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Famous Universities in Spain

By Amy Lambert

University of GranadaThe history of the university in Spain began hundreds of years ago, when educational institutions were closely linked to the Catholic Church. The 16th and 17th centuries were known as the ‘golden age’ of Spanish Universities as a lot of academic progress was made, encouraging students from all over the world to come and study in some of Spain’s highly regarded institutions. After this period, the quality of the universities began to decline, although some still stand out as being among the most famous universities in Europe and in the world. There are currently over 1.5 million students in Spain, proving that higher education is a popular choice.

Undoubtedly the most famous university in Spain is the University of Salamanca, in the region of Castile and Leon. It was founded by King Alfonso IX in 1218 and given the title of university in 1254, making it Spain’s oldest university, as well as one of the oldest in the world. For hundreds of years it was considered as a very prestigious university, hence many important people from Spanish history have studied and taught there, including Christopher Columbus and Miguel de Unamuno. Nowadays, the University of Salamanca is still considered as one of the best in the country, in terms of academic success and the quality of life of the students. Many students move from other parts of Spain, Europe and the world to enjoy this great student city with beautiful buildings, exciting nightlife and an international atmosphere. Many of the original buildings are still used as part of the modern university and some are open to the public for visits and guided tours. Many tourists come to the city to see the famous stone frog hidden in the façade of the old university and the names of ex-students written in bull’s blood on the walls of the buildings.

Another famous university, also with its origins in the 13th century, is the University of Alcalá de Henares. Studies began here in 1293, which were approved by the king, although the university was not officially founded until 1499. Like Salamanca, many famous Spaniards have taught and studied here, as it was one of Europe’s most important educational institutions, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the mid 19th century, the university moved from Alcalá de Henares (about 30km away from Madrid) to the centre of the capital, but there was a lot of protest for it to be moved back. Finally in 1977 the lecture rooms of Alcalá de Henares were reopened a part of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, which has campuses across the city. The old university of Acalá de Henares has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site, due to its history and beauty.

The Complutense University of Madrid is Spain’s largest university, with over 75,000 students currently enrolled. It is also one of the highest ranking public universities in Spain, along with 4 of Barcelona’s universities (Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya). The University of Valencia, which is over 500 years old, is also among the highest ranking, as is its neighbour, the University of Alicante. The University of Alicante is a much newer creation and is particularly famous for its fantastic modern campus with great architecture and a wide range of services. It is said to be one of the best University campuses in Europe. In Andalucia, the University of Seville has a good reputation, as well as the University of Granada, which is known for its cooperation and Erasmus exchanges with many international academic institutions. There are also many more well known universities in Spain, both public and private.



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