🇮🇹
Bologna
Italy
Oldest university in Europe and Italy's food capital.
🇸🇮
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Green, walkable European capital between Alps and Adriatic.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇮🇹 Bologna
€1,000–1,300 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇸🇮 Ljubljana
€750–1,050 / 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
🇸🇮 Ljubljana
- Students who love nature and outdoor activities
- Those looking for a small, walkable capital
- People who want a quieter, slower Erasmus
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
Moderate
Cost of Living
Moderate
Moderate
Nightlife
Moderate
Good
Weather
Good
Excellent
Travel Opportunities
High
Iconic
Student Life
Very Active
Manageable
Housing
Comfortable
Top-Tier
University Reputation
Well-Regarded
Student insights
🇮🇹 Bologna
- Exceptional university atmosphere
- Very high academic prestige
- Excellent location for travelling around Italy
Student insights
🇸🇮 Ljubljana
- Very walkable, green capital
- Excellent access to mountains, lakes and the Adriatic
- Friendly atmosphere, easy integration
Student voice — 🇮🇹 Bologna
“University life in Bologna is unlike anything else.”
Student voice — 🇸🇮 Ljubljana
“Ljubljana feels like a calm village that happens to be a capital.”
🇮🇹 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
🇸🇮 Ljubljana
Pros
- Very walkable, green capital
- Excellent access to mountains, lakes and the Adriatic
- Friendly atmosphere, easy integration
- Reasonable cost of living
- Strong outdoor and café culture
Cons
- Small Erasmus community
- Limited nightlife compared to bigger capitals
- Cold winters
- Slovenian language harder to pick up
- Fewer international career opportunities
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.