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Rankings: The 55 best universities in Spain for 2023/2024

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Rankings: The 55 best universities in Spain for 2023/2024

Spain has a lot of things going for it: Great climate and nature, beautiful cities, tasty cuisine, friendly people. And: Many Spanish universities are among the best in Europe and the world.

Across the leading international rankings, you will usually find around a dozen Spanish universities in the world’s top 500, and dozens more in the world’s top 1,000. Many of the best-known institutions are concentrated in Spain’s two largest cities: Madrid (the capital) and Barcelona (the economic powerhouse). Beyond the traditional rankings, there are also many highly-ranked business schools in Spain.

You will have a hard time finding a student who didn’t enjoy their time in Spain. And with a degree from one of the country’s leading universities, many doors will open for you.

Featured universities:
TBS Education
TBS Education
Toulouse, France
22 study programmes
Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM)
Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM)
Murcia, Spain
16 study programmes

Top ranked universities in Spain

University QS Ranking 2023 THE Ranking 2022 ARWU Ranking 2022
Autonomous University of Barcelona 178 170 201
University of Barcelona 184 193 151
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 215 301 301
Complutense University of Madrid 226 501 201
Pompeu Fabra University 233 156 301
University of Navarra 253 251 501
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid 320 801 901
Polytechnic University of Catalonia 343 601 701
IE University 347 – –
Technical University of Madrid 488 801 601
University of Granada 494 601 201
University of Alcalá 511 601 801
University of Zaragoza 551 1001 501
University of Seville 561 1001 401
University of Valencia 571 401 201
Comillas Pontifical University 601 1201 –
University of Salamanca 601 801 501
Ramon Llull University 651 401 –
University of the Basque Country 701 801 301
Rovira i Virgili University 751 601 601
University of Santiago de Compostela 751 801 401
University of Alicante 801 1201 601
University of Murcia 801 1001 701
University of Valladolid 1001 1201 901
King Juan Carlos University 1001 1001 901
University of Vigo 1001 1001 501
University of Castilla–La Mancha 1001 1001 701
University of A Coruña 1001 1001 –
University of Oviedo 1001 801 701
University of Burgos – 1201 –
University of the Balearic Islands – 601 701
University of La Laguna – 601 701
University of Girona – 601 801
University of Deusto – 601 –
Open University of Catalonia – 601 –
University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia – 401 –
University of Málaga – 1001 701
University of León – 1001 –
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – 1001 901
University of Cádiz – 1001 901
University of Almería – 1001 –
Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM) – 1001 –
Public University of Navarre – 1001 –
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena – 1001 –
University of Lleida – 801 701
University of Jaén – 801 701
University of Córdoba – 801 801
UIC Barcelona – 801 –
Universitat Politècnica de València – 801 401
Miguel Hernández University of Elche – 801 801
Jaume I University – 801 601
European University of Madrid – 801 –
University of Extremadura – – 601
University of Cantabria – – 901
Pablo de Olavide University – – 601

Explained: How do the university rankings work?

The QS World University Rankings are among the most important, most-referenced rankings. The QS ranking relies heavily on its academic survey, asking thousands of academics worldwide about the reputation of universities.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings (or the THE Rankings for short) compile a wide range of statistics. Equal weight is put on teaching quality, research excellence, and research impact through citations (meaning how often a university’s research is referenced elsewhere).

The Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (often just Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU) focuses on research output and quality, for example measured by the number of published and cited scientific papers and the number of staff or alumni winning the Nobel Prize or Fields Medal.

Study in Spain Spain - Flag

It's not just the great weather and the beautiful beaches: Spain attracts students with world-class universities and offers high-quality education at modest tuition fees.

Read more about studying in Spain

Find the right study programme for yourself:

Bachelors degrees in Spain
Masters degrees in Spain
PhD programmes in Spain

Relevant links

  • Studying abroad in Spain: Basic information for international students
  • Study programmes in Spain
  • Visit the website of the QS World University Rankings
  • Visit the website of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
  • Visit the website of the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities

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