The University of Pavia is an Italian institution situated in Pavia, Lombardy. There were indications of instruction as early as 1361, making it one of the world earliest universities. Until the end of the nineteenth century, it was the lone university in Milan and the larger Lombardy area. The institution was named one of the top ten in Italy and one of the top 300 in the world by Times Higher Education in 2022. It now comprises 18 departments and 9 faculties. It does not have a primary campus; instead, its buildings and amenities are dispersed across the city, giving rise to the term city campus. More than 20,000 students from Italy and throughout the world attend the University of Pavia.

The University of Pavia administers a number of cultural and scientific museums, as well as a botanical park, research institutes, university libraries, and a university press. There is also a connection between the University of Pavia and the Policlinico San Matteo, which is a hospital where a large number of university medical students complete their clinical rotations throughout their clinical years. The University of Pavia, which primarily focuses on ecclesiastical and civil law, as well as theological studies, was then chosen as the primary educational center for northern Italy.

The University of Pavia has a long history of international student and teacher exchanges, with bilateral agreements including institutions from Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean region, the United States of America, China, Japan, and many other nations. Every year, around 1,500 international students enroll at the institution. The Career Service promotes placement events and initiatives in conjunction with companies and provides personalized assistance to help new graduates at the University of Pavia move into the job market. The majority of the web tools and all individual services are only available in Italian. The services are provided in partnership with AlmaLaurea, and the University's career day "Open Doors to Business" is transformed into the Virtual Career Fair from April 28 to May 21, 2021. After graduation, the Portal offers a 96% employment guarantee.

The University of Pavia is a signatory to over 400 international agreements with universities worldwide, and it actively encourages research in conjunction with the world's most famous academic institutions. Beginning in 2020, the University of Pavia will be an official member of the "European Campus of City-Universities" - EC2U, a network of seven historical institutions where students will be able to transfer for study, research, and internship reasons.

During their undergraduate years, the majority of the University of Pavia students have the chance to study abroad. Pavia University features a "Pavia System," which consists of 20 colleges and homes where thousands of students may live, study, and play sports. The earliest dormitories, known as Collegio Borromeo and Collegio Ghislieri, were erected in the 16th century; more subsequently, new colleges for male and female students have been established via both public and private initiatives. The university administers a number of cultural and scientific museums, as well as a botanical park, research centers, university libraries, and a university press.