97 Best Public Universities in Spain

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona leads the 97 Public universities in Spain at #149 in the QS World University Rankings 2024. University of Barcelona (QS World #160) and Complutense University of Madrid (QS World #187) complete the top three. Across the whole list there are 2,317 courses to choose from.

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Universities 97 Programs 2,317 Scholarships 143

97 universities · ranked best first

how we rank

49Ranked

#50 in Spain Spain

Universidad de Huelva

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#50 in Spain · by research impact

669,651 citations · h-index 227

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50Ranked

#51 in Spain Spain

Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

6,000Students

—International

Admissions open

#51 in Spain · by research impact

570,457 citations · h-index 223

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51Ranked

#52 in Spain Spain

Universitat Ramon Llull

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#52 in Spain · by research impact

512,031 citations · h-index 239

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52Ranked

#53 in Spain Spain

Universidad de La Rioja

Public University · 21 courses

All 21 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#53 in Spain · by research impact

491,930 citations · h-index 198

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53Ranked

#54 in Spain Spain

Universidad de Burgos

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#54 in Spain · by research impact

481,524 citations · h-index 196

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54Ranked

#55 in Spain Spain

Universidad Europea de Madrid

Public University · 16 courses

All 16 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

130,000Students

—International

Admissions open

#55 in Spain · by research impact

408,791 citations · h-index 219

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55Ranked

#56 in Spain Spain

Universidad de Deusto

Public University · 30 courses

All 30 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#56 in Spain · by research impact

307,159 citations · h-index 185

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56Ranked

#57 in Spain Spain

Public University · 4 courses

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#63 in Spain · by research impact

195,097 citations · h-index 182

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63Ranked

#64 in Spain Spain

Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU

Public University · 9 courses

All 9 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

10,000Students

—International

Admissions open

#64 in Spain · by research impact

185,534 citations · h-index 152

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64Ranked

#65 in Spain Spain

Universidad Católica de Valencia

Public University · 50 courses

All 50 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#65 in Spain · by research impact

151,557 citations · h-index 138

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65Ranked

#66 in Spain Spain

Universidad Francisco de Vitoria

Public University · 45 courses

All 45 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#66 in Spain · by research impact

125,669 citations · h-index 126

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66Ranked

#67 in Spain Spain

Universidad Loyola Andalucía

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#67 in Spain · by research impact

77,969 citations · h-index 105

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67Ranked

#68 in Spain Spain

Universidad Antonio de Nebrija

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#68 in Spain · by research impact

71,600 citations · h-index 103

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68Ranked

#69 in Spain Spain

Universidad Católica de Ávila

Public University · 21 courses

All 21 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

7,287Students

—International

Admissions open

#69 in Spain · by research impact

67,051 citations · h-index 90

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69Ranked

#70 in Spain Spain

Universidad San Jorge

Public University · 39 courses

All 39 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#70 in Spain · by research impact

59,355 citations · h-index 98

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70Ranked

#71 in Spain Spain

Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio

Public University · 10 courses

All 10 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

61,000Students

—International

Admissions open

#71 in Spain · by research impact

49,138 citations · h-index 87

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71Ranked

#72 in Spain Spain

Universidad Europea del Atlántico

Public University · 36 courses

All 36 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#72 in Spain · by research impact

46,468 citations · h-index 88

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72Ranked

#73 in Spain Spain

Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#73 in Spain · by research impact

38,188 citations · h-index 77

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Popular collections

Business & Management Universities Public Business & Management Universities Bachelor's Universities Public Bachelor's Universities Public Bachelor's Business & Management Universities Bachelor's Business & Management Universities Public Computer Science & IT Universities Computer Science & IT Universities Public Social Sciences & Psychology Universities Social Sciences & Psychology Universities

How these universities are ranked

16 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #149 (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) to #544 (Universidad de Zaragoza); they are listed first, in that order. The rest are ordered by research impact. University of Barcelona has the largest research record in this group, with 17,237,350 citations and an h-index of 1,022. 18 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

The split is 97 public to 0 private institutions. By location, Catalonia (2) and Community of Madrid (2) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is University of Barcelona, founded in 1450. Universidad Europea de Madrid is the largest, with 130,000 students.

What the courses look like

By level: 1,417 bachelor's, 550 master's, 304 phd / doctorate and 30 professional. The most common subjects are Business & Management (376), Engineering (230), Medicine & Health Sciences (164) and Social Sciences & Psychology (133). The usual length is 4 years and 9 to 12 months. 96% are full-time and 46 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (91% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (82% of courses with a stated intake). Bircham International University offers the widest choice, with 834 of these courses.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 4 of these universities. Complutense University of Madrid is the least expensive at USD 3,000 a year and University of Barcelona the most at USD 3,500; the middle of the range is about USD 3,500. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for Public in Spain?

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (QS World #149), University of Barcelona (QS World #160) and Complutense University of Madrid (QS World #187) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university for Public in Spain?

Of those with published fees, Complutense University of Madrid is the least expensive at about USD 3,000 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many public universities offer Public in Spain?

97 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a Public course take in Spain?

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 9 to 12 months the next most common.

When do Public courses start in Spain?

Fall is the main intake — 91% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Can I study Public online with a university in Spain?

46 of these courses are listed as online.

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