A US University Education in Rome
- Suzie Castello
- Oct 7
- 5 min read
Opportunities for US-style education outside the United States have been growing in recent years, especially in the cultural capitals of around the globe. In Rome, John Cabot, Temple, St. John’s, Loyola Chicago, and the American University in Rome have had a long-standing presence and offer US degree programs with the historical and cultural context of the Eternal City.
In September, I had the opportunity to get an up close look at two of these universities, John Cabot and Temple University in Rome, and how they have been expanding their programs to attend the growing interest in global education opportunities.
Key Features of a US Degree in Rome
4-year US-style liberal arts curriculum with flexibility across disciplines
English-language instruction and American accreditation
Small class sizes and close faculty interaction
International student body
Opportunity to live and study in a major European capital
Rome is your campus
Home to many UN agencies
Gateway to Europe
John Cabot University (JCU)
John Cabot University is located on the west bank of the Tiber River in the Trastevere neighborhood, not far from the American University of Rome. Trastevere is a vibrant area with many trattorias and cafes popular with students and locals and is home to one of Rome’s oldest churches, Santa Maria in Trastevere.
John Cabot is a private, American liberal arts university founded in Rome in 1972. It is unique in that it has no US campus. Its over 1700 students come from more than 70 countries. Fifteen undergraduate majors include International Business, Marketing, International Affairs, Political Science, Art History and Art and Design. The liberal arts foundation and academic flexibility allows for students to complement their course of study with minors in 23 areas, including Computer Science, Digital Media Arts and Production, Entrepreneurship, and Italian Studies. All are taught in English.
Many US universities have long partnered with JCU for semester and year abroad programs, including USC, Northeastern, Tulane and University of Delaware. But the number of students interested in JCU for their full undergraduate experience is growing.
During the past 20 years, the student body at John Cabot has tripled. The university has expanded by acquiring new buildings and residences. The latest expansion is the Franco Pavoncello campus housing the arts and design studios with state-of-the-art facilities for printmaking, painting, design, and photography, as well as a screening room. Across the various John Cabot campus buildings, students will find resources and support, including a cafeteria and cafes, an experimental psychology lab, and the largest English-language library in Italy. Housing in JCU residences is available and they assist students seeking places to stay off-campus.
Internships are a key part of the JCU experience. They partner with more than 200 organizations, in a wide range of industries, in non-profit and for profit sectors. For-credit and not-for-credit internship opportunities are available year round.
Apply to John Cabot via the Common Application. The Early Action deadline is Nov 15, and the Regular Decision deadline is March 1. Applicants interested in securing housing in one of the residences, and/or who need a visa for study are encouraged to apply early. Non-native speakers of English need to meet an English-language proficiency requirement. Italian is not required. Admission is selective.
Applicants to JCU are eligible to apply for partial merit-based scholarships, and US citizens can apply their federal financial aid options to their studies there.
The Gap-year program at JCU is a unique opportunity for high school grads to spend either a summer term, a semester, or a full academic year in Rome earning college credit and participating in service activities before starting an undergraduate program.
Temple University in Rome
Temple University is a large public research institution founded in Philadelphia in 1884. Temple opened a campus in 1966, making it one of the oldest American university campuses in Rome. I visited their new campus, conveniently located next to the historic Piazza di Spagna.
The Temple Rome campus is dedicated to the Temple Entry Year program, an opportunity for Temple undergraduates to start their college journey in Rome. Students can then go on to continue their undergraduate degree at either the main campus in Philadelphia or at the Temple Japan campuses in Tokyo and Kyoto.
Temple is one of the oldest foreign universities in Japan. Temple’s longtime mission is to offer educational opportunities spanning the globe, and these two programs are part of a range of global opportunities available to Temple students. While the Rome campus is only available for first year students, and specific semester and summer abroad programs, the Temple Japan program is available for all four years of undergraduate study. Like at John Cabot, between the Rome and Japan campuses, a student can attend Temple and earn a US undergraduate degree entirely outside the US.
Over 50 degree programs are eligible for the Rome first year experience, including Business, Biology, Psychology, and Art History. Class sizes are small and students find community learning and experiencing Italian culture together. The Rome campus has a more complete offering for students in Business, Communications, and the Liberal Arts, but courses for the sciences, and Film and Media are growing.
While the Temple Rome campus is situated around a baroque courtyard, it houses state-of-the-art facilities for hands-on learning, including studios for architecture, papermaking, photography, printmaking and ceramics, as well as science labs, student housing, and terraces overlooking the Unesco heritage site of Piazza di Spagna. Temple collaborates with many Roman higher education institutions, including the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA) for Fashion and Film Production study, Luiss Business School, and Roma Tre University for Architecture.
Apply to Temple University via the Common Application. Applicants can indicate their preference for their first year experience location - Philadelphia, Rome or Tokyo. Non-native speakers of English need to meet an English-language proficiency requirement. Italian is not required. Admission is selective.
While tuition for Temple varies depending on the campus, the non-US programs are very attractive for international students and US citizens residing outside the US in comparison to the cost to study on the main campus. International students and US citizens residing outside the US pay the same reduced tuition as Pennsylvania in-state residents for the Rome first year. Tuition rates for the Japan campus are very reasonable as well.
US citizens are eligible to apply for need-based financial aid and can apply their federal financial aid options to the cost of study. All applicants, regardless of citizenship, are considered for merit scholarships. In addition, international students are eligible to apply for two scholarships exclusive to international applicants, the #Why Us and the #You Are Welcome Here scholarships.
Temple University Rome also opens its campus to high school students to get a taste of American university study while experiencing Rome through their pre-college program. The Pre-College Summer in Rome is a 10-day residential program open to international students entering grades 10, 11 or 12.
Both John Cabot University and Temple University Rome are fantastic options for the student seeking the quality and flexibility of a US undergraduate degree within the unique historical and cultural context of Rome, conveniently located as a gateway to Europe. If you would like to know more about what I learned visiting John Cabot University and Temple University Rome please get in touch.
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