Spain has a long history of higher education. Here's a guide to everything from enrolment to fees

Spain has 75 universities (universidades), 56 state-run and 19 private universities run by private enterprises or by the Catholic church, although 88 per cent of students attend state-run universities.

Spain also has a number of non-university higher education institutes for physical education, civil marine, tourism, dramatic art and dance, and song and music, plus a number of highly rated business schools (usually American).

Although few Spanish universities are world-renowned, Spain has a long history of university education, with the university system dating back to the middle ages and the oldest university (Salamanca) founded in 1218 (prior to which, the Moors had ‘universities’ in Spain long before anyone else had even thought of them).

The largest and most highly regarded Spanish universities are Complutense in Madrid and Central in Barcelona, with student bodies of around 103,000 and 59,000 respectively, although both Granada and Seville universities each have over 60,000 students.

The number of university students in Spain exploded in the 1960s and 1970s and today numbers over 1.5 million, a figure generally considered to be too high for a country with a population of 40 million. Overcrowding is a huge problem, particularly in first year classes (you usually need to arrive early just to get a seat at a lecture). However, many students drop out after the tough exams set at the end of the first year.

The number of female students has increased by around 40 per cent in the last decade and they now outnumber male students (more women also complete their courses and obtain degrees than men).

Foreign students comprise just 3 percent of students at Spanish universities, with a third coming from European Union countries.

In general, the academic year runs from October to June.

Types of universities

There are four different types of university establishments in Spain: university schools (escuelas universitarias), where ‘short-term’ three-year courses are offered; university colleges (colegios universitarios) where the first three years of study leading to a licenciado is completed; faculties (facultades) where long-term courses are offered in all academic disciplines (except technical courses) and higher technical schools of engineering and architecture (escuela superior de ingeniería y arquitectura) where long-term technical courses are completed.

The Spanish university system is rigidly structured and students must choose a fixed curriculum and aren’t permitted to change universities during their studies (except for family or health reasons).

Studies at Spanish universities are divided into three cycles. The first cycle or three-year diploma is termed a diplomado or licenciado, depending on the type of college and the course.

Students who complete a three-year vocational course (e.g. for teachers and nurses) at an escuela universitaria are awarded a diploma, which is much less highly regarded than a purely academic course (although this is changing as more students choose vocational courses). Twice as many students take academic as vocational courses.

A second cycle diploma is called a licenciatura or tesina, awarded after five or six years study at a facultad, and is equivalent to an American or British MA or MSc.

An ingeniero superior y arquitecto degree is awarded after a five or six-year course of study at a higher technical school, the first three years of which may be completed at a colegio universitario (a university college affiliated to a university). The third cycle of studies is a PhD (doctorate) programme, which results in the academic title of doctor or Doctor en Filosofía y Letras.

Entering university

Competition for places at Spanish universities is high as there are too few places for all the students wishing to attend. Spanish students must pass the Prueba General de Bachillerato (PGB) examination and acceptance depends on the result obtained in this exam as well as the average mark gained during the two years of bachillerato. Those who pass the PGB with a high mark are generally awarded a university place in July, while others may have to wait until August.

EU nationals are entitled to compete for places at Spanish universities on equal terms with Spanish nationals, as are Spanish nationals in other EU countries.

In addition, a percentage of places at most universities, e.g. 5 percent, are allocated to foreign non-EU students.

Applications must be submitted to universities and addressed to the student secretariat (vice-rectorado de alumnos).

In general, qualifications that are accepted as entry requirements in a student’s home country are accepted in Spain.

Spanish universities accept British A-levels as an entrance qualification, but an American high school diploma isn’t usually accepted. American students must usually have spent two years at college or hold a BA, BBA or BSc degree.

For information about the recognition of EU diplomas in Spain, contact the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Subdirección General de Cooperación Internacional, Centro de Información sobre Reconocimiento de Títulos y Movilidad de Estudiantes, C/Alcalá, 34, 28014 Madrid (917-018 000, www.mec.es).

Students with foreign qualifications must have them approved by a process known as convalidation or homologation (homologación) by the Spanish Department of Education and Culture in Spain. All foreign students require a thorough knowledge of Spanish, although preparatory courses are provided.

Note that in autonomous regions where there’s a second official language (e.g. the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia), courses may be conducted in the local language.

Fees

In most regions, university fees (tasas) are set by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. In autonomous regions with responsibility for their own education, fees are set annually by the university council and the local regional government. Private universities under the auspices of the Catholic church set their own fees.

Grants and scholarships are available to Spanish and foreign students and around one in seven students receives a grant, although in general, grants are few and far between.

Spanish university fees are low for residents and EU nationals, e.g. from EUR 300 to EUR 1,000 a year, depending on the faculty and location. This may be an important consideration if you don’t qualify for a grant and must pay for your own university education abroad.

Note that a disadvantage of moving to Spain is that foreign children resident in Spain may be classified as overseas students by their home countries, making them no longer eligible for grants and possibly liable to pay fees (or higher fees). If you live permanently in Spain and plan to study in another EU country such as Britain, you aren’t required to pay tuition fees, but won’t be eligible for a living expenses grant.

Students should expect to pay EUR 350 to EUR 1,000 a month for meals and accommodation. There’s a huge difference in the cost of living between cities and regions, with Madrid and Barcelona the most expensive.

Finding a part-time job to help pay your living expenses is difficult in Spain and shouldn’t be relied upon.

Some universities have their own student halls of residence (colegios mayores), although places are in high demand and short supply.

The availability and cost of private rented accommodation on the particular university and where it’s located.

Spanish students under the age of 28 and registered at a Spanish institute of higher education are covered for health insurance by a students’ insurance fund. This fund also covers many foreign students under reciprocal agreements, including those from EU countries. Students over the age of 28 and others who aren’t covered must have private health insurance.

Many Spanish students attend the nearest university to their home and treat university as an extension of school, particularly in Madrid and other large cities where accommodation is expensive.

Faced with the choice of either living with their parents or in a depressing university residence or cheap room, most choose to live at home. Spanish students don’t usually work during their studies or during holidays and most go home at weekends. Few university facilities are open at weekends, when foreign students must amuse themselves. Note that like Spanish state schools, universities offer few extra-curricular, sports and social activities.

American and European universities

In addition to Spanish higher education establishments, there are also a number of US universities with faculties in Spain including the Schiller International University, the St. Louis University and Suffolk University (all in Madrid). All classes at American universities are taught in English.

The European university has branches in Barcelona and the University of Surrey (Britain) also has a branch in Madrid. Many foreign university students (and Spanish students abroad) can study in Spain under European Union exchange programmes for periods ranging from a few weeks to several months. If you’re heading for Barcelona (or anywhere in Catalonia), ensure that a course is conducted in Spanish (Castilian) and not Catalan.

Further information

Information about higher education in Spain can be obtained from the cultural sections of Spanish embassies abroad and from the University Council (Consejo de Coordinación Universitaria), Secretaría General, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid (914-539 800). A useful book about higher education in Spain is Studying and Working in Spain by M. Newton and G. Shields (Manchester University Press) and the Spain Exchange website also includes a wealth of useful information about studying in Spain as well as a detailed description of all universities and higher education establishments in the country (www.spainexchange.com).