Not on every degree. Fully English-taught programmes are available at institutions including UC3M, UPF, IE University and Esade. One example is International Business Economics at UPF. A bilingual programme may also require Spanish, however, and some degrees in Catalonia include classes in Catalan. The language required for your studies is a separate consideration from the language useful in everyday life and during internships.
Studying in Spain
Barcelona, Madrid or the university city of Granada? Each offers a different experience of everyday student life. Studying in Spain combines education at recognised institutions with the chance to discover the language and culture of a country you may want to call home for longer. Options include programmes in Spanish and English, public universities and private institutions with an international focus.
Student life at your own pace
Outside class, there is room for sport, culture and meeting people. The University of Granada offers activities including sport, theatre, volunteering and student associations. You can shape student life in Spain around your interests, while shared activities help you settle into your new surroundings.
Two subjects in one programme
Spanish universities offer doble grado, programmes leading to two degrees. You could combine international relations with economics, for example, or business administration with law. This route allows you to pursue interests in two fields through a coordinated curriculum, although it usually requires more time and work than a single degree.
Learning business through practice
Institutions such as Esade and IE University offer opportunities to work on tasks that go beyond the theoretical syllabus. One example is IEU Labs, where students carry out projects with guidance from mentors and collaborate with companies. It is a chance to see how an idea, an analysis or a presentation can help solve a specific problem.
English in class, Spanish in everyday life
On selected programmes, you can begin studying in English while developing your Spanish outside the lecture hall. English-taught degrees in Spain are available at both public and private institutions. This allows you to earn a degree in a language you already know while becoming comfortable with another through everyday conversations, shared projects and life in a new city.
Affordable public universities
Studying abroad does not have to mean high tuition fees. At selected public universities, EU students pay around €1,000 to €1,300 per year for standard undergraduate programmes. Fees in this range are available at institutions including UC3M and UPF. The final cost depends on the programme, the number of ECTS credits and the student's fee category.
Why consider studying in Spain?
Your choice of institution can lead to very different experiences. Large universities offer a wide range of subjects across the sciences, humanities and social sciences. Technical universities focus on technology, engineering and architecture, while business schools offer international programmes in management and finance. Alongside traditional subjects, there are degrees combining several fields, such as business and artificial intelligence.
When planning to study in Spain, it helps to think about a particular city and programme. Life on a campus outside Barcelona differs from studying in central Madrid or in Granada, where the university community has a strong presence in the city. Costs, teaching languages and admissions processes also vary. This variety makes it possible to find both English-taught programmes with an international outlook and degrees that offer deeper immersion in Spain’s academic community.
Grado, máster and double degrees
An undergraduate degree is known as a grado. Many standard programmes last four years and carry 240 ECTS credits. These include numerous degrees in economics, the social sciences and technical subjects. Some professional pathways and double degrees have different durations, so the total length of study depends on the qualification you choose.
The next stage is a máster universitario, an official master’s degree. Programmes may carry 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, usually corresponding to one, one and a half or two years of full-time study. Admissions take into account your previous degree and preparation for the chosen specialism.
Another option is a doble grado. Rather than completing two independent degrees, students follow a coordinated curriculum leading to two qualifications. At UC3M, options include International Studies with Economics, and Computer Science and Engineering with Business Administration. The latter is taught in Spanish, illustrating why a programme’s teaching language needs to be considered separately from its internationally recognisable title.
English-taught degrees and teaching languages
Full English-taught degrees in Spain are available straight after secondary school. At Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, options include International Studies, Aerospace Engineering and Data Science and Engineering. Universitat Pompeu Fabra offers International Business Economics in English, while UPC has an English-taught Civil Engineering programme. English is also the teaching language on many programmes at IE University and selected pathways at Esade.
Alongside these are bilingual degrees and programmes where only some classes are taught in English. The label “bilingual” does not automatically mean you can complete the entire degree without Spanish. Language requirements may involve a certificate, a test score or another form of evidence accepted by the institution.
In Catalonia, Catalan plays an important role. At Universitat de Barcelona, classes are taught in Catalan and Spanish, with some subjects also taught in English. A single degree may involve several teaching languages. Being based in Barcelona and welcoming international students does not, in itself, make a programme English-taught.
