Bocconi University
Private university in Milan, Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bocconi University or Università Bocconi (formally known in Italian as Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi [universiˈta kommerˈtʃaːle luˈiːdʒi bokˈkoːni] – or simply Bocconi) is a non-profit private university located in Milan, Italy.
Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi | |
| |
| Motto | Knowledge That Matters |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 10 November 1902 |
| President | Andrea Sironi |
| Rector | Francesco Billari |
| Students | 15,427 (as of 2024)[1] |
| Location | , Italy 45°27′1″N 9°11′23″E |
| Campus | Urban |
Sporting affiliations | Bocconi Sport, CUS Milano |
| Website | www |
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The university offers courses in social sciences, with programs in economics, management, finance, law, political science, data and computer science, and an increasing focus on artificial intelligence.
Bocconi is a founding member of CEMS – The Global Alliance in Management Education. Through its graduate business school, the SDA Bocconi School of Management, the university holds triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA.[2] SDA Bocconi offers MBA, Executive MBA, DBA, executive education, professional development, and certification programs.
History
Bocconi University was established in 1902 as Italy's first university to offer a degree in economics.[3]
Its founder, Ferdinando Bocconi, created the university in memory of his son Luigi, who died in the Battle of Adwa during the First Italo-Ethiopian War.[4] The university was initially conceived to complement the Polytechnic University of Milan's engineering school with the aim of integrating technical expertise and economic knowledge, thereby training professionals equipped to meet emerging industrial and commercial needs, and adopted a teaching model based on methods used at the École Supérieure of Antwerp.[5]
The university’s first building opened in Largo Notari (today Via Statuto)[6]. In 1941, Bocconi moved to its current main campus in Via Sarfatti 25. Over the decades, the campus has expanded with new facilities, including student residences, research centers, and the business school SDA Bocconi School of Management (established in 1971).[7]
Key milestones include the introduction of new degree programs in law, political science, data science and artificial intelligence, the launch of Italy’s first MBA (1974), the creation of the CEMS alliance (1988),[8] and the completion of the new urban campus designed by SANAA in 2019.[9]
Campus
The university's first building opened in 1902 on Via Statuto, near the Pinacoteca di Brera. Today, the campus is located beside Parco Ravizza, between Via Sarfatti and Viale Bligny, and comprises multiple buildings near Porta Ticinese and the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio:
- Sarfatti Building (1941), designed by Giuseppe Pagano, is the oldest building on campus. It houses classrooms, the aula magna, administrative offices, and a restaurant. Its entrance is flanked by two lion statues, which have become the subject of university myths.[10]
- Pensionato Building (1956), by Giovanni Muzio, contains dormitories (350 rooms), a canteen, large halls, and faculty offices. Its floors are shaped like a symmetrical "L", said to represent laude.
- SDA Bocconi Building (2019) houses the new headquarters of the SDA Bocconi School of Management and is located on the site previously occupied by the Centrale del Latte. Designed by the Tokyo-based SANAA studio, the area also includes the Castiglioni Residence and the sports center.
- Leonardo del Vecchio Building (Velodromo) (2001), designed by Ignazio Gardella, is ellipsoid in shape and contains classrooms for up to 150 students each. It features a geothermal heat pump system. A statue of Ferdinando Bocconi stands in the foyer.[11]
- Library Building (1962), also by Giovanni Muzio, stands in Piazza Sraffa alongside the campus chapel (San Ferdinando) and other smaller facilities.
- Röntgen Building (2007), designed by Grafton Architects, won World Building of the Year at the 2008 World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.[12] It houses the university's departments and research centers, as well as a new aula magna, seminar rooms, and exhibition areas.[13] Its designers, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, received the 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize.[14]
Several other administrative and research offices are located near Parco Ravizza and Viale Isonzo.
Dormitories
Bocconi provides approximately 1,800 dormitory places for students. Residences include Bocconi, Javotte, Dubini, Spadolini, Isonzo, Bligny, and Castiglioni (opened in 2018).
