Elementi comuni e differenziazione tra le istituzioni universitarie nel quadro dell’autonomia: Università pubbliche, private, telematiche

This article analyzes the contemporary Italian university system, examining the common elements and points of differentiation between public (state-owned), private (non-state), and telematic (online) universities within the framework of constitutional autonomy. The Italian system, com-prising 99 institutions, is characterized by a significant heterogeneity in terms of legal status, size, and territorial distribution. A central theme is the regulatory and accreditation framework, which applies uniformly to both state and private institutions. This paper argues that while intended to ensure quality standards, this "flat" system, with homogenous evaluation criteria for accreditation, tends to push diverse in-stitutions toward uniformity, creating tension with the constitutional principles of autonomy and academic pluralism.