Education at public universities in Spain is conducted in Spanish, but you can also choose an English-language program. Also, depending on the region, the program additionally studies the language of the community in which the university is located.

To enroll in a bachelor’s degree, you do not need to prove your knowledge of Spanish, because a Spanish language exam will be included in the list of entrance tests.

To enroll in a Spanish university for a master’s degree, you will need to confirm your level of Spanish language proficiency. To do this, you need to obtain a certificate that confirms your language proficiency at level B1-B2. Spanish universities accept DELE, SIELE, CCEE certificates.

A significant advantage is that study in Spain possible on an English-language program. In this case, you need to confirm your English proficiency at level B1.

Enroll in a university in Spain: choosing a university

The most popular areas of study at universities in Spain are:

• hotel and restaurant business;
• sports management;
• fashion design;
• economics;
• medicine;
• engineering specialties.

If the future student has already decided on his specialization, he will have to choose a suitable university. Education can be obtained in both public and private universities.

Public universities in Spain

To enter public universities in Spain, you need to pass an entrance exam. Tuition fees are lower than in private universities, but there is a lot of competition for admission. State universities in Spain are considered prestigious; diplomas from such universities are recognized throughout the world and are highly rated in Europe.

Our company provides assistance in enrolling in private and public universities in Spain. More information about the service can be found here:

Помощь и курирование поступления в вуз в Испании — государственный или частный

Private universities in Spain

In private universities in Spain, it is possible to study and take entrance exams entirely in English. To enroll in a private university and receive higher education in Spain, you need to pass an online interview with a university commission, write a letter of motivation and provide a certificate of language proficiency. In such universities, teachers focus on developing the student’s personal qualities; the universities cooperate with international companies where one can get internships and help to establish social connections.

The most popular universities in Spain

The most prestigious public universities in Spain are:

• University of Barcelona;
• Autonomous University of Barcelona;
• Pompeu Fabra University;
• Polytechnic University of Catalonia;
• Autonomous University of Madrid;
• Complutense University of Madrid;
• Carlos III University of Madrid;
• Polytechnic University of Madrid;
• University of Valencia;
• Polytechnic University of Valencia.

Tuition fees at universities in Spain

The average cost of studying at universities in Spain is 800-1200 €/year in a public university and from 4,000 € in a private one. The cost of training depends on the region and the demand for the program.

How to apply for a bachelor’s degree at a university in Spain

Before the entrance exams, you need to submit an online application and attach documents on the website of the selected university.

Entrance exams to a Spanish university after school

Usually, in order to enroll after graduating from a Russian school, applicants come to Spain and study preparatory courses for a year, while simultaneously improving their language skills.

Upon admission, there are entrance exams that take place at the same university where you plan to enroll.

The entrance exam consists of two parts: mandatory and specific. You can take the specific part of the exam if you need to improve your average score.

The compulsory part consists of 4 subjects: Spanish language and literature, a foreign language (English, Italian, German, French and Portuguese), history of Spain or history of philosophy and one more subject to choose from.

The exam in one subject lasts one and a half hours with 45-minute breaks. Everything is rented out in one day.

You can take exams an unlimited number of times. Many people re-sit the exams to get a better grade, as some professions require a high score to gain entry, given that the number of places on offer is less than the number of students who want to study.

Transfer to 2-3 year university in Spain

After graduating from school, a student can study at a Russian university for 2-3 years and then transfer to a university in Spain. This may be easier since there are no entrance exams. You can only transfer to an identical specialization. To do this, you will need to equalize the disciplines of your Russian university with Spanish ones, and you may have to submit the difference.

To transfer to a Spanish university, you need to find out the university requirements, legalize and translate educational documents. After this you can receive student visa to Spain.

Preparatory courses before entering a university in Spain

During the last 2 years of school, Spanish students are already preparing to enter a university, and school exams are sometimes counted as entrance exams. As practice shows, in order to score a sufficient number of points, it is worth taking preparatory courses. They last about a year, cost about 3-5 thousand euros. This amount often includes housing on the school campus.

How to apply for a master’s degree at a university in Spain?

For a master’s degree at a university in Spain you do not need to take entrance exams, but you do need a certificate of knowledge of English or Spanish at level B2.

Also, for admission you need write a motivation letter. The letter needs to justify how the master’s degree is related to what you are doing now or studied as an undergraduate.

The procedure for entering a university in Spain step by step

For bachelor’s degree

1. Choose several universities, contact them, find out the entry requirements and what subjects you need to take.
2. Determine whether there is a need for preparatory courses, find out in which city to take them, and start searching for courses.
3. Legalize the school certificate at the Ministry of Education in the country of receipt.
4. Translate the certificate and application with grades into Spanish. A consular or sworn translation will do.
5. Start school certificate homologation process.
6. Register and take the entrance exams.
7. Submit an online application with documents on the university website.
8. Start the process of obtaining a student visa.

For a master’s degree

1. Pass the DELE language exam and confirm the B2 level of English or Spanish, depending on the admission program.
2. Legalize, make a certified translation and begin the process of homologation of higher education documents.
3. Prepare a motivation letter.
4. Collect letters of recommendation from the university or place of work.
5. Submit an online application to the university.
6. Preparation of other documents for obtaining a student visa.

Deadlines for entering a university in Spain

Homologation of education documents takes 8–12 months. In this case, the Spanish Ministry of Education issues a document of “preliminary” homologation, which is accepted by all universities.

You can apply for the entrance exam in mid-February – early May or from late June to late July. And the entrance exam itself takes place in two streams: May – June and September.

Universities accept documents until the beginning of July.

How to enter a university in Spain: Summary

According to our clients, there is no need to be afraid of entrance exams. According to statistics, 9 out of 10 applicants pass the exams and enter the university. However, when people contact us for the service of supervising admission to universities in Spain, just in case, we always select backup program options at other universities.