Bicycles in an alley in Ferrara, Italy
Italy

High School Abroad in Italy

Tentative Dates

-

39 weeks

Priority Deadline

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Tentative Dates

-

20 weeks

Priority Deadline

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Tentative Dates

-

12 weeks

Priority Deadline

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Tentative Dates

-

20 weeks

Costs

$14,250

Priority Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

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Tentative Dates

-

12 weeks

Costs

$12,250

Priority Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

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Tentative Dates

-

41 weeks

Costs

$16,500

Priority Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

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Tentative Dates

-

18 weeks

Priority Deadline

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Tentative Dates

-

13 weeks

Priority Deadline

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Tentative Dates

-

19 weeks

Costs

$14,250

Priority Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Enroll Now

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Tentative Dates

-

13 weeks

Costs

$12,250

Priority Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Enroll Now

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Program Overview
Become fluent in Italian in the birthplace of the Renaissance. 

The birthplace of the Renaissance is known for its beautiful language, exquisite architecture, and world-famous art and cuisine. Spend your free time discovering museums and cathedrals, attending local festivals, and eating to your heart’s content. Immerse yourself in Italian culture participating in class and connecting with new friends at your local public school. During the first two months of program, you'll attend a dedicated Italian language course to make great leaps in your language proficiency. Enjoy family traditions and Italian meals at your homestay. Be sure to bring your favorite recipe to share!

The Take-Aways

Language Proficiency

Our program provides students with 150 language contact hours in just a few weeks.

Global Citizenship

After immersing yourself in unfamiliar practices and customs, you’ll become better equipped to interact with people from other cultures — in school, on the job, or in your personal life

Independence & Resilience

Come home better prepared to make transitions, take control of new situations, and appreciate challenging experiences for what they are: opportunities to learn and grow.

93%

said their experience made them more aware of global issues.

79%

said their experience with CIEE helped shape their college applications.

96%

said they regularly use the knowledge and skills they acquired while abroad with CIEE.

The Destination
  • sunny day roman ruins
  • famous building milan italy
  • florence countryside

The Destination

Discover a world of unparalleled art, architecture, history, and cuisine in spectacular Italy.

Whether you’re placed in a small town outside of Florence, the “City of Flowers,” to the north, or in the southern hilltop community of Calitri, with CIEE high school study abroad in Italy, you’ll explore more than 3,000 years of rich history, both in class at the local high school and through your own personal explorations.

Meet up with friends after a day of classes to share real pizza margherita and gelato. Explore the Italian countryside during a school field trip. Practicing your Italian while cheering on the local futbol team during an exciting match.

Advance your Italian proficiency each day — through chats with teachers and classmates, and dinnertime conversations with your homestay — and gain important international experience that can help get you into your first-choice college. If you’re ready, Italy awaits.

CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Italy.

Orientation

Orientation generally occurs in your host community with a local representative. Your orientation will strike a nice balance between language learning and exploring. The courses are designed to help prepare you for a fully immersive experience for the duration of your program.

Classes will be run by native Italian teachers who are certified to teach Italian as a foreign language. Small class sizes and plenty of individualized instruction will ensure you receive the most out of your orientation language instruction. While also covering a range of topics including residency permits, support networks, homestays, school, rules, cultural shock, Italian currency, Italian food, festivities, and traditions.

Note: Depending on the final cohort size, a longer group orientation may be offered in a different Italian city.

Daily Life

Daily Life

"Just stand with a cup of dark chocolate gelato in one hand and a cup of dark hot chocolate in the other and eat yourself sick. I’ll leave you with that image of happiness..."

Read our blogs to learn more about daily life while attending a high school abroad.

Explore Program Blogs

Housing

Carefully-screened, volunteer homestay

Local Support

Local Coordinator in area available for support, CIEE Support staff available 24/7

Program Blogs

Reflections Post-Program: High School Abroad in Italy

By Ayana L.

These past nine months have simultaneously been the most incredible, life-changing, and difficult months of my life. I knew I was signing up for something extraordinary even before I came... keep reading

Italy: A Day in My Life

By Ayana L.

I am currently studying abroad in Fano, a seaside town on the coast of the Adriatic Sea in the region of Marche, Italy. For me, a typical school day in... keep reading

Camera Rollin'

By Gizelle W.

