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Rankings: The 54 best universities in Spain for 2021/2022

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Rankings: The 54 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 2021 THE Ranking 2021 ARWU Ranking 2020
University of Barcelona 183 198 151
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 200 301 301
Complutense University of Madrid 206 501 201
Autonomous University of Barcelona 213 182 201
University of Navarra 252 251 501
Pompeu Fabra University 287 152 301
Charles III University of Madrid 311 801 901
Polytechnic University of Catalonia 314 601 701
Technical University of Valencia 326 801 301
IE University 327 – –
Technical University of Madrid 451 801 501
University of Alcalá 499 801 801
University of Zaragoza 501 801 401
University of Granada 501 601 201
University of Seville 581 801 401
University of Valencia 591 401 201
Ramon Llull University 601 – –
University of Salamanca 601 801 701
Comillas Pontifical University 651 – –
University of Santiago de Compostela 701 801 401
Rovira i Virgili University 751 601 501
University of the Basque Country 751 801 301
University of Murcia 801 1001 701
University of Oviedo 801 801 401
University of A Coruña 801 1001 –
University of Alicante 801 1001 601
University of Málaga – 1001 701
University of Lleida – 601 701
University of León – 1001 –
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – 801 801
University of La Laguna – 601 601
University of Jaén – 801 701
University of Girona – 601 801
University of Deusto – 601 –
University of Córdoba – 801 701
University of Castilla–La Mancha – 1001 801
University of Cádiz – 1001 901
University of Burgos – 1001 –
University of Almería – 1001 –
Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena – 1001 –
Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM) – 1001 –
Public University of Navarre – 1001 –
Pablo de Olavide University – 801 801
Open University of Catalonia – 601 –
Miguel Hernández University of Elche – 601 601
King Juan Carlos University – 1001 901
Jaume I University – 601 601
International University of Catalonia – 601 –
European University of Madrid – 601 –
University of Vigo – 801 501
University of Valladolid – 1001 801
University of the Balearic Islands – 601 501
University of Extremadura – – 701
University of Cantabria – – 801

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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