Spain

Country in Europe

Capital: Madrid
Dialing code: +34
Prime minister: Mariano Rajoy
Population: 46.77 million (2014) Instituto Nacional de Estadística
Official language: Spanish

Spain, a country on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula, includes 17 autonomous regions with diverse geography and cultures. Capital city Madrid is home to the Royal Palace and Prado museum, housing works by European masters. Segovia has a medieval castle (the Alcázar) and an intact Roman aqueduct. Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, is defined by Antoni Gaudí’s whimsical modernist landmarks like the Sagrada Família church.

The landscape is extraordinarily varied, ranging from desert-like areas to lush, green pastures where mountains, valleys, rivers and beaches produce a wide variety of microclimates, which also contribute to its extraordinary beauty. Spain experiences all four seasons and has a generally temperate climate. Its location makes it one of the warmest countries in Europe and winter temperatures are generally mild.

Spain's unique culture is the product of a heritage enriched by the many external influences which it has been subjected to over the course of its long history. The geographic location of the Iberian Peninsula makes it a natural bridge between the cultures of the north and south of Europe, America, Africa and the East. History has made it a meeting point for many different cultures, creating a rich and diverse cultural legacy in which an intense past is evident.

Higher Education System

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Spain's education system offers a wide range of college and university studies at all levels, as well as internationally renowned business studies at prestigious schools, and the best opportunities for the studying of Spanish as a foreign language, with a great variety of courses to choose from.

University of Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona)

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The highest-ranked Spanish university, the University of Barcelona is joint 160th in the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017. Established in 1450, it's among the oldest higher education institutions in the world, with rich traditions dating back to the Medieval Ages. Today, more than 90,600 students are enrolled in a wide array of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, across the university's 18 faculties and 100 departments. The University of Barcelona ranks within the world’s top 100 for many of the subject areas covered by the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona

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The Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona was established in 1968, and ranks at joint 203rd in the world, making it Spain’s second representative at international level. As one of the world’s leading universities under 50 years old, it features in the QS Top 50 Under 50. It teaches about 36,000 students and is famous for being one of the few universities in Spain to have a centralized campus, created in order to promote a strong university community, with all academic, research, cultural and social activities in the same place. This integrated campus is located about 20km (12 miles) from the center of Barcelona.

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

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Also established in 1968, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (sometimes called UAM, or the Autonomous University of Madrid), is currently ranked at joint 210th in the world – as well as featuring in the QS Top 50 Under 50. The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid is home to more than 36,000 students across its eight faculties, and is especially noted for its Faculty of Law. It has three campuses, of which the main one, the Cantoblanco Campus, is located 15km (9 miles) north of Madrid. The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid prides itself in being the alma mater of His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain.

University Complutense Madrid

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The oldest Spanish university, the University Complutense Madrid is in fact one of the oldest higher education institutions in the world. It dates back to 1293, when it was originally known as Estudio de Escuelas Generales de Alcalá, before receiving its current name in 1499. Today, the University Complutense Madrid ranks at joint 239th place in the world and within the global top 50 in the subject area of dentistry. More than 86,000 students study in the university, which was one of the first in the world to give a doctoral degree to a female student, in 1785.

University of Navarra

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A private university, the University of Navarra was established in 1952 by Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer. More than 12,700 students are enrolled in the university’s undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs, with many international master’s students. The university’s main campuses are in Pamplona and San Sebastián, while its prestigious IESE Business School also has offices in Barcelona, Madrid, New York, Munich and São Paulo. At the start of 2015, the university inaugurated a new museum of contemporary art, designed by well-known architect Rafael Moneo. In the QS World University Rankings 2016-2017, the University of Navarra ranks joint 245th, up 20 places from last year

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

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One of the youngest Spanish universities, the Universitat Pompeu Fabra features in the QS World University Rankings this year in joint 283rd place, and is another Spanish representative in the Top 50 Under 50. It was established in 1990 and named after the famous Catalan philologist Pompeu Fabra. The university is located in Barcelona, across three separate campuses which each focus on a particular field of study: social sciences and humanities, health and life sciences, and ITC and communication sciences.