Top universities in Spain 2026
| Spain Rank 2026 | WUR Rank 2026 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
| 1 | =145 | University of Barcelona | 62 | 44 | 47.8 | 88.5 | 92.4 | 64.6 |
| 2 | 183 | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) | 59.8 | 44.9 | 44.8 | 84.6 | 73.3 | 69.5 |
| 3 | =187 | Pompeu Fabra University | 59.5 | 36.6 | 45.3 | 87.5 | 81.6 | 80.1 |
| 4 | 251–300 | University of Navarra | 54.3–56.3 | 37.2 | 34.1 | 81.9 | 90.7 | 74.4 |
| 5 | 351–400 | Autonomous University of Madrid | 49.9–51.5 | 41.8 | 31.3 | 73.4 | 66.5 | 56.2 |
| =6 | 501–600 | Complutense University of Madrid | 43.6–46.1 | 43.7 | 34.5 | 57.6 | 56.6 | 49.1 |
| =6 | 501–600 | University of Valencia | 43.6–46.1 | 31.8 | 27.7 | 70.9 | 68.5 | 52.6 |
| =8 | 601–800 | Polytechnic University of Valencia | 39.0–43.5 | 32.3 | 26.2 | 50.4 | 86.8 | 57.2 |
| =8 | 601–800 | Rovira i Virgili University | 39.0–43.5 | 28.2 | 25.1 | 62.5 | 57.5 | 57.6 |
| =8 | 601–800 | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya | 39.0–43.5 | 34.2 | 22.6 | 58.7 | 75.8 | 61.7 |
| =8 | 601–800 | University of Granada | 39.0–43.5 | 31.3 | 29.7 | 60.9 | 60.7 | 53.4 |
| =8 | 601–800 | University of Santiago de Compostela | 39.0–43.5 | 30.8 | 23.1 | 60.9 | 48.2 | 48.4 |
| =8 | 601–800 | University of the Basque Country | 39.0–43.5 | 31.1 | 21.9 | 63.3 | 61.5 | 45 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | Carlos III University of Madrid | 35.5–38.9 | 32.6 | 21.7 | 45.7 | 66.7 | 62.6 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | Open University of Catalonia | 35.5–38.9 | 18.5 | 20.5 | 68.3 | 32.8 | 50 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | Pablo de Olavide University | 35.5–38.9 | 23.2 | 19.4 | 57.3 | 55.8 | 52.2 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | Universitat Ramon Llull | 35.5–38.9 | 20.8 | 17.6 | 63.2 | 36.5 | 73.7 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Alcalá | 35.5–38.9 | 29.2 | 17 | 54.3 | 47.8 | 59.6 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Córdoba | 35.5–38.9 | 27.4 | 20.7 | 60.4 | 45.8 | 50.6 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Jaén | 35.5–38.9 | 23.9 | 20.7 | 67 | 39.2 | 50.2 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Lleida | 35.5–38.9 | 23.2 | 20.3 | 59.6 | 61.4 | 43.3 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Salamanca | 35.5–38.9 | 32 | 24.8 | 47.9 | 46.6 | 54.5 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Seville | 35.5–38.9 | 24.9 | 27.9 | 55.8 | 60.4 | 47.4 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia | 35.5–38.9 | 21.4 | 14.1 | 70.8 | 23.6 | 55.8 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of Vigo | 35.5–38.9 | 25.2 | 19.8 | 60.9 | 60.1 | 49.8 |
| =14 | 801–1000 | University of the Balearic Islands | 35.5–38.9 | 27.9 | 16.9 | 56.6 | 38.4 | 52.1 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | European University of Madrid | 32.1–35.4 | 24.8 | 10 | 61.2 | 18.5 | 65.5 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | Jaume I University | 32.1–35.4 | 25.7 | 21.9 | 50.4 | 46.7 | 44.3 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | Technical University of Madrid | 32.1–35.4 | 27.8 | 18.1 | 45.7 | 71.2 | 53.8 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | Universitat Internacional de Catalunya | 32.1–35.4 | 26.1 | 11.2 | 50.2 | 21.3 | 69.9 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of Alicante | 32.1–35.4 | 27.6 | 21.2 | 47.9 | 56.1 | 41.7 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of Almería | 32.1–35.4 | 22.7 | 21.2 | 51 | 34.5 | 45 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of Castilla-La Mancha | 32.1–35.4 | 24 | 17.9 | 52.8 | 53.5 | 45 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of Girona | 32.1–35.4 | 21.2 | 24.6 | 51.5 | 53.4 | 55.9 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of La Laguna | 32.1–35.4 | 23.4 | 16.1 | 55.2 | 36.2 | 49.3 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of Murcia | 32.1–35.4 | 25.6 | 19.4 | 55.2 | 55.1 | 36.5 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of Oviedo | 32.1–35.4 | 30.3 | 19.8 | 48 | 48.3 | 40.6 |
