Spain has a large and varied higher education sector. According to SEPIE, the government agency that promotes Spanish higher education abroad, there are 91 universities: 50 public and 41 private. Together they have 1,111 faculties and schools, 594 research institutes and 61 doctoral schools.
Besides universities, there are specialised business, engineering and arts schools. Public universities come under the autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas) – Spain's regions – and it is the regions that set tuition fees, among other things.
You will find the official list of universities and degrees in the ministry's RUCT register and in the QEDU search engine ("Qué estudiar y dónde en la universidad" – what to study and where).
Spain follows the Bologna system, but its bachelor's degrees are longer than in many other countries:
Some master's degrees are so-called másteres habilitantes – they qualify you for a regulated profession, such as teacher or lawyer. The academic year starts in the autumn.
Spain – bachelor's programmes
Spain – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Spain – master's programmes
Spain – doctoral programmes
You usually apply directly to the university; in some regions you apply through a joint regional system (preinscripción).
If your secondary school leaving certificate is from an EU country (or from a country that has an agreement with Spain), you don't need homologation – it is treated like the Spanish Bachillerato. What you do need is UNEDasiss accreditation – a document that converts your grades to the Spanish scale. In the 2026 cycle you could apply for accreditation online from 4 February to 1 December.
If your certificate is from another country, you first have to apply to the Ministry of Education for homologation – official recognition of your certificate as equivalent to the Spanish Bachillerato. While your application is being processed, UNEDasiss can give you provisional accreditation, as long as your university accepts it. It becomes final once you hand in the homologation.
Deadline for public universities: UNEDasiss states that for 2026/27 international applicants had to apply by 7 July 2026. Most public universities close preinscripción in early July, but some have different deadlines – check the website of your chosen university. If you need a visa, start early: you have to apply at least two months before your studies begin (see: Residence and formalities).
For a master's degree you apply directly to the university with your bachelor's degree. You only need to have a foreign degree homologated by the ministry if you want to work in a regulated profession in Spain.
Spanish school leavers take the PAU exam. As an applicant with a foreign certificate, you don't have to – your school average, converted by UNEDasiss, is the basis of your admission score (nota de admisión).
For competitive programmes, though, it's worth raising your score – by up to 4 points. You can take the PCE (Pruebas de Competencias Específicas) at UNED or sit the optional part of the PAU at a Spanish public university. Your two best grades count, in the subjects that carry the most weight for your chosen programme.
PCE in 2026: registration from 16 March to 28 April, exams in Spain from 25 to 29 May. September session: registration from 1 to 22 July, exams from 2 to 8 September.
The main language of instruction is Spanish. In Catalonia, Valencia, Galicia and the Basque Country, some classes may also be taught in the regional language – check the programme description. You can prove your Spanish with a certificate such as DELE, which you can take at Instituto Cervantes centres and other exam centres around the world.
According to SEPIE, universities offer more than 800 programmes taught fully or partly in English – most of them at master's level. For these, the university will usually ask for IELTS or TOEFL. Even if you study in English, Spanish will be very useful in everyday life.
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don't need a visa – you enter with an ID card or passport. If you stay longer than 3 months, you have to register your residence. You then get a registration certificate for EU citizens (certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión) with your NIE number – you'll need it when renting, at the bank and for work.
Students from outside the EU/EEA coming for longer than 90 days need a long-term stay authorisation for higher education (autorización de estancia de larga duración por estudios) and a student visa. You apply at the Spanish consulate in your country of residence at least two months before your studies begin; if you are already legally in Spain, you apply at the immigration office in the province where you will study. You will need, among other things, a passport valid for at least a year, your admission letter with proof that you have paid the registration fee, a medical certificate, a criminal record certificate (for stays over six months), health insurance and proof of funds of 100% of the IPREM (Spain's public income reference index) per month – a lower amount can be accepted if you have paid for your accommodation in advance. If you stay longer than six months, you must apply in person for your foreigner identity card (TIE) within one month of arriving. The authorisation is valid for the length of your programme. Note: the ministry's page does not give the IPREM in euros, and the figure changes with the state budget – check the current amount with the consulate before you apply.
Health insurance: if you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Students from outside the EU need public or private health insurance with cover similar to the Spanish national health system – it is a condition of the stay authorisation.
At public universities you pay per ECTS credit, and the price is set by the region. According to the Ministry of Science, the average price per credit for grado programmes in 2024/25 ranged from €11.95 in Galicia (and €12.34 in Asturias, €12.50 in the Canary Islands, €12.62 in Andalusia) to €19.29 in Navarre (€18.55 in Madrid, €18.15 in Catalonia). Study in Europe estimates that a year of a bachelor's degree costs around €700–1,700, and a master's around €1,000–3,500.
Example: at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a credit taken for the first time costs €16.92–20.68 in 2026/27. When you start, you also pay €27.54 to open your student file and a €6.11 administration fee. Repeating a subject is much more expensive – €40.02–48.03 per credit already the second time.
At master's level, the average price in 2024/25 was €15.76 per credit for másteres habilitantes and €30.04 for other master's programmes. EU citizens pay the same as Spanish students.
Students from outside the EU who are not resident in Spain pay more at many universities – and a student stay authorisation does not count as residence. At Complutense, for example, they pay the price of a fourth enrolment for a grado and of a third enrolment for a máster. At Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) a bachelor's credit costs them €113.71–136.44 in 2026/27. Some universities charge the standard price to students from countries they have agreements with – check with your university.
Private universities are much more expensive – up to €20,000 a year.
Living costs depend a lot on the city. Study in Europe says that in Madrid and Barcelona a student spends around €1,000–1,200 a month, and in smaller cities around €700–900.
Your main options are:
Places in residences go quickly, so ask the university's office about them as soon as you are admitted.
As an international student, you can look for support from several sources:
Start with the international office of your chosen university and the SEPIE website.
EU/EEA citizens have the same rights on the labour market as Spanish citizens – you can work while studying without any permit. For a contract you need an NIE number and a social security number.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a stay authorisation for higher education can work up to 30 hours a week, as employees or self-employed, without a separate work permit – the right comes automatically with the authorisation. Work must be compatible with your studies and is limited to the autonomous community where you study (plus nearby towns in a neighbouring region). If you go over 30 hours, you can lose your authorisation.
Jobs are easiest to find in hospitality and tourism, especially in season. For casual work, Spanish is practically essential. Also check your university's careers office.
Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.
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