Further English-taught specialisms are available at master’s level, including economics, technology and the natural sciences. Spanish remains useful outside university, particularly when looking for internships or work and dealing with local institutions.
Subjects you can study
Business administration, economics, finance and international relations are among the fields with a clear offering for international applicants. You can choose a broad business programme or a degree with a stronger focus on quantitative analysis, politics or relations between countries. International Business Economics at UPF, for example, combines economics with preparation for working in an international business environment.
Students interested in technology will find computer science, data analysis, artificial intelligence and engineering degrees. UC3M offers subjects including robotics and aerospace engineering, while UPC has an extensive range that also covers civil engineering, telecommunications and architecture. Programmes differ in their balance of mathematics, technical courses and project work, shaping the opportunities for later specialisation.
There is also a wide choice in psychology, the natural sciences, languages, history and the arts. Universitat de Barcelona and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid offer degrees in many of these fields. Spanish is particularly important where the subject involves local law, education or working directly with people.
Well-known universities in Spain
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat de Barcelona, or UB, is a broad-based public university. Its faculties cover subjects including biology, chemistry, economics, law, psychology, mathematics and computer science. It also has an extensive humanities offering, including languages, history and philosophy. This breadth creates opportunities for further specialisation at later stages of study. UB publishes information on the proportion of teaching in each language, as the balance of Catalan, Spanish and English varies between programmes.
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
UAM offers subjects including mathematics, physics, chemistry, psychology, economics and law. Its humanities degrees include art history, philosophy, and Asian and African studies. The university provides single degrees alongside double degrees and international qualification pathways. Most of the undergraduate programmes mentioned are primarily taught in Spanish, although some include classes in English. It is an option for students who want to develop their knowledge of a particular field while studying in a Spanish-speaking environment.
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
UC3M stands out for its range of English-taught and bilingual undergraduate programmes. It combines social sciences and economics with technical subjects, with campuses in locations including Getafe and Leganés. International Studies, Management and Technology, and Data Science and Engineering illustrate the breadth of its offering. The university also runs numerous double degrees. For applicants interested in studying in English, it is one of the public universities offering options that extend beyond business alone.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
UPF in Barcelona offers economics, business administration, law, political science and communication-related subjects. International Business Economics is a four-year programme taught entirely in English. It combines business studies with economics and the development of analytical skills. The curriculum also includes elective credits, which may be used for internships. UPF therefore offers a route into an English-taught business degree at a public university, with tuition fees governed by the rules of the Catalan system.
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
UPC, also known as BarcelonaTech, specialises in engineering, architecture, science and technology. Its programmes include computer science, civil engineering, telecommunications and industrial technologies. The university brings together schools with distinct specialisms, so the study location and approach to teaching depend on the programme. Its offering includes an English-taught Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. It is an option for students who want to develop technical skills in an environment focused on design and solving engineering problems.
IE University
IE University is a private institution with campuses in Madrid and Segovia. Its English-taught offering includes Business Administration, International Relations, and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. In Madrid, IE Tower houses the university in a modern high-rise building, while Segovia offers a different, more intimate setting. A distinctive feature is IEU Labs, where students can gain practical experience through business and social projects. Where you study, and whether you move between campuses, depends on your chosen pathway.
Esade
Esade, part of Universitat Ramon Llull, focuses on business and law. Its Bachelor of Business Administration is based at the Barcelona-Sant Cugat campus and includes an English-taught pathway. The programme covers management, finance and marketing, with opportunities to specialise. An international exchange semester is an important part of the BBA. Esade also offers degrees combining business and technology, including Business and Artificial Intelligence, as well as double degrees. It is a private school for students interested in an international business education from undergraduate level.
Applying to study in Spain
Undergraduate applications require a suitable secondary school qualification and fulfilment of the conditions for access to higher education. The process depends on the education system in which you earned your qualification and the institution you choose. UNEDasiss assesses international academic documents for admissions purposes and can convert results to the Spanish grading scale. Obtaining accreditation is a separate step from applying to a degree programme.
Some applicants also need homologación, formal recognition of their foreign education as equivalent to the Spanish Bachillerato. This is a different procedure from UNEDasiss accreditation. Private universities have additional selection processes of their own, such as a test and an assessment of the applicant’s profile.