There’s something truly ungodly about modern technology. I just flipped through my camera roll, holding down the right-arrow button out of nothing more than boredom; with that, my life literally... keep reading

Activities

Sample Activities

Join your peers on group excursions to legendary landmarks in a range of favorite Italian cities, from Verona and Milan to Florence and Rome. Available at an additional cost, these optional expeditions will feature a variety of guided tours and activities. Possible destinations include:

aerial view of florence

Florence

You’ll spend three days and two nights in the “City of Lilies,” with a visit to the Piazza and Basilica of Santa Croce. You’ll venture on to Florence’s historical center, including sights like the Palazzo Vecchio, the Museo Degli Uffizi (Uffizi Museum Gallery), and the Palazzo Rucellai, a palatial 15th-century townhouse. You’ll be busy, but don’t worry — there will be plenty of time set aside for shopping and meals!

colosseum in rome sunset backlit

Rome

You’ll have three days and two nights to experience the wonders of Italy’s breathtaking capital city. Rome offers you centuries of world-famous architecture and art, including masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. The city is also home to Vatican City, as well as ancient ruins like the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. You’ll want to see it all.

Please note this list of activities is based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to both adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback.

What People Are Saying

  • "Marta, my host sister, speaks broken English, and she has helped me numerous times when I did not know a word or became confused with other people. We are in the same class at school, which has helped me create numerous friendships. I am a shy person, but she has helped me feel confident among her friends and in the classroom. As a volleyball player, Marta helped me join a team at her club, which has become a source of exercise and new friends. She is hilarious and so kind, partially addicted to her phone, and sometimes a very ‘typical teenager,’ but I am so happy to have her by my side."

    Lucia H., CIEE High School Abroad Participant

  • "The pictures truly can’t give Venice justice. To really grasp it, you need to stand in the middle of a busy alleyway and feel the humidity on your face and smell the fresh bread. Just stand with a cup of dark chocolate gelato in one hand and a cup of dark hot chocolate in the other and eat yourself sick. I’ll leave you with that image of happiness."

    Kelton M., CIEE High School Abroad Alumnus

  • "I learned things that aren’t taught in schools: what is really important to me, what I want out of life, and how to be more open-minded and confident."

    Sophie R., CIEE High School Abroad Alumna

  • "Being ‘on your own’ and going through so many new things teaches you to rely on yourself, more like an adult. Experiencing more than most teenagers would at the same age helps you to become wiser. Most important, I feel like my eyes have been opened to the fact that there are other people across oceans who can live similarly or completely opposite to your lifestyle."

    Kathryn R, CIEE High School Abroad Alumna

  • "About a year and a half ago, I decided to study abroad in Italy for 10 months and was placed in an amazing town called Cittadella. I can’t believe how much my life has changed since I first stepped on that plane to Italy. Because of my study abroad experience, I now know what I want to do with my life and what my priorities are. It’s amazing how much your perspective on life changes when you take such a big leap! Since I’ve been back, I have been focusing on my education at Carroll College, where I’m pursuing a nursing degree in the hope of one day being a pediatric oncology nurse."

    Dana R., CIEE High School Abroad Alumna

Eligibility

Eligibility

  • Be between the ages of 15 and 17 when the program starts and cannot turn 18 while on program.
  • Be in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th year of schooling.
  • Have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
  • Demonstrate, through the application process, their flexibility, maturity, adaptability, and readiness to face the challenges of living in a new culture.
  • Students are not required to have taken Italian language classes prior to participating in this program. However, it's highly recommended that students have previous language experience as all classes will be taught in Italian.

High school abroad participants are NOT authorized to volunteer, take jobs, or seek employment during their stay.

For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.

Dates & Fees

Dates & Fees

Application Fee

$50

Priority deadline discount: Apply to a fall semester or academic year by February 15 and get a $400 discount. Apply to a spring semester by July 15 and get a $400 discount. Discounts are deducted from final balance.

Additional information about insurance can be found on the FAQ page.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Costs

Program Academic Year 2025 39 weeks Start Date * End Date *
Program Spring 2026 20 weeks Start Date * End Date *
Program Spring Trimester 2026 12 weeks Start Date * End Date *
Program Spring 2025 20 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Costs $14,250
Program Spring Trimester 2025 12 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Costs $12,250
Program Academic Year 2024 41 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Costs $16,500
Program Fall 2025 18 weeks Start Date * End Date *
Program Fall Trimester 2025 13 weeks Start Date * End Date *
Program Fall 2024 19 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Costs $14,250
Program Fall Trimester 2024 13 weeks Application Due Deadline Passed Start Date End Date Costs $12,250

*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.

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