Full view on the ellipsoid Velodromo building, as seen from EGEA
Entrance to the Velodromo and new building in background
The Dubini Residence (Residenza E. Dubini) of Bocconi University
Academics
Bocconi is organized into five schools:
- Undergraduate School
- Graduate School
- School of Law
- PhD School
- SDA Bocconi School of Management.
The academic structure includes nine departments:
- Accounting
- Computing Sciences
- Economics
- Finance
- Management and Technology
- Marketing
- Decision Sciences
- Social and Political Sciences
- Legal Studies.
Research activities are carried out within departments, research centers, and laboratories.
Undergraduate School
The Bocconi Undergraduate School offers twelve Bachelor of Science programs in English and/or Italian:
- Economia Aziendale e Management (CLEAM)
- Economia e Management per Arte, Cultura e Comunicazione (CLEACC)
- Economic and Social Sciences (BESS)
- Economics and Management for Arts, Culture and Communication (CLEACC)
- Economics, Management and Computer Science (BEMACS)
- International Economics and Finance (BIEF)
- International Economics and Management (BIEM)
- International Politics and Government (BIG)
- International Politics and Government (BIG) (joint with HEC Paris)
- Mathematical and Computing Sciences for Artificial Intelligence (BAI)
- World Bachelor in Business (WBB) (joint with the Marshall School of Business-University of Southern California and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)
The university offers double degree programs with Peking University and HEC Paris, and exchange programs with 290 partner institutions in 55 countries.
Graduate School
The Bocconi Graduate School offers 14 Master of Science (MSc) programs taught in English, 1 specialized master in English, and 1 in Italian. Bocconi's MSc in Finance was among the first six programs worldwide to partner with the CFA Institute and the first in continental Europe.[15] Its MSc in Management and International Management includes participation in the CEMS Master in International Management, of which Bocconi is a founding member.
MSc programs include: Accounting and Financial Management; Artificial Intelligence; Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance; Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in Health Sciences; Data Science and Business Analytics; Economic and Social Sciences; Economics and Management in Arts, Culture, Media and Entertainment; Economics and Management of Government and International Organizations; Finance; Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship; International Management; Marketing Management; Politics and Policy Analysis; Transformative Sustainability.
Specialized masters include: Marketing e Comunicazione (MiMeC); Quantitative Finance and Risk Management (MAFINRISK).
Double degree programs exist with CEMS partner universities, and with many universities from all over the world such as ESSEC Business School, Fudan University, and Sciences Po, London School of Economics, HEC Paris, ESADE.
School of Law
Established in 2006, the Bocconi School of Law consolidated the university's tradition in legal studies under the "A. Sraffa" Institute for Comparative Law. It offers law courses in Italian and English and a summer academy (with the University of Trento and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies).
Programs include:
- Giurisprudenza
- Bachelor in Global Law (BGL)
- Master of Arts in Global Law for Organizations, Business Enterprises and Institutions (GLOBE)
Specialized masters include: LLM in European Business and Social Law; LLM in Global Tax and Law Governance; LLM in Law of Technology and Automated Systems.
The School of Law also offers a number of double degree programs and exchange programs with 290 partner institutions worldwide.
PhD School
The Bocconi PhD School offers doctoral programs in:
- Economics and Finance (4 years)
- Business Administration and Management (4 years)
- Statistics and Computer Science (4 years)
- Social and Political Science (4 years)
- Mathematics and Applications (4 years)
- Legal Studies (3 years)
SDA Bocconi
Founded in 1971, SDA Bocconi is the university’s graduate business school, with locations also in Rome and Mumbai, and offers MBA, Executive MBA, specialized master’s, and executive education.[16] It holds triple accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) and publishes Economia & Management, an Italian management review. The school also offers specialized Master programs in areas such as corporate finance, real estate management, food and beverage, fashion, design, and sports management.
