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Rankings: The 60 best universities in Spain for 2025/2026

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Rankings: The 60 best universities in Spain for 2025/2026

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
Barcelona, Spain
22 study programmes
EU Business School
EU Business School
Barcelona, Spain
45 study programmes

Top ranked universities in Spain

University QS Ranking 2025 THE Ranking 2025 ARWU Ranking 2024
Complutense University of Madrid 164 501 301
University of Barcelona 165 149 151
Autonomous University of Barcelona 175 199 301
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 198 351 301
University of Navarra 249 251 501
Pompeu Fabra University 265 176 301
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid 285 801 901
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid 321 1001 601
Polytechnic University of Catalonia 371 601 801
University of Granada 431 601 301
IE University 435 – –
Universitat Politècnica de València 436 601 401
University of Valencia 445 501 201
University of Seville 462 801 401
Ramon Llull University 466 801 –
University of Salamanca 539 801 501
University of Zaragoza 544 1001 501
Comillas Pontifical University 544 – –
University of Alcalá 621 801 701
University of the Basque Country 641 601 301
University of Santiago de Compostela 651 601 501
Rovira i Virgili University 731 601 701
University of Alicante 801 1001 601
University of Valladolid 851 1201 901
University of Vigo 901 801 801
University of Murcia 901 1001 501
University of Córdoba 951 801 901
University of León 951 1201 –
University of Castilla–La Mancha 1001 801 701
University of Oviedo 1001 1001 801
King Juan Carlos University 1001 1201 –
University of A Coruña 1001 1201 –
University of Lleida 1001 801 701
University of Deusto 1001 1001 –
CEU San Pablo University 1201 – –
Open University of Catalonia – 601 –
Jaume I University – 801 601
Pablo de Olavide University – 801 –
UIC Barcelona – 801 –
University of Girona – 801 801
University of Jaén – 801 901
University of the Balearic Islands – 801 601
University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia – 801 –
European University of Madrid – 1001 –
Public University of Navarre – 1001 –
University of Almería – 1001 –
University of La Laguna – 1001 501
Miguel Hernández University of Elche – 1201 –
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena – 1201 –
Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM) – 1201 –
University of Burgos – 1201 –
University of Cádiz – 1201 901
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – 1201 –
University of Málaga – 1201 701
National University of Distance Education (UNED) – 1201 –
Universidad Loyola – 1201 –
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria – 1501 –
International University of La Rioja – 1501 –
University of Extremadura – – 701
University of Cantabria – – 901

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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Study Business in Spain: All you need to know
Study Business in Spain: All you need to know

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