Education in Italy is compulsory from 6-years to 16-years old, a period during which children go through three levels of formal education: primary school, lower secondary school and upper secondary school. University, usually undertaken at the age of 19, is not compulsory and can be followed by a doctoral degree (Doctor of Philosophy, or PhD).
According to Eurostat, almost 57 percent of Italians aged 25 and over had attained upper secondary or tertiary education in 2015, while the figure stands at 76.3 percent for the whole of the European Union. Italy has a large and international network of public and state affiliated universities. As of 2016, the majority of students were registered in economics and statistics, followed by engineering. The total public expenditure on education in Italy in 2011 amounted at 66.4 billion PPP (Purchasing Power Standard). In 2015, 1.38 percent of Italy’s GDP was dedicated to research and development.
NET - Education in Italy - VITECO