Research and endowment
In 2006, Bocconi's research funding came primarily from the university itself (€1.5 million), the European Union (€1.4 million), the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (€300,000), and external sources (€11 million).[17] In 2011, the European Research Council awarded €5 million to five social sciences and humanities projects led by Bocconi professors.[18] Bocconi has been a major recipient of European Research Council (ERC) funding since the program’s inception, securing 71 grants across all ERC schemes, particularly in the social sciences and quantitative disciplines, with approximately 35 grants active in 2025.[19][20]
Departments
Bocconi has departments in: Accounting; Economics; Finance; Management and Technology; Marketing; Decision Sciences; Legal Studies; Social and Political Sciences; and Computing Sciences.[21]
Permanent research centers include the Paolo Baffi Centre (economics, finance and regulation), BIDSA (data science and analytics), CERGAS (health and social care management), Dondena Centre (social dynamics and public policy), GREEN (energy and environment), ICRIOS (innovation and strategy), IGIER (economic research, jointly with NBER and CEPR).[22]
International rankings
| Institute | Subject | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings | Social Sciences and Management | 12th[23] | 16th[24] | 16th[25] | 10th[26] | 10th | 16th[27] | 16th[28] | 11th[29] | 17th[30] | 22nd[31] |
| Social Policy and Administration | 46th[23] | 38th[23] | |||||||||
| Arts and Humanities | 451st-500th[23] | 401st-450th[23] | |||||||||
| Law and Legal Studies | =71st[23] | =57th[23] | |||||||||
| Politics | 71st[23] | 51st-100th[23] | |||||||||
| Marketing | 7th[23] | 7th[23] | 8th[23] | ||||||||
| Hospitality and Leisure Management | 51st-100th[23] | 51st-100th[23] | |||||||||
| Statistics and Operational Research | 101st-150th[23] | 51st-100th[23] | |||||||||
| Development Studies | 101st-150th[23] | ||||||||||
| Computer Science and Information Systems | 301st-350th[23] | 351st-400th[23] | 401st-450th[23] | 351st-400th[23] | |||||||
| Mathematics | 451-500th[23] | 401st-450th[23] | |||||||||
| Finance Masters | 11th[32] | 10th[33] | 10th[34] | 10th[35] | 11th[28] | 8th[36] | |||||
| Management Masters | 13th | 11th[37] | 9th[38] | 11th[28] | 11th[39] | ||||||
| Accounting & Finance | 19th[23] | 17th | 17th[40] | 16th | 17th[41] | 18th[28] | 29th[42] | 33rd[43] | 27th[44] | ||
| Business & Management Studies | 10th[23] | 9th[45] | 7th[46] | 6th[47] | 7th[48] | 7th[49] | 8th[28] | 10th[50] | 11th[51] | 10th[52] | |
| Economics & Econometrics | 17th[23] | 16th | 16th[53] | 16th[54] | 18th[55] | 16th[56] | 16th[28] | 16th[57] | 16th[58] | 17th[59] | |
| Global MBA | 20th | 22nd[60] | 23rd[61] | 10th[62] | 22nd[63] | ||||||
| Global EMBA | 16th[64] | 19th[65] | |||||||||
| Financial Times | Global MBA | 4th | 3rd[66] | 6th[67] | 13th[68] | 12th[69] | 31st[70] | 29th[71] | 22nd[72] | 25th[73] | |
| European Business Schools | 6th[74] | 5th[75] | |||||||||
| Executive Education (customized) | 3rd | 5th[74] | 9th[76] | 4th[77] | 7th[78] | 4th | 6th | ||||
| Executive Education (open) | 12th | 9th[74] | 14th[79] | 23rd[80] | 28th[81] | 33rd | 39th | ||||
| Master in Finance (pre-experience) | 19th | 18th[82] | 13th[83] | 8th[84] | 7th[85] | 9th[86] | |||||
| Master in Management | 13th | 11th[87] | 8th[88] | 10th[89] | 6th[90] | 10th[91] | 11th[92] | ||||
| Bloomberg | European B-Schools ranking | 1st[93] | 3rd[93] | 1st[94] | 5th[95] | 3rd[96] | 5th[97] | 5th[98] | |||
| ARWU | Economics | 32nd[99] | 32nd[100] | 27th[101] | 31st[102] | 40th[103] | |||||
| Finance | 47th | 51–75[104] | 34th[105] | 36th[106] | 50th[107] | ||||||
| Management | 29th[99] | 25th[108] | 30th[109] | 34th | 41st[110] | ||||||
| Times Higher Education | Business and Economics | 27th[111] | |||||||||
| US News | Best Global Universities for Economics and Business | 24th[112] | 27th[113] | ||||||||
