Located in the heart of Lugano, this Campus hosts the USI Faculties of Communication Sciences, Economics and Informatics, as well as the University central administrative offices and library. The Faculty of Theology, which is not part of the USI, is also housed in the campus.

Both the city centre and the Lugano lake, with the beautiful Ciani Park on the shore, are in walking distance of the Campus. USI students can thus enjoy the best of what Lugano has to offer: high quality of life, within one of the most picturesque landscapes in Switzerland.

The initial nucleus of the Lugano Campus is an ancient neoclassical palace, which originally housed the city hospital. With the growth of the University, new, modern buildings have risen around it, among which are the library, the conference hall (capable of hosting over 1,000 people), and the LAB, entirely devoted to research and individual study. Among the most recent additions are the new facilities for the Faculty of Informatics.

The Campus buildings host offices for faculty and staff, classrooms, computer labs accessible 24/7, a canteen, and several areas for individual and group study. The Campus is not only a place for studying, but also one of cultural exchange. In the green spaces around the buildings and in the ample, newly refurbished canteen, students can meet and befriend people from around the globe.