The 10 Best Universities In Spain 2024

In search of the top best universities in Spain? Today, we have a very wide educational offer and there are many indicators that we analyze when we look for where to pursue our university studies. Thanks to the annual study carried out by Top Universities, we get an idea of which are the best universities in Spain.

The QS World University Rankings study brings together the best universities in the world for the year 2024. It is based on six indicators: the academic reputation of the centers, the reputation from the point of view of the employer, the ratio between students and professors, the citations per researcher, the ratio of international professors and foreign students.

Top 10 Best Universities In Spain

The Spanish universities in order that appear in the study are the following:

1. Autonomous University of Barcelona:

Position: 178
It is the first Spanish university to appear in the QS ranking of 2024 and tops the ranking of the best universities in Spain. The Autonomous University of Barcelona is found in position 178, with a score of 45.8. The campus of this university is huge, and has all the services including theatre, cinema and a university village in a natural environment.

It has 15 institutes and research centers, including the Center for Demographic Studies and the Institute of High Energy Physics.

2. University of Barcelona

Position: 184
In the second position, with a score of 45.5, we find the Public University of Barcelona. It stands out for the high employability of students, the services offered by the university and the academic and teaching quality. It has a wide variety of university degrees, as well as its own master’s and postgraduate degrees.

With more than 72,000 students, it has the distinction of being the first Spanish university in the ARWU 2020 ranking and of being the first innovative university in Spain, according to Reuters.

3. Autonomous University of Madrid

Position: 215
Founded in 1968, it is one of the six public universities that currently exist in Madrid which is also rated among the best universities in Spain. With 42.2 points in the QS 2024 ranking and in position 215, it is a university that has three museums inside. It allocates almost 3 million euros to a wide variety of scholarships and aid, which allows one in three students to receive some type of support. It has 55 undergraduate and 89 postgraduate degrees.

4. Complutense University of Madrid

Position: 226
Considered one of the most prestigious universities in the Spanish-speaking world, it is the third largest university in all of Europe and the largest face-to-face university in Spain. In this edition of the QS ranking, it has obtained a score of 41.2. With its campus near the center of the Spanish capital, it has the best educational, cultural and sports offer.

It has been the university where more Spanish Nobel Prize winners have studied. It has agreements with some of the most important universities in the world, such as Harvard and Oxford.

5. Pompeu Fabra University

Position: 233
This public university frequently appears first in national rankings. It also usually appears in the rankings of the best universities in the world, being the only Spanish one to do so at the moment. On this occasion, it has received a score of 39.9 in the QS 2024 ranking. With more than 10,000 undergraduate students, who can choose from the 25 that are currently available.

They also have 32 university master’s degrees and 27 degrees offered in English. Among the degrees that stand out the most are those related to economics.

6. University of Navarra

Position: 253
This university is private and Catholic. It was founded in the early 1950s and belongs to Opus Dei. It has received a QS 2024 ranking score of 38.3. It is worth highlighting his studies related to the health area, also having the University Clinic of Navarra within the institution itself, with four important areas of work: oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular sciences and hepatology.

7. Carlos III University of Madrid

Position: 320
Located in Getafe (Madrid) and founded in 1989, it has quickly managed to position itself among the best national and international universities. Obtaining a score of 33.7 in the QS 2024 ranking, it is a public university that offers various studies in areas such as Social Sciences, Humanities, Communication and also Engineering. Many of its bachelor’s and master’s degrees are taught in English. It is well known for its business training, its business school is one of the best in Spain.

8. Polytechnic University of Catalonia

Position: 343
It has received a score of 31.4 in the QS 2024 ranking of the best universities in Spain. Founded in the early 1970s, this public university is also known as BarcelonaTech or UPC. The training it offers is related to the sciences: engineering, computer science, mathematics and architecture. Very well positioned in the economic and industrial environment, since 93% of graduates from this university find work within three years of finishing their studies.

9. IE University

Position: 347
The IE University (Instituto de Empresa) is another private university and we can find two campuses in Spain, one in Madrid and one in Segovia. It is an institution that teaches its programs in both Spanish and English, promoting bilingualism. It is divided into seven schools: Business, Law, International Relations, Architecture & Design, Communication, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Human Science and Technology.

10. Valencia Polytechnic University

Position: 400
This public university was founded at the end of the 60s, it is a leader in research and according to the world reference on university education, it is the first technological university in Spain. With a score of 28.4, it is ranked 400 in the QS 2024 ranking. It is organized into nine higher technical schools, two faculties and two higher polytechnic schools, which are in charge of organizing the teaching of 39 degrees, and has 42 departments and 41 research centers and institutes.

The 10 Best Universities In Spain 2024