| Forbes | The Best International MBAs: One-Year Programs | 4th[64] | 5th[114] | ||||||||
| The Economist | MBA | 6th | 13th | 24th[115] | 28th | 38th |
Student life
Bocconi offers students a variety of cultural and extracurricular initiatives, including:
- Student Media Center, which includes Radio Bocconi, Bocconi TV, and the student newspaper Tra i Leoni
- Bocconi Sport, with facilities such as the Bocconi Sport Center and teams in football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, athletics, and more
- Bocconi Art Gallery (BAG), a contemporary art project on campus
- More than 100 student associations.
Student publications
Student-run publications include:
- Tra i Leoni, a campus magazine.
- Bocconi School of Law Student-Edited Papers, the official law journal.[116]
Superstitions
A superstition holds that students who pass between the lion statues at the Sarfatti Building entrance will not graduate: "Chi passa tra i Leoni non si laurea alla Bocconi."[117]
From above, the main campus buildings form "30L" (30 cum laude), the highest possible exam grade: the Roentgen Building forms the "3", the Velodromo the "0", and the main building two "L"s.[118]
Visual identity
Bocconi University adopted its first official seal in 1962, on its 60th anniversary, featuring a closed book, laurel wreath, and Mercury’s helmet, as recorded in the Heraldic Register. In 1989, architect Antonio Barrese redesigned the university’s corporate image, earning the Compasso d’Oro award.
For its centenary in 2002, Pentagram further updated the visual identity, introducing the vertically oriented “Bocconi” logo, a simplified crest, and Pantone Blue 293 as the institutional color.
Notable people
Alumni
- Alberto Alemanno, Global Clinical Professor of Law at New York University (NYU)
- Alberto Alesina, former Nathaniel Ropes Professor of Political Economy at Harvard University
- Franco Amatori, professor of Economic History at Bocconi University and past president of the European Business History Association
- Jörg Asmussen, member of the executive board of the European Central Bank
- Oriana Bandiera, Sir Anthony Atkinson Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics
- Francesco Billari, demographer and sociologist, Rector of Bocconi University
- Tito Boeri, professor of labour economics at Bocconi University, columnist for La Repubblica and former president of INPS (National Institute for Social Security in Italy)
- Luigi Corradi, engineer and CEO of Trenitalia
- Francesca Cornelli, Dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, previously professor of finance and deputy dean at London Business School
- Jelena Djokovic, tennis player and Novak Djokovic's wife
- Luigi Einaudi, President of the Italian Republic (1948–1955) and governor of Bank of Italy
- Francesco Giavazzi, economist and Bocconi University professor
- Vittorio Grilli, Italian Minister of Economy and Finance (2012–13) and previously a professor at Yale University
- Fiorella Kostoris, professor at the Sapienza University of Rome and College of Europe
- Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, former CEO of Renault and former president of SEAT
- Antonio Merlo, sixteenth President of Drexel University, former George A. Peterkin Professor of Economics and Dean at Rice University
- Mario Monti, former Italian Prime Minister (2011–2013)
- Emma Bonino, former Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–14)
- Vittorio Colao, former CEO of Vodafone Group and the Italian Minister for Technological Innovation in the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi
- Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, economist and former Italian Minister of Economy and Finance (2006–08)
- Corrado Passera, former Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Infrastructure and Transport (2011–13)
- Barbara Pollastrini, former Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities in the Prodi II Cabinet (2006)
