Study in spain

Spain has 76 universities, and about two thirds of them are state-funded, with the remainder being private institutions of higher education. Spain has a long and rich tradition of higher education, and the nation’s institutions are well-respected and highly ranked on the QS World University Rankings. Out of all of the institutions of higher education in Spain, 14 are in the top 500 best ranked in the world. The highest ranked of them are UniversitatAutónoma de Barcelona (176th place) and Universitat de Barcelona (187th place).

It is therefore not surprising that Barcelona is one of the most popular destinations for those who wish to study in Spain. Another popular student destination is the capital city, Madrid. The best ranked universities in Madrid are Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and University Complutense Madrid. Barcelona and Madrid are in the top 20 QS Best Student Cities ranking, however other Spanish cities also welcome international students and are proud of their international student body.

Spain offers a wide range of courses and programmes at all levels of higher education, from undergraduate to Master’s, PhD and even post-doc. Health-related programmes are a particularly popular choices for those who wish to study abroad in Spain, which is not surprising as Spain is among the EU countries with comparatively fewer restrictions on entry to the medical profession. However, there are many other fields and programmes that international students may be interested in, from sciences to humanities and arts.

Spanish universities work hard to maintain relationships and collaboration with other universities in Europe and around the world. For example, Spain is the most popular destination for students on the Erasmus exchange programme.

The majority of courses in Spain are taught in Spanish, but there are also many courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level that are taught in English, and the numbers of such courses are growing.

Most undergraduate programmes in Spain last for four years, except Medicine and the double degrees, which usually span six years. Universities use the ECTS credits scale as the measure for the modules, with students typically taking 60 ECTS each year. Therefore, a typical undergraduate programme has 240 ECTS. Find out what the ECTS is from Anna, our study abroad expert.

After passing every subject and getting the 240 ECTS credits, the student obtains an academic degree (Grado), architecture or engineering qualification. Postgraduate (graduate) degrees in Spain are Master’s degrees (Máster), and Doctoral degrees (Doctorado). Some universities also offer unofficial postgraduate degrees

Spain is a developed nation and one of the largest economies of the world. Education system of the country has played a very significant role in the present economic status of Spain. The current education system of the country is known as LOE after the Ley Orgánica de Educación, which means Fundamental Law of Education. In Spain, education is compulsory and the Government provides free education to all children from 6 to 16 years of age. Spain’s education system is quite flexible and organized, providing large number of opportunities for personal growth and academic achievement to students. In past two decades, the education system of Spain has witnessed several changes. The current higher education system of Spain offers wide range of study options to address diverse academic aims of students, and their varied interests, abilities and attitudes. In Spain, education system is divided into various categories such as infant education, primary education, compulsory secondary education, Spanish baccalaureate and university education. Read further to know more about the education system in Spain.

Education System in Spain

Infant Education

Pre-primary education begins as early as one year of age and continues up to the age of six years. It is divided into two cycles. The first cycle is up to the age of three years while the second cycle is up to the age of six.

Primary Education

Primary education in Spain consists of first six years of compulsory schooling and is divided into three cycles of two years. Primary education generally runs from the age of 6 till the age of 12.

Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO)

Compulsory Secondary Education, also known as ESO, covers the four years from the age of 12 to 16. It consists of two cycles of two years. After successfully completing this stage, students are given the Certificate of Secondary Education. Secondary education is free in all state schools and in some private schools which are public funded.

Spanish Baccalaureate (Bachillerato)

After completing ESO, students can apply for this stage of education. Bachillerato last for two years and usually covers the age of 16 to 18. It leads to Bachillerato Certificate. Successful completion of this stage can help student to apply for various courses at university level or move on to vocational training.

Vocational Training

Students can apply for vocational training after ESO or after the Spanish Baccalaureate. Vocational training provides two different types of programs: Middle Grade Training Cycles (CiclosFormativos de Grado Medio), which require the ESO diploma and Superior-level Training Cycles (CiclosFormativos de grado Superior), which need Spanish Baccalaureate. Students, who successfully complete Superior-level Training Cycle, can directly apply to several related University degrees.

Universities in Spain

Undergraduate

In Spain, the first level of university education is known as Primer ciclo and these undergraduate courses last for 3 years. Institutions across the country provide short and long term courses in various disciplines. There are 2 year courses available which can give diploma degrees.

