Become an exchange student in Italy and immerse yourself into the Dolce Vita lifestyle!

You are welcomed by an Italian host family willing to share with you the Italian language as well as their culture. You will go to school like any Italian student and make many new friends. 

Learn Italian abroad, choose a High School Study Abroad in Italy. Looking for a shorter experience? Learn more about our summer camp in Italy.

Study abroad Italy
Age from 14 to 18 years old
Language Italian
Dates September to June
Length Semester, Academic year
Fees from 7590 EUR
Overview

Next possible start dates: September 2026. Apply now!

Be an exchange student in Italy

The High School exchange in Italy gives international students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy the unique and picturesque Italian lifestyle whilst attending a local public school with other Italian classmates.

We have a wide network of volunteer local coordinators all across Italy, and students may be placed in various locations within the country. The participants of this high school exchange program in Italy should be open minded and flexible in regards to their placement's location, as well as try to get involved with their volunteer families.
 
Based on each individual student’s needs, exchange students may be enrolled in one of the following school types:

  • Classic High School (Liceo Classico)
  • Scientific High School (Liceo Scientifico)
  • Fine Arts High School (Liceo Artistico)
  • Teacher Training School (Istituto Magistrale)
  • Artistic School (Istituto d'Arte)
  • Technical Institute (Istituti Tecnici)
  • Professional Institute (Istituti Professionali)

Highlights of the Program:

  • Orientation Camp on Arrival: Upon arrival, students are transferred to an Orientation camp in the majestic Milan. Here they have the opportunity to meet other fellow young travellers and take part in an intensive language course 4 hours a day for 4 days.
  • Local Coordinator Support: Each student is assigned a local volunteer representative who is in charge of ensuring the welfare of each of our students. Our local coordinators are usually teachers from the local schools looking to further develop international exchanges in their local community.

Graduation from this program is not possible.

If you wish to improve your Italian while attending Italian courses in Italy, have a look at our offers at an Italian school in Rome!

Videos
Accommodation

Host Families

Our Italian host families are volunteer and are committed to learn about the student’s culture, and likewise sharing their customs and traditions. They are warm and welcoming, ensuring that the exchange student feels safe, comfortable and relaxed within their environment.

This being said, host families will expect the students to join in with the family activities such as days out, free time after school and also help with basic home chores.

Students will receive full board:  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. School lunches are not included.

Fees
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High School exchange in Italy

* Price in Euros per participant. 

Not included : Application Fees (65 EUR)

Semester:

  • Spring Semester: End of January 2026 to Mid June 2026 
  • Fall Semester: September 2026 to Mid June 2027 

Academic Year

  • September 2026 to Mid-June 2027

On offer: 

💰 What's Included in the Price?

  • Administration fees
  • Host school placement
  • Host family accommodation with full board (packed lunch on weekdays)
  • Airport pick-up and transfer to the host family on arrival and departure, from the closest airport to the host family (after orientation)
  • 5 day Orientation, Sightseeing and Italian Language Course on arrival held by the local coordinator (long term programs only), domestic transfer
  • Extra mandatory language courses (8 weeks, 16 hours, 2 hours/week: 380 Euros – long term programs only)
  • Support, assistance and 24/7 Hotline during the whole program

🚫 What's Not Included?

  • Round-trip international airfare
  • Non compulsory insurances (luggage lost, flight delay etc.)
  • Visa, residence, passport and medical exam fees
  • School excursions, books, material, uniform, school lunches if needed, school tuition fees if any (some public schools may require the student to pay between 50 and 150 Euros administration fee for the whole semester or year)
  • Local transport (to and from school as well as private)
  • Extra activities organized by the school
  • Domestic journeys during the program including changes of host family
  • Personal expenses and spending money
  • Medical, Liability and Emergency Repatriation Insurance

I participated in this program because I wanted to improve my Italian and I felt in love with Italy! I had already visited Italy a couple of times with my parents during the summer vacations and we always stayed in hotels and had a great time! But the fact of living with an Italian host family and studying in a high school, helped me a lot to grow as a person and to enjoy Italy not being a tourist. This is what I was looking for! Improving my Italian, getting to know the culture inside and eating the best pastas, pizzas and cheeses! Thank you very much Nacel for having accepted me in the program! Ciao. Baci!

Volker K. (all)

“Thank you for your help with Daphne this year; she is grateful for this experience. She is doing very well and is happy. Thank you so very much for a beautiful experience for my daughter.” Mother of Daphne A.

Daphne A. (all)

Being an exchange student has been a wonderful experience. I’m really happy; I’m enjoying myself and I’m learning so many things.My host family is really nice. I feel that I’m really a part of the host family!!!! and I’m really happy because I had to move to a different family, but not because we had a problem, they couldn’t host me, but they are really nice, sometimes I go to their place for dinner. With my current host family I get along really well!!!! I’m doing well at school too, my Italian is improving every day, and I also have made a lot of friends. At the benning I was kind of scared because everybody told that the first couple of months of this experience are hard because you get to feel lonely or homesick, but it has been different to me because since the day I arrived I have been really happy, and the time has been going so fast that I would like to stay longer, but I can’t hehe.. NACEL has been great too; they have supported me all the time. Every day of this experience has been unforgettable!! The fact that you are away from home, experimenting a new culture, a new language gives you the opportunity to grow, it’s kind of hard at the beginning, but you realized how much you can improve and grow all the time. I do miss my city, my family and friends sometimes, but I’m aware that the time is going by really fast so I want to enjoy every single day of my year as an exchange student.

Viviana (all)

My year spent in Sardinia has been unforgettable. I learned a different language and way of life, I saw beautiful places and I left with Italy in my heart.

Kodai (all)

This school exchange in Italy has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life! I will be back next year! 

Maehb O. (all)

The semester in Italy was great! I had a great time and met new friends! I really enjoyed talking and spending time with my host family. They treated me like their own son and taught me a lot of things about Italy! 

Branislav T. (all)

I am Katyuska's father and I want to say that my daughter is very happy with the Attardo family. They have been very kind since the first day and have visit many places with Katyuska. She is delighted with this trip to Italy. At school she doesn't understand much about some classes, but it's normal. Little by little she is adapting and working hard. The teachers are patient and give her help when she doesn't understand something. Thank you. We keep in touch! Greetings

Katyuska B. (all)

Thank you very much for all your help. I've been to a high school in the south of Italy for a quarter and it's been wonderful! At first, it was difficult to adapt because my Italian was not so perfect. Now I feel very comfortable speaking Italian and singing songs in Italian! I love opera and the arts and having lived in Italy for a while has been a dream come true! 

Aoife M. (all)

Eligibility

Exchange students must be interviewed in their home country before being accepted for a High School exchange in Italy.

A minimum of two years of Italian study and good academic results are required to study in Italy.