NABA — Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti: A Guide for International Applicants
A private art and design academy in Milan and Rome with state-recognized degrees, English-taught programs and a remote admission test.
NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti) is a private art and design academy founded in Milan in 1980, with a second campus in Rome. Legally it is not a university but an AFAM institution: a state-recognized academy of fine arts supervised by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR). MUR recognizes its Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts as equivalent to university degrees.
NABA suits applicants who want a studio-based degree in fashion, design, film or visual arts, taught in English. Admission is remote, and a portfolio is optional. It fits if your family can cover €22,250 a year in tuition plus living costs in Milan or Rome.
It suits you less if you need a low-cost public degree or a classic academic university, or if you had fewer than 12 years of school.
| NABA at a glance | |
|---|---|
Founded | 1980, Milan |
Type | Private academy of fine arts, legally recognized (AFAM), supervised by MUR |
Campuses | Milan, Rome (Ostiense district), London (UK degree) |
Degrees | Bachelor of Arts (3 years, 180 credits), Master of Arts (2 years), Academic Master (1 year) |
Tuition, BA, non-EU | €22,250 per year |
Admission | Remote: essay + project task or portfolio, result within 5 working days |
English for EN programs | IELTS 5.0, TOEFL iBT 45, Cambridge 160, TOEIC L&R 680 |
Intake | Rolling admission; September and February (Milan) starts |
QS by Subject, Art & Design | #41 in the world |
NABA tuition fees for international students
NABA publishes one fixed fee for non-EU students, and it covers the whole year. The annual amount includes the pre-enrollment fee, the academic contribution fee and the tuition fee. The table shows the current price list. Fees for the next academic year are not published yet; we confirm them for your program when NABA releases them.
| Program (non-EU students) | Length | Fee per year |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor of Arts | 3 years | €22,250 |
Master of Arts | 2 years | €22,250 |
Academic Master | 1 year | €23,800 |
Diploma Programme (not accredited) | 3 years | €21,600 |
The fee rises by 2% from the second year and by 2.5% from the third year. This increase is fixed when you enroll, so you can plan the full budget in advance. After you receive a conditional admission letter, you have 20 days to confirm your place by paying the pre-enrollment fee. NABA does not publish that amount separately, so we check it with you before you pay.
NABA runs scholarship competitions every year. For the most recent intakes, awards went up to €6,000–7,000, based on portfolio, motivation and family income bracket. Calls for the next September intake are not announced yet, so prepare your portfolio early.
What a year at NABA costs
EUR per year for non-EU students, current price list
- Academic Master (1 year)€23,800
- Bachelor of Arts€22,250
- Master of Arts€22,250
- Diploma Programme (not accredited)€21,600
Programs and the degree you receive
The Bachelor of Arts at NABA leads to a Diploma Accademico di I livello: 3 years and 180 credits. MUR recognizes it as equivalent to a university bachelor's degree. The Master of Arts leads to a Diploma Accademico di II livello, and the 1-year Academic Master to a Master accademico di I livello.
Bachelor's programs in Milan and Rome cover the same fields:
Bachelor of Arts fields in Milan and Rome
- Comics and Visual Storytelling
- Creative Technologies
- Design
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Marketing Management
- Film and Animation
- Graphic Design and Art Direction
- Marketing and Management for Creative Business
- Painting and Visual Arts
- Set Design
Programs run in separate English and Italian streams. The language offered can differ by program and campus, especially in Rome, so we check it for your chosen course. At master's level, NABA offers MA and Academic Master programs in areas such as interior design, luxury brand management and fashion management.
The London campus at Here East is a different product. Its BA (Hons) degrees in Design, Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing Management are validated by Regent's University London. That is a UK degree, not an Italian Diploma Accademico, and it needs a UK student visa, not an Italian one.
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Admission requirements for international students
NABA has no fixed application deadline and admits students on a rolling basis. Pre-enrollment usually takes place between March and November, and the visa process takes around 90 days. Non-EU students then register on Universitaly, the official and free Italian pre-enrollment portal, and apply for the visa.
How to apply to NABA
1
Check your school certificate. You need at least 12 years of schooling, with at least 2 of those years in the same school system. Schooling in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt usually lasts 12 years.
2
Prepare your English certificate. For English-taught programs NABA asks for IELTS 5.0 (Academic or General), TOEFL iBT 45, Cambridge FCE/PET 160 or TOEIC L&R 680. Native speakers and graduates of English-medium schools are exempt. The certificate must be under 2 years old. Italian-taught programs require Italian at B1.
