Fall intake and July 2026 for the later round, and Padua between February and March 2026 depending on programme. EDISU Piemonte typically falls in August to September 2026.
Note the year labels. Several of these awards are listed for the 2026-2027 or 2027 cycle, which means the window you are preparing for may be more than a year out. That is useful: it gives you time to save for transcripts, test fees and courier costs rather than rushing an application with incomplete documents.
Duration varies by award and by level. One award states that the scholarship duration can be 3, 6 or nine months. Another runs for 2 years at master's level and 3 years at bachelor's level. If your programme is a two-year Laurea Magistrale, check that the funding covers the full period and not just the first year — a one-year award against a two-year degree leaves you finding the balance yourself.
Start with the two awards that state Nigerians may apply, since those carry no nationality restriction. Read each award page in full before you shortlist it, and pay attention to whether the funding line names living costs or only tuition.
Then work backwards from the deadline. If you are targeting the Italian Government Scholarship closing 14 June, your transcript request, recommendation letters and English test result all need to exist before that date, not on it. Nigerian transcript processing and courier delivery can take weeks, and a missing document is the most common reason a strong application fails.
Finally, confirm two things directly with each university: whether your class of degree meets their stated minimum, and whether your HND or your English-taught degree exempts you from the IELTS or TOEFL requirement. Neither answer is on this page, and both change what you need to budget.
Italy is one of the most attractive destinations in Europe for international students who want to pursue higher education abroad. Known for its rich history, cultural diversity, and internationally recognized universities, Italy offers a wide range of fully funded scholarships for international students 2026–2027 at the bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD levels. These scholarships cover tuition fees, monthly living allowances, accommodation, health insurance, and in some cases, travel expenses, making it easier for talented students to study in prestigious Italian institutions like the University of Bologna, Sapienza University of Rome, and Politecnico di Milano. With these opportunities, international students can access high-quality education in fields such as engineering, medicine, business, arts, and social sciences while experiencing Europe’s unique lifestyle.
*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2023.
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