Study in Spain and one thing is for sure: your friends will be very jealous! Stretching to the Pyrenees in the east, and the Mediterranean in the south, Spain has a long history of higher education, with its oldest university, Universidad de Salamanca, dating back to 1218. Its higher education system was overhauled in 2007 to embrace the three-cycle system of the Bologna Process, ensuring compatibility with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
There are a total of 76 universities or universidades in Spain, 45 of which are run and funded by the state, while 31 are private or run by the Catholic Church. 25 Spanish universities are featured in the QS World University Rankings® 2019, of which 13 are within the global top 500. The largest concentrations of leading Spanish universities are found in the capital city Madrid and the second city Barcelona.
The top five Spanish universities, all ranking within the world’s top 300, are:
Founded in 1968, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (sometimes called UAM, or the Autonomous University of Madrid), is currently ranked 159th in the QS World University Rankings 2019 – as well as featuring in the QS Top 50 Under 50. UAM is home to more than 36,000 students across its eight faculties and is especially noted for its Faculty of Law. It has three campuses, of which the main one, the Cantoblanco Campus, is located 15km (9 miles) north of Madrid. The Universidad
University of Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona)
Ranked 166th, the University of Barcelona is the second-highest ranked Spanish university in the world. Established in 1450, it's among the oldest higher education institutions in the world, with rich traditions dating back to the Medieval Ages. Today, almost 63,000 students are enrolled in a wide array of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, across the university's 16 faculties and 106 departments. The University of Barcelona ranks within the world’s top 100 for many of the subject areas covered by the QS World University Rankings by Subject.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, established in 1968, ranks joint 193rd in the world in 2019, making it Spain’s third representative at the international level. As one of the world’s leading universities under 50 years old, it features in the QS Top 50 Under 50. It teaches over 40,000 students and is famous for being one of the few universities in Spain to have a centralized campus, created in order to promote a strong university community, with all academic, research, cultural, and social activities in the same place. This integrated campus is located about 20km (12 miles) from the center of Barcelona.
Complutense University of Madrid
The oldest Spanish university, the Complutense University of Madrid is in fact one of the oldest higher education institutions in the world. It dates back to 1293 when it was originally known as Estudio de Escuelas Generales de Alcalá, before receiving its current name in 1499. Today, Complutense University of Madrid ranks at 206th place in the world and within the global top 50 in the subject area of dentistry. More than 86,000 students study at the university, which was one of the first in the world to give a doctoral degree to a female student, in 1785.
University of Navarra
A private university, the University of Navarra was established in 1952 by Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer. More than 11,400 students are enrolled in the university’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs, with many international master’s students. The university’s main campuses are in Pamplona and San Sebastián, while its prestigious IESE Business School also has offices in Barcelona, Madrid, New York, Munich, and São Paulo. At the start of 2015, the university inaugurated a new museum of contemporary art, designed by well-known architect Rafael Moneo. In the QS World University Rankings 2019, the University of Navarra ranks joint 242nd.
