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Meta description: Istituto Europeo di Design in Italy: which diplomas MUR recognises, campuses, bachelor's at $23,620 a year, B1/B2 language, portfolio, visa.
Last modified: 2026-10-01

# Istituto Europeo di Design (IED): Italian Campuses, Degrees and Fees

Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) is a private network of design, fashion, visual arts and communication schools founded in Milan in 1966. In Italy it runs campuses in Milan, Rome, Turin, Florence and Cagliari, plus the Aldo Galli academy in Como. The three-year bachelor's at an Italian IED campus leads to a state AFAM first-level academic diploma recognised by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR). For a non-EU student, one year in 2026/27 costs $23,620 (€20,800) plus a $220 (€190) regional tax. IED also runs private courses that end with an IED diploma with no state status. Unlike the AFAM bachelor's, those accept applicants after 11 years of schooling.

| At a glance | Data as of 1 October 2026 |
| --- | --- |
| Status in Italy | Private AFAM institution authorised by MUR to award legally valid diplomas |
| Campuses on the MUR register | Milan, Rome, Turin, Cagliari, Florence (branch); Accademia Aldo Galli in Como |
| Bachelor's | 3 years, 180 CFA/ECTS, Diploma Accademico di I livello |
| Teaching language | Italian or English, depending on programme and city |
| Non-EU bachelor's year, 2026/27 | $23,620 (€20,800): $2,840 (€2,500) enrolment fee + $20,780 (€18,300) tuition |
| Regional tax | $220 (€190) per year for AFAM diplomas |
| Start | October |
| Language threshold | B1 to enrol, B2 by 31 May of year one |

IED also operates in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao) and Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro) under local laws and with different degrees. This page covers the Italian campuses only.

## Who IED suits {#section-1}

IED is a good match if you want applied design with company briefs and a city chosen around your field. Turin is the transport and car-design campus, Milan has the widest range from interiors to sound and film, Florence offers fashion and interiors in English, and Rome focuses on communication, video and jewellery.

It is a weaker match if you need a university laurea rather than an academy diploma (consider the School of Design at [Politecnico di Milano](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-polimi)), if $23,000+ a year in tuition is beyond your budget, or if you want an English-taught bachelor's in Turin or Cagliari, where nearly everything is in Italian. For the wider landscape, see our guide to [design and fashion schools in Italy](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-design-and-fashion-schools-italy).

How higher education in Italy works overall is covered on our [Italy country page](https://www.studyu.org/en/country-italy).

## Which IED qualifications are state-recognised {#section-2}

The IED brand covers courses with different legal status, so check the award before you pay.

| Programme type | Award | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Three-year Bachelor of Arts | Diploma Accademico di I livello, 180 CFA | State AFAM diploma recognised by MUR, equivalent to a laurea in Italy |
| Two-year Master of Arts | Diploma Accademico di II livello | State AFAM diploma recognised by MUR |
| Master courses, one year or longer | First-level Academic Master (60 CF) only for courses titled "First Level Master's Degree" | Only selected courses are MUR-accredited; the rest give a private IED certificate |
| IED Diploma (three-year private course) | Private IED diploma | Not accredited by MUR |
| Foundation, summer, semester and specialisation courses | IED certificate | No academic degree |

For 2026/27, MUR-accredited first-level masters include Design – Innovation, Strategy and Product (Milan), Fashion Design, Interior Design for Hospitality, Interior Design and Comunicazione (Rome) and Social Ecological Design (Turin). These courses are titled "First Level Master's Degree", and the course page says so explicitly, as Design – Innovation, Strategy and Product does with "Level I Academic Master's Degree". Check two labels before paying: the award named on the course page ("First Level Academic Diploma" or "IED Diploma"), and the course type you select on Universitaly ("Diploma Accademico di 1° livello" or "altro corso privato non accreditato"). Home recognition (Glavexpertcentr in Russia, ENIC-Kazakhstan in Kazakhstan) has a basis for an AFAM diploma, not for a private certificate.

## Bachelor's programmes by campus {#section-3}

| Campus | English or bilingual examples | Italian only |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Milan | Interior Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing and Communication, Fashion Stylist, Graphic Design, Product Design, Jewelry Design, Photography, Sound Design, Video Design, CG Animation, Illustration and Animation, Marketing and Management for Creative Industries | Media Design |
| Rome | Fashion Marketing and Communication (English), Interior Design, Product Design, Jewellery Design, Graphic Design and Motion Graphics, Video Design and Film Making | Fashion Design, Communication Design, Photography, Media Design, Sound Design, CG Animation |
| Florence | Fashion Marketing and Communication and Fashion Stylist (English), Fashion Design, Interior Design, Illustration | Advertising Communication |
| Turin | Transportation Design | Communication, Fashion, Interior, Product, Jewellery and Accessories Design, Photography, Illustration |
| Cagliari | — | Communication, Fashion, Interior, Media and Product Design |

## Entry requirements for the bachelor's {#section-4}

School certificate. The AFAM bachelor's requires a secondary-school qualification after 12 years of schooling that gives access to higher education at home. Eleven-year certificates (Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) are accepted only with one full university year with all exams passed, or a foundation course IED accepts as filling the gap. That university year cannot also be used for credit transfer. Applicants with 11 years can instead join a private IED Diploma course if their profile is approved, but that route does not lead to a state diploma.

