It’s never too late to go back to school. Across Italy, the number of university students aged over 40 has been steadily rising in recent years.
According to data from the Ministry of University and Research, enrolments in this age group have more than doubled over the past decade—from around 61,000 to over 133,000, now accounting for 6.4% of the total student population. Even excluding online universities, nearly 20,000 mature students are attending traditional institutions.
The trend is visible nationwide. At the Università degli Studi di Milano, the share of over-40 students has grown significantly, while the Università di Bologna counts thousands of “senior” students and has even hosted dedicated events for them.
Motivations vary widely: some return out of personal interest, others to advance their careers, retrain, or complete studies left unfinished. Many bring a level of determination and focus shaped by life experience.
Universities themselves are paying close attention, particularly as demographic decline reduces the number of younger students. Increasingly, institutions are adapting their teaching models to better accommodate those balancing study with work and family commitments.