Spain is one of the easiest places to make new friends, experience the real fiesta (party) attitude and enjoy lovely, warm, Mediterranean weather! Who wouldn’t want to study abroad in such a welcoming place?
Apart from the overall exciting atmosphere, Spain is home to many universities that welcome thousands of foreign students each year. While you study and prepare to become a specialist in your chosen field, you will also enrich your cultural horizons by seeing and admiring some really amazing attractions. From white, sandy beaches and blue seas, to the ski slopes of the Pyrenees and to the ancient villages of Granada, Spain truly offers both natural and urban splendours.
Embrace the chance to sharpen your Spanish skills and enjoy a relaxed and multicultural environment while you study abroad in Spain!
At Spanish universities, you’ll experience a friendly and laid-back atmosphere full of international students coming from all over the world. Although lectures are pretty formal, seminars and lab work are more relaxed, allowing students to freely discuss with professors and ask them questions regarding their course materials.
Universities in Spain offer a varied palette of study options, and science and technical degrees in particular, offer courses that involve both research work and practical exercises.
In Spanish universities, you can study any discipline you can imagine at all degree levels. Particularly known for Law, Spanish language or Social Sciences, universities in Spain offer plenty of degrees for subject areas like Computer Science, Engineering or Natural Sciences.
Here are some of the most popular study options in Spain
In Spain, you can enrol in over 70 universities, some of them with a long history and many, always present in international university rankings. Apart from big cities like Madrid and Barcelona, you can also apply to universities in Spanish cities like Valencia, Alicante, Salamanca or Marbella.
Find out more about what it’s like to study and have fun in Spanish cities, like:
There are more than 70 universities in Spain, most of which are supported by state funding. Spain also offers private universities, some affiliated with the Catholic Church. Universities are divided into Departments, Faculties, Technical Schools, University Schools, University Institutes and University Colleges.
Examples of top schools in Spain
You’ll want to first check with your chosen university in Spain. You will have to apply online and pay an application fee.
Don’t forget to carefully check all entry requirements and necessary documents.
You might have to submit all required application documents in Spanish or have them translated.
Make sure to know what the language requirements are, and whether you need to prove skills in English or Spanish before enrolling in a degree programme.
Show how you performed as a student, and be sure to know what your Grade Point Average (GPA) was during your studies.
To help your chances of going to Spain, be sure to apply to more than one university!
Improve your English through an English-language prep course: If you’re attending a degree programme in Spain, you will sometimes need to prove that your language skills are good enough to participate in the classes and understand the lectures. These courses will also prepare you for any of the English-language tests that universities require.
There are over 670 English-taught programmes in Spain.
Universities in Spain will want to see proof that you have good English-language skills, so that you can easily succeed in their courses. Almost all Spanish universities accept these official English exams:
For Spanish degrees, the most common required Spanish test is DELE.
Universities in Spain combine traditional lectures with research work and seminars where students can have open and friendly discussions with professors and debate on challenging topics in their chosen field.
Unlike western countries, you should not expect a flexible schedule, as lectures and seminars have a set timetable. For most study programmes, you would have to prepare for a midterm exam and a final year test for each course, in the form of a written test or oral examination.
Spain has many public universities that can set their tuition fees; the average fees range between 1,500 – 3, 000 EUR/per year. Private universities usually have higher tuition fees.
Depending on the city and the exact location of your housing, prices for renting a 3-bedroom apartment in Spain range between 670 and 930 EUR/month. Prices for rent are the highest in cities like Madrid and Barcelona.
Choosing a student residence will save you some money as the price for a room is usually between 400 and 700 EUR/month.
If you come from an EU/EEA country, you can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for any health care services in a public hospital or clinic in Spain. However, you should acquire it prior to your departure in Spain.
Non-EU/EEA students should arrange a private health insurance in Spain to cover the duration of their stay.
Emergency healthcare is guaranteed regardless of your nationality you are, but you may be charged for the services.
Food bills from local supermarkets would cost between 150 and 300 EUR/month. If you want to grab a meal in an inexpensive restaurant, it would cost you around 10 EUR, while drinks in bars and pubs have prices that start from 3 EUR.
On average, living costs in Spain range from 580 to 960 EUR/month.
Spain has one of the most open, friendly and lively atmospheres you will ever experience. Spanish people live their lives to the fullest and everything is a reason for a fiesta, so you’ll be laughing and have a fun time in Spain more than you can imagine.
Spanish culture is fascinating and you could learn a lot about it by just admiring some of its architectural masterpieces, like the great Moorish fortress, the Alhambra, or Gaudi’s famous designs.
Spain is one of the world's biggest producers of saffron and olive oil. Some other important industries that support the country’s economy include renewable energy, telecommunications, tourism and textile manufacturing.
Since Spanish is the second most popular language in the world, you should take advantage of your time in Spain and learn the language that everyone is so attracted to. Learning Spanish won’t be just a fun activity, but it is also an impressive element you can add to your resume.
Throughout Spain, you can find so many beautiful and remarkable attractions, some of them date back from Moorish times. Some of the most popular places you can visit in Spain are:
Together with the ISIC Association and British Council IELTS, StudyPortals offers you the chance to receive up to £10000 to expand your horizon and study abroad. We want to ultimately encourage you to study abroad in order to experience and explore new countries, cultures and languages.