Age. Students must turn 18 by the end of the year the course starts. For minors, parents countersign the documents and the consulate may require a legal guardian in Italy; IED cannot act as guardian.

Language. B1 in the language of instruction at enrolment, B2 by 31 May of year one, or the student repeats the first year. Accepted English tests include IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 68, PTE Academic 59 and Cambridge B2 First; accepted Italian tests include CILS DUE B2, CELI 3 and PLIDA B2. Certificates must be under two years old, and an online IED test is available. Applicants at A2 can enrol conditionally and take a free 80-hour online course from January to April. Note for applicants from Russia: IELTS is co-owned by the British Council, which is listed as undesirable in Russia; IDP test centres run IELTS separately.

Portfolio or assignment. Send a portfolio of up to 8 MB (PDF, PPT or website) with up to 500 words of text, or complete one of four three-slide assignments: branding yourself, analysing a sustainable fashion brand, adapting a product to a community, or the new digital society. It is scored out of 100 across ten criteria, including originality, critical thinking, sustainability and personal identity, and followed by an interview. IED states it values process over the final result.

## Fees for 2026/27 {#section-5}

| Programme | Non-EU | Residents of EU candidate countries | EU/EEA residents |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's, per year | $23,620 (€20,800) | $17,940 (€15,800) | $9,650–23,620 (€8,500–20,800) by family income |
| Master of Arts, per year | $23,620 (€20,800) | $17,940 (€15,800) | $9,650–23,620 (€8,500–20,800) |
| Master course, first year | For example $24,300 (€21,400) for Fashion Design in Rome; $25,320 (€22,300) for Interior Design in Milan and Transportation Design in Turin | — | €2,000 below the non-EU rate |
| Communication Design, Cagliari, per year | $6,250 (€5,500) for all new students |  |  |

The bachelor's year combines a $2,840 (€2,500) enrolment fee and $20,780 (€18,300) tuition; the $220 (€190) regional tax is extra. IED's candidate-country list covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine; Russian, Kazakh and Uzbek citizens pay the non-EU rate. Master prices are published on each course page; some masters run two years (Transportation Design in Turin costs $21,920, or €19,300, in year two), and most start in November 2026, some in April 2027. Prices apply to new 2026/27 entrants for the first year.

IED awards partial merit scholarships through competitions and takes part in the regional right-to-education (DSU) grants. Calls change each year; IED committees or the regional agency decide. See [scholarships in Italy](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-scholarships-in-italy).

## Housing {#section-6}

IED has no halls of its own. Each city lists partners; in Milan they include Camplus, Collegiate, Cohabs and the HousingAnywhere platform, with IED student discounts from €80 to €500 on early rent or booking fees. The visa file needs proof of accommodation, and IED issues an accommodation certificate with the enrolment documents. City-by-city costs are in our [student housing guide](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-student-housing-italy).

## Universitaly, visa and matriculation {#section-7}

1. After a positive decision, IED opens your portal with the certificate of admission and, for AFAM courses, a letter of eligibility for enrolment.
2. You sign the contract, pay the enrolment fee and regional tax and receive the visa documents by courier.
3. On Universitaly, choose "Istituzione AFAM", the correct IED campus and the exact course name. Pre-enrolment covers one institution and one programme only.
4. IED validates the pre-enrolment; then apply to the consulate (from Russia, via VMS visa centres). The visa purpose is "study – university enrolment" for AFAM diplomas and "study" for private courses.
5. For 2027/28, visa applications for AFAM diplomas are due by 31 October 2027; masters and foundations have no fixed national date but must be filed before classes start.
6. Apply for the permesso di soggiorno within eight working days of arrival. It is renewed yearly if you pass at least one exam in year one and two in later years.

IED advises non-EU students to complete enrolment by June–July. Full visa details are in our [Italy student visa guide](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-student-visa-italy) and the [permesso di soggiorno guide](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-permesso-di-soggiorno-for-students). AFAM matriculation also needs a translated school certificate with a CIMEA statement of comparability or a Declaration of Value, plus CIMEA verification or an apostille; IED has an agreement with CIMEA through the Diplome platform.

