For the first time, an Italian university has been ranked among the top one hundred universities in the world by the QS World University rankings, one of the most popular international rankings. Politecnico di Milano has achieved 98th place in the overall classification, a 13-position increase from the previous year. This result was achieved mostly as a result of the university's strong reputation both in academia and among employers. The PoliMi, like all other Italian state universities, continues to be penalized by a lack of funds, as evidenced by two other important indicators for ranking purposes: the number of professors in relation to students and the impact of research, though the latter is significantly improving. It is difficult to imagine climbing to the top when the first university in the world, MIT in Boston, receives 1.6 billion dollars in federal funding annually (approximately one-sixth of the ordinary funding fund of all Italian universities, which amounts to 9.4 billion this year). This is without considering the tuition fees of 85 thousand dollars per year. Nevertheless, PoliMi's placement in the elite group of global universities serves as confirmation of its capacity to accomplish a great deal with limited resources. The Milanese university now consistently ranks in the global top 10 for Architecture and Design, and in the top 20 for mechanical, civil, and technological engineering. Only two other Italian universities are confirmed among the top 200 in the general ranking: Sapienza, which has been first in the world in classical studies for several years and this time climbs four positions, moving from 132nd to 128th, and Bologna, which drops five positions to 138th.
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