Founded in 1924, the University of Trieste is a medium-sized university with a student population of approximately 16,000. It offers a wide range of degree programmes at bachelor, master and doctoral level, as well as short vocational masters, advanced masters and specialisation programmes, most of which are in the medical area. Some degree programmes are taught in English.

The university currently has 10 departments: Economic, Business, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences; Engineering and Architecture; Humanities; Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies; Mathematics and Geosciences; Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences; Life Sciences; Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences; Physics; Political and Social Sciences.

The university participates in many research projects at national and international level. It is also involved in various student and staff exchange programmes with universities in the EU and collaborates with several universities from Eastern Europe and other non-EU countries.