## Timeline for 2027/28 {#section-8}

| When | Action |
| --- | --- |
| Autumn 2026 | Resolve the 12th year; choose city and teaching language |
| Winter 2026/27 | Take the language test; prepare portfolio or assignment |
| By spring 2027 | Apply on admission.ied.it and attend the interview |
| By June–July 2027 | Enrol, pay the fee, submit Universitaly pre-enrolment |
| Summer 2027 | Document verification and visa |
| October 2027 | Classes start; apply for the permesso |

## Common mistakes {#section-9}

- Enrolling on a private IED course thinking it is a bachelor's. The course title states whether it is an IED Diploma or an Academic Diploma.
- Relying on old IELTS thresholds. B1 gets you in, but without B2 by 31 May you repeat year one.
- Picking the wrong campus or course type on Universitaly. The form cannot be edited after submission.
- Assuming one rulebook for the whole network. Spanish and Brazilian campuses award different qualifications.
- Paying before checking the language in your city. Turin and Cagliari offer almost no English bachelor's courses.

## FAQ {#section-10}

### Is IED a university?

No. IED is a private institution in Italy's AFAM system for higher education in the arts. Its three-year bachelor's and two-year Master of Arts at Italian campuses lead to state academic diplomas recognised by MUR and treated as equivalent to university levels.

### How much does IED cost for non-EU students?

For 2026/27 the bachelor's costs $23,620 (€20,800) a year plus a $220 (€190) regional tax. Master courses are priced individually: Interior Design in Milan, for example, costs $25,320 (€22,300) for the first year for non-EU students.

### Can I enter IED after 11 years of school?

For the AFAM bachelor's you need an extra university year with all exams passed or a foundation that IED accepts. With 11 years only, you can join a private IED Diploma course, but that diploma has no state status in Italy.

### Do I need Italian to study at IED?

Not necessarily: Milan, Rome and Florence offer many English-taught programmes. Turin and Cagliari teach almost all bachelor's courses in Italian. In all cases you need B1 in the language of instruction at enrolment and B2 by 31 May of year one.

### What does the IED portfolio require?

Either a portfolio of up to 8 MB with up to 500 words of explanation, or one of four creative assignments in three slides. Work is scored out of 100 and followed by an interview; prior design training is not required.

### How can StudyU help with an IED application?

Checking your certificate and the course's legal status, preparing the portfolio, the application, the Universitaly pre-enrolment and the visa file are provided under an agreement with StudyU. IED's admissions committee decides on admission, IED or the regional agency on scholarships, and the Italian consulate on the visa.

## Sources {#section-11}

- [IED: admission and enrolment procedures for foreign qualifications (PDF, December 2025)](https://www.ied.edu/study-in-italy/undergraduate)
- [IED: Italy undergraduate price list 2026/27](https://www.ied.it/docs/IED_Italia_Undergraduate_Courses_Pricelist_Eng_26_27.pdf)
- [IED: Master of Arts, second-level diploma](https://www.ied.edu/courses/master-of-arts) and the Master of Arts price list 2026/27
- [IED: master courses](https://www.ied.edu/courses/master-programs); prices on course pages such as [Interior Design, Milan](https://www.ied.edu/courses/milan/master/interior-design) and [Design – Innovation, Strategy and Product](https://www.ied.edu/courses/milan/master/design-innovation-strategy-and-product)
- [IED Milan: Interior Design, First Level Academic Diploma](https://www.ied.edu/courses/milan/three-years-diploma/interior-design)
- [IED: undergraduate scholarships in Italy](https://www.ied.edu/study-in-italy/undergraduate-courses/scholarship-undergraduate-italy)
- [IED Milan: accommodation partners](https://www.ied.edu/milan/accommodation-milan)
- [MUR: legally recognised private AFAM institutions](https://www.mur.gov.it/it/aree-tematiche/afam/gli-istituti/istituti-afam-legalmente-riconosciuti)
- [MUR/Universitaly: circular on procedures for international students 2026/27 and 2027/28](https://universitaly-private.cineca.it/uploads/universitaly-pubblico/Circolare_2026-2027_studenti_internazionali.pdf)

Facts checked on 1 October 2026. ECB reference rate of 30 September 2026: €1 = $1.1355; amounts rounded to $10.

If you are comparing IED with NABA, Domus Academy or Istituto Marangoni, send a [request](https://www.studyu.org/en/apply).

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.

## Next steps

- [Domus Academy Milan: Master's, Bachelor's, Degrees and Fees](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-domus-academy)
- [Istituto Marangoni Milano: AFAM Degrees, Programmes and Fees](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-istituto-marangoni-milano)
- [Studying in Italy for international applicants](https://www.studyu.org/en/country-italy)
- [Design and Fashion Schools in Italy: Politecnico, AFAM Academies and Private Schools](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-design-and-fashion-schools-italy)
- [Documents for University Admission in Italy (2026–2027): Checklist, Apostille, CIMEA and Declaration of Value](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-documents-for-university-admission-italy)
- [Italian Language Certificates CILS, CELI and PLIDA: Which One You Need for University and When to Sit It](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-italian-language-certificates-cils-celi-plida)

Updated: October 2026