Sport in Milan: From CUS to Low-Cost Gyms

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HomeMade

A practical guide to affordable sport and fitness for students in Italy's most dynamic and populous university city.

Milan is home to some of the most prestigious universities in Italy — the Statale, Bicocca, Politecnico, Bocconi, Cattolica and IULM among them — and a combined student population of well over 200,000. Keeping up with the city's pace does not have to come at a premium: the university sport network is one of the most extensive in the country, and the options for students on a budget are wider than they might initially appear.
CUS Milano: A City-Wide Network
Founded in 1947, the Centro Universitario Sportivo di Milano (CUS Milano) operates across the entire metropolitan area, with CUS Points embedded within most of the city's main universities. These access points — at Città Studi, Piazza Aldo Moro, Bicocca, the Bocconi campus, the Cattolica and the Politecnico's Bovisa site — mean that registration and course enrolment can typically be handled close to wherever a student studies or lives.
The CUS Milano network has been recognised with the CONI Stella d'Oro al Merito Sportivo, a mark of the organisation's standing within Italian sport.
Membership: Three Tiers for Students
For the 2025/2026 academic season, CUS Milano offers three membership packages, all exclusively for university students and valid from 1 September to 31 August.
The ACTIVE package, at €5, covers access to promotional One Day events and day trips. It includes basic accident insurance and does not require a medical certificate. The SPORT package, at €20, unlocks the full range of activities: courses, the Campionati Universitari Milanesi inter-university championships, tournaments, and all other events. A medical certificate with ECG is required. The FULL SPORT package, at €30, offers the same access as SPORT, with the addition of a complimentary non-agonistic medical visit with ECG included in the cost — a practical saving for those yet to obtain a certificate.
Non-student members pay higher rates. To access student pricing, applicants must upload proof of enrolment directly from their university's online system each season.
Main Venues
CUS Milano manages or partners with facilities spread across the city and its immediate surroundings. The PalaCUS Idroscalo in Segrate serves as the main headquarters. The Centro Sportivo XXV Aprile and the Bicocca Stadium (formerly Pro Patria, at Viale Sarca 205) provide additional pitches and courts, while the IULM Fitness Center serves students of the IULM university. CUS La Statale, the branch serving the Università degli Studi di Milano, manages three further centres: Palacus Idroscalo, the Centro Sportivo Giuriati, and the Centro Sportivo Pro Patria, all offering fitness facilities and courts for football, basketball, tennis and volleyball at rates described by the university as "very competitive" for students and staff.
Courses: Over 100 Options
With more than 100 courses running across more than ten venues, the range of activities on offer is among the broadest of any Italian university city. For 2025/2026, disciplines include tai chi, fencing, rock climbing, tennis, aquatic sports, combat sports and many team sports. The second semester courses run from January through to the summer, with enrolments managed through the CUS Milano online portal.
The Campionati Universitari Milanesi
The flagship event of the CUS Milano sporting calendar is the Campionati Universitari Milanesi (CMU), running from late October to early June. The championship brings together representative teams from all the main Milanese universities — including the Liuc of Castellanza — across eight disciplines: men's and women's basketball, men's football, women's five-a-side football, men's and women's volleyball, tennis and rugby sevens. An overall standings table culminates in the award of the Coppa delle Università, the city's premier inter-university sporting trophy.
Beyond the University Network
Students who are not enrolled at one of the CUS Milano partner universities, or who want to supplement their university sport with additional options, will find Milan's commercial fitness market extensive and competitive. The Milanosport network, run by the Comune di Milano, operates 27 public sports facilities across the city — including pools, gyms and multipurpose courts — at accessible municipal tariffs. Several facilities offer swimming, aqua fitness and group classes at rates comparable to the student university offer.

How to Get Started
Register online at cusmilano.it, choose your membership package, and upload your university enrolment documentation. For university-specific branches — CUS La Statale, CUS Bicocca, CUS Cattolica and others — registration can also be done at the respective CUS Points on campus. A medical certificate with ECG is required for the SPORT and FULL SPORT packages before participating in any course or team competition.
For full information, visit cusmilano.it or contact the secretariat at segreteria@cusmilano.it, +39 02 7021141.