🇮🇹
Bologna
Italy
Oldest university in Europe and Italy's food capital.
🇧🇪
Ghent
Belgium
Medieval canals and a vibrant Flemish student city.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇮🇹 Bologna
€1,000–1,300 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇧🇪 Ghent
€850–1,150 / month
Best for
🇮🇹 Bologna
- Students looking for a true university city
- Those who want an authentic Italian experience
- People interested in combining studies and social life
Best for
🇧🇪 Ghent
- Students who want a true university city
- Those looking for a strong Erasmus community
- People who enjoy beer and bar culture
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
🇮🇹 Bologna
🇧🇪 Ghent
Moderate
Cost of Living
Moderate
Moderate
Nightlife
High
Good
Weather
Fair
Excellent
Travel Opportunities
Excellent
Outstanding
Student Life
Outstanding
Manageable
Housing
Comfortable
Top-Tier
University Reputation
Strong
Student insights
🇮🇹 Bologna
- Exceptional university atmosphere
- Very high academic prestige
- Excellent location for travelling around Italy
Student insights
🇧🇪 Ghent
- Beautiful medieval centre
- Respected university
- Strong, tightly-connected student community
Student voice — 🇮🇹 Bologna
“University life in Bologna is unlike anything else.”
Student voice — 🇧🇪 Ghent
“Ghent is Belgium's best-kept Erasmus secret.”
🇮🇹 Bologna
Pros
- Exceptional university atmosphere
- Very high academic prestige
- Excellent location for travelling around Italy
- Strong student identity
- Compact and walkable city
Cons
- Increasingly expensive accommodation
- Cost of living higher than Central Europe
- Less favourable climate than southern Europe
- Smaller international community than Barcelona or Lisbon
- Less leisure offer than major European capitals
🇧🇪 Ghent
Pros
- Beautiful medieval centre
- Respected university
- Strong, tightly-connected student community
- Excellent rail connections across Europe
- Lively, affordable bar scene
Cons
- Grey, rainy climate most of the year
- Less famous than Bruges or Brussels
- Some courses in Dutch only
- Cold winters
- Smaller international airport nearby
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.