- Sebastian Rocca, social entrepreneur, coach, and LGBTQI rights activist
- Nouriel Roubini, NYU Stern School of Business professor emeritus
- Fabrizio Saccomanni, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Italian government and former General Manager of the Bank of Italy
- Paolo Scaroni, chair of AC Milan and Enel
- Renato Soru, billionaire entrepreneur and manager, founder of the internet service company Tiscali
- Luigi Zingales, University of Chicago Booth School of Business professor
- Patrizia Toia, Italian politician and member of the European Parliament
- Marco Patuano, CEO of TIM Group
- Federico Marchetti, CEO and founder of YOOX Net-a-Porter Group
- Marco Cappato, Italian politician and member of the European Parliament
- Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi, economist
- Alessandro Pansa, former CEO of Leonardo
- Claudio Costamagna, chairman of Advanced Accelerator Applications
- Giovanni Arrighi, professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University
- Domenico Lombardi, president of The Oxford Institute for Economic Policy, and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
- Eduardo Missoni, secretary general of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
- Andrea Enria, chair of the ECB Supervisory Board (2019–present), and previously chair of the European Banking Authority (2011–19)
- Mario Biondi, novelist, travel writer, poet
- Paolo Brera, journalist, author, and former assistant professor of political economy at Bocconi University
- Teresa de Lauretis, writer and professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz
- Valerio Massimo Manfredi, journalist, television host, historical novelist
- Mario Arcelli, economist, Minister for the Budget in the Italian government
- Fabio De'Longhi, CEO of De'Longhi[119]
- Francesco Milleri, CEO of Luxottica[120]
- Salvatore Aranzulla, blogger and entrepreneur[121][122]
- Dubravka Negre, Minister of Mining and Energy of Serbia since 2022
- Sergio Noja Noseda, professor of Islamic law, Arabic Language and Literature. Author of multiple books on Islamic culture
- Alessandro Profumo, banker
- Marco Tronchetti Provera, manager
- Massimo Renon, CEO of the Benetton Group since 2020
- Luigi Roth, CEO of Breda Railway Construction (1993–2001)
- Leopoldo Sabbatini, first dean of Bocconi University, vice president of the Milan Chamber of Commerce
- Nina Seničar, Serbian model
- Guido Tabellini, former rector of Bocconi University (2008–2012) and columnist for Il Sole 24 Ore
- Benedetto Della Vedova, politician
- Roberto Vedovotto, CEO of Kering Eyewear since 2014
- Gino Zaccaria, philosopher, Bocconi senior professor of philosophy
Other
- Andrea Agnelli, businessman and chairman of Juventus FC
- Prince Aimone of Savoy, Duke of Apulia, claimant for the headship of the House of Savoy
- Pierre Casiraghi, seventh in line to the throne of Monaco, son of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and nephew of Albert II, Prince of Monaco
- Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, former chairman of Juventus FC
- Chiara Ferragni, fashion blogger and businesswoman, has not obtained degree[123]
- Steven Goldstein, race car driver
- Beatrice Borromeo, noblewoman of the House of Borromeo, journalist and ex-model
- Prince Joachim of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este
- Vittorio Gallinari, basketball player
- Clarence Seedorf, Dutch football player
- Carla Sozzani, gallerist known for creating the 10 Corso Como complex
Alumnus of the Year
Since 2011, Bocconi's Alumni Association has awarded Alumnus of the Year to graduates exemplifying the values of professionalism, entrepreneurship, integrity, responsibility, and openness. It replaced the Bocconian of the Year (since 1988) and Master of Masters (since 2007). Past recipients include Fabrizio Saccomanni, Emma Bonino, Vittorio Colao, Nouriel Roubini, Luca de Meo, Francesca Bellettini, and Giuseppe Sala, among others.[124][125]