3
Take the admission assessment. It is fully remote: an essay of up to 500 words plus either a program-specific project task or a portfolio of 5–10 works. You get the result within 5 working days.
4
Receive the conditional admission letter and pay the pre-enrollment fee within 20 days to secure your place.
5
Register on Universitaly. You can list only one program in your application, and the student visa is issued for that course.
6
Legalize your documents. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain use the apostille. Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait do not, so the certificate needs consular legalization at the Italian embassy. For the visa you also need either two CIMEA statements (comparability and authenticity) or a Declaration of Value.
7
Apply for the visa at the Italian consulate in your country of residence. The visa deadline for bachelor's and master's programs, including AFAM, is 31 October.
Apply early. An Italian institution can validate Universitaly applications only up to its international quota plus 20%. After that, new validations are blocked.
What to know before you apply
The English score NABA accepts may not be enough for the visa. NABA's minimum is IELTS 5.0. For English-taught programs, the Italian consulate checks your English separately and expects a certificate of at least B2 in all four skills. If your score meets NABA's minimum but not the consulate's level, your visa may be at risk. We plan the test target with this in mind.
Diploma Programmes are not degrees. NABA offers 3-year private courses for applicants whose school certificate does not meet bachelor's requirements. They end with a certificate of attendance that is not recognized by MUR and carries no credits. They still cost €21,600 a year for non-EU students. If your goal is a recognized degree, choose the Bachelor of Arts.
The cost is high. Design and fashion schools such as NABA and Marangoni charge roughly €22,000–30,000 a year for non-EU students. Public universities charge far less.
Check recognition at home. In Italy the bachelor's equals a university degree. How your home country treats an Italian AFAM diploma is a separate question, especially for public-sector jobs. We help you check this before you commit.
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Rankings and accreditation
NABA ranks #41 in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for Art & Design, according to NABA. It is the highest-ranked Italian academy of fine arts in that table, and it has appeared there six years in a row. NABA does not appear in the overall QS World University Rankings, because it is a specialized academy, not a university.
NABA has been part of the AFAM system since 1981. All its Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Academic Master programs are accredited. Diploma Programmes and private postgraduate courses are not.
Housing and student life
NABA has no dorms of its own. It partners with MilanHousing, which covers both Milan and Rome. There is also a student residence, Villaggio managed by CX, at Scalo Romana in Milan. NABA does not publish prices for either option.
Most students rent privately. A single room costs on average around €704 a month in Milan and around €615 in Rome. A realistic budget with a room is roughly €1,100–1,400 a month in Milan and €950–1,250 in Rome.
A student permit allows work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year. Do not count on it to cover tuition.
Student visa
Non-EU students need an Italian type D study visa. The consulate alone decides on the visa; admission to NABA does not guarantee it. The key requirements:
Main visa requirements
- Proof of at least €10,179.85 per academic year, plus funds for a return ticket
- Funds can belong to you or to relatives up to the fourth degree; they must be legal and traceable
- Confirmed accommodation: a booking, a rental contract or an assigned residence place
- Health insurance covering treatment and hospitalization in Italy
- Fingerprints taken at the visa appointment
Within 8 working days of arrival, you apply for a study residence permit (€116.46 in fees for the first year). After graduating from an AFAM program, you can apply for a 9–12 month permit to look for work or start a business. The full process is in our Italy student visa guide, and the portal steps are in our guide to Universitaly admission.
Other options
On a tighter budget, compare public universities: Politecnico di Milano charges €157.04–3,943.04 a year by family income, and the University of Bologna has a reduced fee of €1,000 + €157.04 for non-OECD bachelor's students. DSU scholarships can help with living costs. For another private fashion school, see Istituto Marangoni; for business, Bocconi. All routes are on our study in Italy page.
14 questions to ask before you pay the deposit
Deposits are almost never refundable. Ask these by email before paying — and keep the university's answer on record.
- What to ask about the programme, accreditation and the degree
- What tuition does not include and when a deposit is refunded
- Who files the visa application — you or the university
- Five red flags that mean you should not pay
Other universities in Italy
Compare the terms: fees, language of instruction and entry requirements differ.
University of Bologna for international students
Istituto Marangoni
Politecnico di Milano
Not sure NABA is the right fit? Book a free consultation. We check your school certificate, English score and portfolio against NABA — Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti's requirements, and compare 2–3 alternatives in Italy that fit your budget. Message us on WhatsApp, Telegram or through the contact form.