For master’s degrees in Spain, admissions take into account your previous degree, the subjects you have studied and your language proficiency. The university assesses how well your educational background matches the programme and may require additional coursework. It may assess the level of a foreign degree without full homologación, provided the conditions of the relevant admission route are met.
PCE exams and admission scores
PCE, or Pruebas de Competencias Específicas, are subject examinations organised by UNED. They can help applicants meet entry requirements or improve their admission score. For students from EU education systems and those covered by relevant agreements, UNEDasiss identifies PCE exams or recognition of certain subjects as ways to raise scores, where the university accepts these routes. Applicants from other education systems may need to take a wider range of examinations.
The basic score can reach a maximum of 10 points, and universities may add up to 4 points under their own rules. This explains admission cut-off scores above 10 points. Your choice of subjects and the weight assigned to them for a particular degree matter. A published cut-off from the previous intake helps you assess competition, but does not guarantee admission the following year.
Tuition fees at public universities
The cost of studying in Spain depends on the region, institution, type of programme and student status. Fees are often calculated per ECTS credit, and registering again for a subject you have not passed may cost more. Annual tuition is therefore not always a fixed sum that remains the same throughout your degree.
For standard UC3M programmes in 2026/2027, basic fees for 60 ECTS credits for EU students are approximately €1,000 to €1,250, before administrative charges. UPF lists around €1,200 for the first year for EU citizens on many programmes, including International Business Economics. These are specific examples of affordable tuition, rather than a single national rate.
Fees are higher for some non-EU students without the relevant residence status. At UPF, the first year of International Business Economics costs around €6,800 in this category in 2026/2027. Citizenship and residence status can therefore make a significant difference to your budget. Master’s programmes have their own fee schedules, so undergraduate rates should not automatically be used to estimate the cost of the next stage of study.
Private institutions and scholarships
Private education usually costs more, particularly at internationally focused schools. At Esade and IE University, expect annual tuition ranging from over €20,000 to over €30,000, depending on the programme. Esade lists a BBA fee of €21,300 for 2027/2028. At IE, some double degrees cost more than €30,000 per year. Accommodation and everyday living expenses are additional.
Both institutions offer scholarships for international applicants. Esade Talent Scholarships can cover between 60% and 100% of tuition, with assessment based on academic achievement and the family’s financial circumstances. IE also runs financial aid and award programmes, with conditions depending on the particular fund. Admission to the university does not automatically mean you will receive a scholarship.
State and university support schemes are also available at public institutions, but access is not the same for every newly arriving student. Spain’s general scholarship system considers factors including income, academic performance and residence status. EU citizens must meet additional conditions relating to permanent residence or employment in Spain to receive all components of the award.
Living costs and accommodation
Accommodation usually makes the biggest difference to your budget. A room in a shared flat and a place in a student residence can differ in both price and the services included. Residences sometimes provide meals, cleaning or laundry, while some bills may need to be paid separately when renting a room.
An indicative starting point is around €800 to €1,300 per month, bearing in mind that this range is based on examples of university budgets rather than a national average for Spain. The University of Granada suggests around €800 to €1,000 per month. UPF publishes sample budgets for Barcelona of approximately €800 to €1,250, depending on the type of accommodation. A more expensive room, a flat of your own or frequent nights out may take your spending above these figures.
Your living expenses in Spain need to cover food, transport, phone bills, study materials and personal spending. Tuition is a separate cost. You will also need money for a deposit and moving expenses at the start, so your first month may cost more than your regular monthly budget.
Internships and working while studying
Professional experience can come through internships within your degree and additional projects. At UPF, internships can form part of the electives on International Business Economics, while IEU Labs allow students to work on tasks for organisations and companies. The opportunities available depend on your programme and stage of study.
EU citizens can work in Spain without a work permit, under the same conditions as Spanish nationals. Different rules apply to non-EU students staying under the relevant higher education study authorisation. This generally allows work of up to 30 hours per week, provided it is compatible with the studies and the other conditions are met. English may be sufficient in some international environments, but Spanish broadens your opportunities to engage with local employers.
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