Italy is experiencing a structural, stable, and multigenerational migratory presence in which new generations are increasingly obtaining access to the highest social and educational levels, including university. However, the process is especially problematic in the Italian context, which has seen a shift from being an “emigration” to becoming an “immigration country” in recent years. The educational choices of young people are influenced by their social, and economic background, as well as by their parents’ and/or other significant adults’ cultural background (Ravecca, 2009; Spanò, 2011). Furthermore, the absence of Italian citizenship can also influence whether a person enrols in university. Young people from migrant backgrounds face cultural challenges which can lead to less social upward mobility and unmet aspirations.

In this chapter, the phenomenon of second-generation immigrant students will be quantitatively contextualized, with specific regard to foreign students in Italian universities, and with a descriptive analysis on the impact of gender on education. The aim of the chapter is to analyze the multifaceted educational paths of young people, those under 35 years old, born in Italy to foreign parents (or who moved to Italy later), characterized by several needs and responsibilities.

Foreign population in Italy

In a world with an increasing number of international migrants (more than 232 million in 2013) (OECD, 2015), the situation overall in Europe is no exception with migratory flows on the rise. In Italy, in contrast, immigration has decreased over a recent six-year period, from 527,000 in 2007 to 307,000 in 2013 (ISTAT, 2014). Nevertheless, the number of foreigners continues to grow in Italy: the latest available data (ISTAT, 2015) reveals that at beginning of 2015 the immigrant population consisted of 5,014,421 in a population of 60,795,612, or approximately 8.2%. According to the IDOS Study and Research Centre, the total number of legal immigrants was higher, amounting to 5,634,000 at the beginning of 2014 (IDOS, 2014). More specifically, the most represented countries are Romania (22.6% of the foreign population in Italy); this percentage keeps increasing significantly following the inclusion of Romania in the European Union (EU) in 2007 followed by Albania (9.8%), Morocco (9%), China (5.3%), and Ukraine (4.5%). The countries of origin of foreigners living in Italy are mainly Eastern countries of the EU, followed by non-member states in the same area (Perna, 2015).