Study in Spain in 2023!

Spanish universities are some of the oldest universities in the world. There are two types of educational institutions in Spain.

The first type is universities and higher technical schools that provide three levels of scientific degrees. The second type is university schools for professional education. There are also colleges that teach general subjects and prepare students for university. Bachelor's degrees last for four years (excluding Medicine and Engineering). Master's degrees last for over 1-2 years. You may need to take an entrance exam or an interview.

Spanish universities are usually open for applications until March 31, 2023, for the September 2023 intake.

You can also apply in the first week of June for the October intake or in the first week of September for the February intake. Late submissions are available if there are free places.

Spanish universities offer classic disciplines — History, Physics, Geography, Philology, and Philosophy.

Modern subjects are also popular in Spain: Business, Economics, Computer Science, Advertising, and also more creative areas such as Design, Architecture, Music, and Spanish Literature.

There are some scholarships for international students willing to study in Spain:

• UIC Barcelona Scholarship — a scholarship for Business, Bioengineering, Biomedicine, Communication, Jurisprudence, Education, Medicine, Physiotherapy, and Psychology; covers 20% of tuition
• European University of the Atlantic Scholarship — a scholarship for any discipline; covers up to 100% of tuition and living costs
• Spanish Studies Abroad Merit-Based Scholarship — $1000-1500 per year
• International Studies Abroad (ISA) Diversity Scholarship — $1000-5000 per year
• The Istituto Europeo di Design Creactívate Scholarship — a scholarship for Bachelor's programs in Design, Fashion, Visual Communications, and Creative Industry Management; covers up to 100% of tuition
• The University of Granada Athenea3i Research Fellowship Program — a research scholarship for Environment, Chemistry, Economics, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, and Mathematics; covers all expenses - tuition fees, living, travel, family costs, and research expenses
• Barcelona Study Abroad Experience (SAE) Merit & Leadership Scholarship — a scholarship for the Study Abroad, Internships and Summer Study Abroad programs, $150-1500

Entrance exams may be required for foreign students in Spain (selectividad para extranjeros). These are written exams, three of them are compulsory: Spanish, philosophy or the history of Spain, and a foreign language (English, German, French, Italian or Portuguese), and one is an additional exam in the discipline that the student has chosen in order to increase their score. The exams can be taken in June or September. If you don't pass in summer, you can take it again in autumn.

Documents required for Bachelor's students:

• School leaving certificate (the university should accredit this education)
• Transcript of marks for the past 2 years
• Confirmation of knowledge of one or more foreign languages
• Online entrance exam
• Interview

Documents required for Master's students:

• Bachelor's degree
• CV
• Letter of recommendation
• Online entrance exam

Living and food expenses start at €600 in southern regions, and can reach as high as €1500 in large cities.

Average expenses in mid-sized cities:

• Rent — €600
• Gas, electricity, water, internet, telephone — €130
• Food — €270
• Entertainment — €450
• Medical — €222
• Unplanned expenses — €150

Here are some universities that Univibes clients have gone to (tuition fees per year shown).

• Universitat Internacional de Catalunya – €975-27,500
• Pompeu Fabra University – €1660-11,575
• University of Navarra – €8200 — 34,300
• University of Granada – €758 — 821
• University of Valencia – €2350
• Autonomous University of Madrid – €2000-3000
• University of Barcelona – €2900
• Pompeu Fabra University – €1660-11,575
• Autonomous University of Barcelona – €3500

There aren't so many English-language programs in Spain, they're usually taught in private business schools. Some subjects available in English are marketing, communications, tourism, primary education, economics, and journalism.

You'll need a DELE certificate with at least 60 points, requiring a minimum of 30 out of 50 in each section, to prove your knowledge of Spanish. Universities with good English-language programs include the Global Business School (Barcelona) and Marbella University (Malaga).

State universities charge between €800-3500 per year for a Bachelor's degree, and €800-3500 for a Master's degree. Private universities are more expensive, but costs do not usually exceed €20,000 per year. Some business school programs may cost as much as €25,000 or higher.

The cheapest programs are law, engineering, social sciences, and physics. The cheapest Master's programs are social and natural sciences, biology, and chemistry.

A student visa in Spain allows you to study, participate in exchange programs, and work as an intern for more than 3 months. You need to be accepted by a university before submitting a visa application. When applying for a long-term visa (at least 6 months), you also need to apply for a student resident card at the immigration office within a month after your arrival.
A student visa allows you to work up to 20 hours a week while studying.

You can't work after you've finished your studies. You first need to receive an invitation from an employer who must prove that they haven't been able to find a Spanish candidate for that position, and only then will it be possible to receive a working visa.

You shouldn't defer your admission because of the pandemic, you can travel abroad with a student visa without any issues.

The pandemic actually makes it easier to be admitted and receive grants. Students are afraid of entering university and are deferring their education, meaning there's less competition for places.

Many universities are currently continuing work remotely, with the exception of practical work. This may differ depending on the university, look for up-to-date information on a specific university's website.