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Rankings: The 49 best universities in Spain for 2021/2022

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Rankings: The 49 best universities in Spain for 2021/2022

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.

Top ranked universities in Spain

University QS Ranking 2020 THE Ranking 2020 ARWU Ranking 2019
University of Barcelona 165 201 151
Autonomous University of Barcelona 188 157 201
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 192 251 301
Complutense University of Madrid 212 501 201
University of Navarra 245 251 701
Pompeu Fabra University 285 143 301
Charles III University of Madrid 298 801 –
Polytechnic University of Catalonia 300 601 601
IE University 335 – –
Technical University of Valencia 336 801 401
University of Zaragoza 432 801 401
Technical University of Madrid 435 801 501
University of Alcalá 501 601 901
University of Granada 511 601 201
University of Valencia 581 401 201
Ramon Llull University 591 – –
University of Seville 601 801 401
University of Salamanca 601 601 601
University of Santiago de Compostela 651 601 501
University of the Basque Country 651 601 401
University of Alicante 701 801 801
Rovira i Virgili University 701 501 501
University of Vigo 801 801 601
University of A Coruña 801 801 –
University of Oviedo 801 601 401
University of Murcia 801 801 701
University of Castilla–La Mancha 801 801 701
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – 801 901
University of Valladolid – 1001 801
University of Málaga – 801 801
University of Jaén – 801 801
University of Girona – 601 801
University of Extremadura – – 801
University of Cantabria – – 801
Pablo de Olavide University – 801 801
Miguel Hernández University of Elche – 601 801
University of Lleida – 601 701
University of La Laguna – 601 701
King Juan Carlos University – 801 701
University of Córdoba – 801 601
Jaume I University – 601 501
University of the Balearic Islands – 601 401
University of Deusto – 801 –
University of Cádiz – 801 –
Open University of Catalonia – 501 –
University of León – 1001 –
University of Burgos – 1001 –
University of Almería – 1001 –
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena – 1001 –

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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