How Higher Education Works in Spain: Degrees, Universities and the Academic Year

University and non-university higher education

Higher education in Spain covers university degrees and a group of non-university programs: advanced vocational training (Formación Profesional de Grado Superior), higher arts education and advanced sports education, according to Eurydice . University education runs under Organic Law 2/2023 on the University System (LOSU). Public and private universities operate side by side, and each of Spain's 17 autonomous communities regulates its own public university network, from admission quotas to tuition prices.

Bachelor, master and doctorate degrees

Spain follows the Bologna three-cycle model. A bachelor's degree (Grado) needs 240 ECTS credits, completed over four years at 60 credits a year. Regulated professions such as medicine, architecture and veterinary science need 300 to 360 ECTS credits instead, spread over five or six years, per Eurydice.

One ECTS credit stands for 25-30 hours of student workload, including classes, study and assessment. That common Bologna measure lets a Spanish degree line up with degrees from other European countries, so credits transfer if you study part of your program abroad.

The Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (MECES) ranks these degrees alongside the Advanced Technician title from higher vocational training. This gives you a route from vocational study into a bachelor's program if you switch track partway through your education.

Public versus private universities

Public universities enroll most students in Spain and rely on regional government funding plus tuition to cover their budgets. Regional governments set their admission quotas and per-credit prices, which is why the same degree can cost a different amount depending on which autonomous community you study in. Private universities set their own tuition and admission process, run outside the coordinated regional quota system, and often teach a larger share of their programs in English.

A degree from an accredited private university carries the same legal standing as one from a public university, since both go through the same national quality assurance process before they can award official titles. Choosing between the two usually comes down to cost, class size, and how much you value the coordinated public admission process against a private university's own selection criteria.

Doctorate study after your master's

A Spanish doctorate (Doctorado) normally requires a master's degree first and runs through a doctoral school (Escuela de Doctorado) attached to a university. Rather than counting credits, doctoral study centers on an independent research project supervised by a professor, ending in a written thesis and a public defense in front of an examining panel. Most doctorates take three to four years, with a possible one-year extension if your research needs more time.

How Spain's degree length compares within Europe

Spain's four-year bachelor's degree runs longer than the three-year bachelor found in several other European countries. If you plan to compare a Spanish degree against an offer from a country with a shorter bachelor's, factor in the extra year, since it affects both your total study time and, if you pay tuition, your total cost before you reach a master's degree.

How the academic year runs

The academic year splits into two semesters, starting in September or October and ending in June, with exams at the close of each semester. Grades use a 0 to 10 scale: 0-4.9 is a fail (suspenso), 5-6.9 a pass (aprobado), 7-8.9 a very good (notable), and 9-10 an excellent (sobresaliente), with top scores earning matrícula de honor, per Eurydice.

Getting into a bachelor's program

You qualify for a Spanish bachelor's place through one of these routes:

• 🎓 Bachillerato (Spanish high school diploma) plus the university entrance exam, called EBAU, PAU or EvAU depending on your region

• 📄 An Advanced Technician qualification from vocational training

• A European or International Baccalaureate recognized as equivalent to the Bachillerato

• An existing bachelor's or master's degree

• Age-based access for applicants over 25, 40 or 45, through a specific exam or proven work experience

The entrance exam tests four or five subjects on a 0 to 10 scale. Your final admission mark blends 60% from your Bachillerato average and 40% from the exam score. The ordinary sitting happens in the first weeks of June, with an extraordinary sitting in July or September for resits, according to Eurydice.

Who sets tuition and admission rules

Each autonomous community runs its own public university system and sets its own credit prices, admission quotas and preinscripción (pre-enrollment) calendar. This regional split means tuition and application steps differ if you move from, say, Catalonia to Madrid. Check our guide to tuition and living costs in Spain for the numbers by region.

Teaching languages

Spanish (Castilian) is the main teaching language nationwide. In Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia and the Valencian Community, public universities also teach in the co-official regional language: Catalan, Basque, Galician or Valencian. A growing number of bachelor's and master's tracks run fully in English, mostly at private universities and in business, engineering and international relations programs at public ones. Confirm the teaching language on the specific program page before you apply, since it changes by degree, not just by university.