Graduate

The graduate degree in Spain consists of two levels. The graduate degree is awarded only after the successful completion of both levels, along with the final project known as master thesis. The master degree is called as Segundo ciclo and covers minimum of 2 years.

PhD

In Spain both bachelor and master degree holders are eligible for doctorate degrees. The Doctorate degree also known Título de Doctor is awarded after at least three years further study in case of masters degree. If the candidate is a bachelor degree holder, he has to study for more than 5 years to get his PhD. Candidate are also required to submit and defend a thesis related to his research to complete the PhD program.

Study Abroad in Spain

Study Abroad

Spain is famous destination for international students, particularly for students from US and Latin American countries. There are students from 80 countries of the world, studying various courses at universities of Spain.

Summer Programs

There are various summer programs available in Spain, which are very popular among students from European countries and American countries. Universities offering summer programs also provide facilities of accommodation and leisure activities along with the studies.

Learning Languages

Spanish is one of the widely spoken languages of the world. For international students or those who are interested in internships in Spain, learning Spanish can be very helpful. There are a number of institutions in Spain that provide summers courses for Spanish.

Cost – Tuition/Living/Transportation and other costs

Tuition fees
Public universities from Germany do not charge tuition fees for Bachelor and Master programmes.(except if you plan to pursue a Master’s degree that focuses on a different subject than the one you studied as a Bachelor student).

Most of the German universities are public, so you will only have to pay an administration fee which usually costs around 100 – 200 EUR/year. This fee covers the Student Organisation services and your enrolment. Also, you will have to re-enrol every semester and pay this tax.

There are exceptions to this rule, however. If you don’t finish your degree course on time and you study in Bremen, Lower Saxony, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt or Turingia, you may have to pay tuition fees. Also, private universities from Germany are financed from tuition fees, so some international students will have to pay up to 20,000 EUR/year.

living costs
Germany is a pretty accessible country where you will need around 800 EUR/month, including accommodation, which also is the largest expense you will have.

Larger cities, such as Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt or Dusseldorf require total living costs of 800 – 950 EUR/month while smaller cities are cheaper. If you will study in Oldenburg, Siegen or Duisburg, you will need 500 – 650 EUR/month. The most expensive study destination is Tarnow (950 – 1,050 EUR/month) and the cheapest is Wolfsburg (350 – 450 EUR/month).

Accommodation

Housing is the highest monthly expense you will have and it represents 34% of the total budget. Cheaper options for international students are in residence halls or in shared private rental apartments. You can also rent a single apartment. Below you will find the average accommodation costs for a student in Germany:

• Living alone: 363 EUR/month
• Living with partner/child: 351/month
• Living on-campus: 237 EUR/month

However, rooms in student residence halls are pretty difficult to secure, since only 11% of the international students find on-campus accommodation, according to a European study. Also, 55% of the students are satisfied with the accommodation in student halls.

Other costs associated with accommodation

During your stay in Germany, you will have to pay for utilities such as electricity, heating, garbage and water. These usually cost 218 EUR/month. Also, an internet pass (10 Mbps, unlimited data) is around 24 EUR/month.

Food costs

As a student in Germany, you will pay a bit below 100 EUR/month on food. The price varies on the circumstances – you can either share it with your colleagues or decide to cook and shop from grocery stores. Some of the cheapest supermarkets you will find around the country are Aldi, Lidl and Netto.

If you wish to have dinner in a restaurant once in a while you will pay 10 EUR for food in a cheap one. A three-course meal for two in an average restaurant costs 40 EUR and an additional light drink will be 3 EUR.

Transportation costs

According to a DAAD study, around 10% of the total monthly student budget is spent on transport. Students, visitors and locals mostly use bicycles, buses or rails, especially for travelling outside the city they live in. The public transport pass costs around 70 EUR/month.

Bicycles are not expensive in Germany. However, you will also find many stores that include used bicycles for sale.

Extra study materials

Throughout your university degree course, you will need additional materials such as books, research magazines and other products. You are advised to purchase them from bookstores that also sell old or used products.

Funding & student support

The German state strongly supports higher education. It finances the universities by covering the tuition fees and it also includes programmes of financial support for students.

• The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is a programme of financial aid that focuses on German and international students.
• Awards of 300 EUR/month for talented students given by the government. Read more here!
• Scholarships for researchers and targeted fellowships