| =27 | 1001–1200 | University of Zaragoza | 32.1–35.4 | 29 | 20.6 | 47.9 | 71 | 42.3 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | Miguel Hernández University of Elche | 27.3–32.0 | 22 | 18.4 | 42.9 | 62.6 | 42.6 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | National University of Distance Education (UNED) | 27.3–32.0 | 17.2 | 19.4 | 41.8 | 50.2 | 33.3 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | Public University of Navarre | 27.3–32.0 | 25.5 | 15.2 | 49.2 | 43.3 | 47.3 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM) | 27.3–32.0 | 19.1 | 18.2 | 35.1 | 39.2 | 57.4 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University Rey Juan Carlos | 27.3–32.0 | 18.7 | 15.3 | 47.4 | 46.7 | 38.4 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of A Coruña | 27.3–32.0 | 24.1 | 18.6 | 46.1 | 46.6 | 38.1 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of Burgos | 27.3–32.0 | 21.8 | 16.7 | 44.9 | 29 | 36.3 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of Cadiz | 27.3–32.0 | 21.2 | 18.3 | 42.7 | 37.4 | 43.4 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of Deusto | 27.3–32.0 | 20.7 | 20.6 | 49.3 | 39.9 | 46 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | 27.3–32.0 | 21.4 | 26.9 | 42.7 | 32.5 | 41.7 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of León | 27.3–32.0 | 24.9 | 15.9 | 41.8 | 61 | 36.8 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of Malaga | 27.3–32.0 | 21.1 | 17.1 | 42.1 | 54 | 41.5 |
| =39 | 1201–1500 | University of Valladolid | 27.3–32.0 | 24.8 | 16.7 | 40.7 | 44.4 | 39.5 |
| =52 | 1501+ | CEU Universities | 10.3–27.2 | 21.9 | 11.8 | 33.9 | 26.4 | 49.8 |
| =52 | 1501+ | Technical University of Cartagena | 10.3–27.2 | 28.6 | 13.8 | 31.2 | 41 | 42.4 |
| =52 | 1501+ | UNIR – International University of La Rioja | 10.3–27.2 | 12.6 | 15.6 | 35.9 | 20.6 | 57.4 |
| =52 | 1501+ | Universidad Francisco de Vitoria | 10.3–27.2 | 15.5 | 12.7 | 46.3 | 18.3 | 41.3 |
| =52 | 1501+ | Universidad Loyola | 10.3–27.2 | 16.2 | 16.5 | 41.9 | 20.2 | 48.7 |
| =52 | 1501+ | University of Huelva | 10.3–27.2 | 23.2 | 16.6 | 32.6 | 28.8 | 36.2 |
Key insights from the Spain University Ranking 2026
- Spain has 57 universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.
- The University of Barcelona is the top-ranked university in Spain in 2026. It is one the obiggest universities in Spain.
- The top universities in Spain are located across the country with some of the most highly ranked located in Madrid, Barcelona and the smaller cities of Seville and Granada.
How to choose a university in Spain
One of the reasons for Spain’s popularity with international students is that, generally, it is relatively cheap to live there. The cost of goods and services in Spain is below average in comparison with other European countries.
One of the major reasons students choose to study abroad is the opportunity to learn another language, and as Spain’s national dialect is the second most spoken language in the world it has become a popular destination for international students.
While the majority of courses are taught in Spanish, there are also a number of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in English to accommodate overseas students.
The table for the best universities in Spain was derived from data collected for the THE World University Rankings. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics: research environment, teaching (the learning environment), research quality, industry, and international outlook. For more insight and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the France university ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.
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