Top Universities to Study in Spain

Generally known for its historic sites and attractions, Spain is not just a location fit for tourists, it also attracts foreign students. It is an ideal destination for students looking to have an international experience. 

Searching for the best schools to study in is a prerequisite, also a very essential and crucial decision to make when looking to study abroad. You do not want to start your new school with “what ifs” and “had I know”. 

After making up your mind to study abroad, and of course, choose a course of study, the next step to take is looking for a perfect school. 

 You should note that getting into one of the top schools is highly competitive and as such, would require extensive studying. However, this shouldn’t be a thing of worry as the decision to study is to change your life positively when planned properly.

To proffer a solution, some 2021 top-ranked universities in Spain are below.

University of Barcelona (Universidad de Barcelona) 

This is a public institution founded in 1450, located in the urban setting of Barcelona. The institution has a branch campus in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat recognized by the ministry of universities in Spain. With over 100 departments, the institution has faculties categorized into 16 facilities, which covers the studies of:

• Faculty of Biology 

• Faculty of Chemistry 

• Faculty of Earth Sciences 

• Faculty of Economics and Business 

• Faculty of Education 

• Faculty of Fine Arts 

• Faculty of Geography and History 

• Faculty of Information and Audiovisual Media 

• Faculty of Law 

• Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science 

• Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences 

• Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science 

• Faculty of Philology and Communication 

• Faculty of Philosophy 

• Faculty of Physics 

• Faculty of Psychology 

The prestigious institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students’ past academic records and grades. However, international students are welcome to apply. Click on this link for more information on admission.

If you are looking to apply for any scholarship, you may want to click here to learn about scholarship opportunities for international students.

The school offers Undergraduate and Post-graduate degrees. The official language for institutional and administrative matters are Spanish and Catalan.

Complutense University of Madrid

This is also another ideal university in Spain for international students. The public institution which was founded in 1293 in Alcala, was later moved to Madrid in 1836. Considering a good number of prize-winning alumni, every student is sure usually inspired and challenged. The institution has a good number of faculties and departments. Click here to learn more and make your choice. 

If you are looking to apply for a scholarship at the Complutense University of Madrid, you should consider checking the scholarships and funding information.

The official language for learning is Spanish, although the English language is used in a few departments. 

University of Deusto (Universidad Deusto): Deusto

This university is the oldest private institution and the founder of Spain’s first business school. It was founded in 1886 with its main campus located in Bilbao, which encompasses; The school of Law, The Theological College, and the College of Engineering. While the second campus is located in San Sebastián and this encompasses; the Faculty of Psychology and Education, the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, and the Deusto Business School. It is important to note that there is also a branch of the Business School in Madrid. This institution draws both local students and a good number of international students. However, students get to experience a mix of Spanish, French, and Basque cultures. 

University of Valencia

This is one of the oldest universities founded in 1499. The historical university of Valencia has three main campuses spread across the city, namely;

• The Burjassot Campus houses the departments of Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Pharmacy, and Biology.
• Secondly, the Avenida de Blasco Ibanez Campus houses the colleges of Physical Education, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Language, Geography, Psychology, Philosophy, Dentistry, and Medicine.
• Thirdly, the Tarongers Campus which is the home of the schools of Law, Social Science, Business, and Elementary Teacher Training.

If you are looking to apply as an undergraduate, you may want to click here.

If you are looking to study for your Masters, you should click here.

If you want to apply for scholarships and grants, you may click here.

University of the Balearic Islands

With beginnings traced back to the year 1483 is the University of Balearic, with its campus located in Palma, Majorca. It is a state university funded by the government of Balearic Island with nine faculties which are Faculties of Economics and Enterprise, Law, Medicine, Education, Nursing & Physiotherapy, Psychology, Philosophy and Art, Tourism, and Science. In addition, the institution also has a polytechnic that offers courses in Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics, and a few others. Click here to visit their official website.

University of Navarra

Located in the urban setting of the small city of Pamplona with a record in teaching and research is a private institution called Navarra University, which was founded in 1952. The institution has several campuses in the following locations: San Sebastián, Madrid, Barcelona. Officially recognized by the ministry of the university in Spain. In addition, it also has international campuses in Munich, Germany, and New York, USA. Visit their official website for more information.

With its 14 faculties, Navarra offers undergraduate and post-graduate programmes with an impressive number of foreign students from around the globe.

Pompeu Fabra University

Founded in 1990, is a public university located in the metropolis of Barcelona. Pompey Fabra University has three faculties which are located on different campuses. The Ciutadella campus has schools specializing in Social Sciences and Humanities, The Mar campus has the Health and Life Sciences courses, while Poblenou has the departments for communication and ICT. The university is named after linguist Pompeu Fabra. For enquiries, visit their website.

Autonomous University of Barcelona

The Autonomous University of Barcelona is a public university founded in 1968 and located in the small city of Cerdanyola del Vallès with branch campuses in Sabadell, Manresa, Terrassa, Barcelona, and Sant Cugat del Vallès. 

The institution offers 85 undergraduate courses, 80 post-graduate degrees, and 80 doctorate programs. The interesting part about studying here is that it provides English-taught bachelor degrees in the fields of Business Administration, Economics, English Studies, Primary Education, and Tourism. At the post-graduate level, it covers the fields of Genetics, Economics, Data Science, Physics, Chemistry, Management, and Photonics, among others. Visit here to learn more about the institution.

CEU Universities

This is a combination of three universities in Spain which are: CEU San Pablo in Madrid, CEU Cardenal Herrera in Valencia, and Abat Oliba CEU in Barcelona. Although they operate differently, they all have a common goal. Each CEU campus goes a long way to build good rapport which tertiary schools globally. Also, all three universities lead research centres around the country. Here is a link to their official website.

Universities in Spain offer excellent degree programs irrespective of the course you have chosen to pursue. However, most universities use Spanish as their official language for learning. Click here for tips on how to Learn Spanish in no distant time.

Now that you have an idea of some top schools in Spain, you want to narrow your research to the school that offers your course of study. You should also note that your ideal course may not be in a particular school, do not panic because they are going to be related courses which of course is still a win-win, you just have to look closer and make the right choice. 

Once you have chosen your desired school, do not relax. Keep broadening your horizon to keep yourself alert and ready, not forgetting to also be updated with the current situation in your ideal field.

I wish you the best of luck in your studying endeavours.