UNIVERSITIES IN MADRID

On top of that, the city is home to the headquarters of most major Spanish companies, a constant calendar of academic and professional events, and international connections that make life a lot easier for any Erasmus student. Here’s the complete picture, split between public and private, so you know exactly where you’ll be studying.

Public universities in Madrid

Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM): the city’s grand dame

Founded in 1499 (though its roots trace back to 1293), UCM is one of the largest, oldest and most prestigious universities in Spain and Europe. With over 80,000 students, it’s practically a city within the city, with a guaranteed social scene and a historic reputation particularly strong in humanities, health sciences and social sciences.

• Campuses: Moncloa/Aravaca (main) and Somosaguas (social sciences)
• Standout degrees: medicine, law, psychology, philosophy, history, fine arts, political science, journalism, biology and chemistry
• National ranking: 1st | International ranking: 164 (QS World University Rankings)
• Programmes: over 80 undergraduate and dual degrees, over 150 master’s, over 55 doctoral programmes

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM): research excellence

Founded in 1968, UAM rivals UCM every year for the top spot in the rankings. With 30,000 students, it particularly stands out in medicine (its Faculty of Medicine is among the best in Spain), biology, physics, chemistry, law and psychology.

• Campuses: Cantoblanco (main, with modern facilities and extensive green spaces) and La Paz (Faculty of Medicine, closer to the centre)
• National ranking: 4th | International ranking: 198

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM): Spain’s technical reference point

Founded in 1971 (though its schools have a much older tradition), UPM is Spain’s leading technical university and one of the most prestigious in Europe for engineering and architecture. With around 35,000 students, it covers practically every branch of engineering: mechanical, electrical, industrial, civil, biomedical, aerospace and software, plus sports, fashion design and computer science.

• Campuses: Moncloa-Aravaca (main, Ciudad Universitaria), Vallecas, Montepríncipe, Lavapiés
• National ranking: 8th | International ranking: 321

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M): young but with plenty of clout

Founded in 1989, UC3M is one of Madrid’s youngest public universities, but it’s quickly earned an excellent reputation, with around 25,000 students. It particularly stands out in business, economics, law and engineering, and is very popular among international students (making up around 20% of its student body), thanks to its bilingual focus and solid support services.

• Campuses: Getafe, Leganés, Colmenarejo, Madrid-Puerta de Toledo/Embajadores
• National ranking: 7th | International ranking: 285

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC): the youngest of the big public universities

Founded in 1996, URJC has grown substantially in offering and student numbers, with over 45,000 students spread across five campuses, most of them south of the centre. It stands out in health sciences, law, business and environmental sciences, and has top-tier sports facilities.

• Campuses: Alcorcón, Aranjuez, Fuenlabrada, Móstoles, Vicálvaro
• National ranking: 29th

Universidad de Alcalá (UAH): history and World Heritage status

Founded in 1499, UAH is located about 35 km northeast of Madrid, in Alcalá de Henares, a historic city declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With around 28,000 students, it enjoys a strong reputation in humanities, social sciences and health sciences. You can live in Madrid city and commute (the trip takes around an hour), or rent accommodation directly in Alcalá de Henares itself.

• Campuses: Alcalá de Henares
• National ranking: 19th | International ranking: 630

Private universities in Madrid

IE University: business with global reach

Founded in 1997, IE University is one of Spain’s most prestigious institutions in business, law and international relations, with its crown jewel: IE Business School, regularly ranked among the best business schools in the world. Over 75% of its students are international, and all courses are taught in English.

• Campuses: a 35-storey tower in Madrid (Paseo de la Castellana / La Paz), plus Segovia
• National ranking: 11th | Indicative price: around €25,000/year

Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE/ICAI): historic prestige

A Catholic institution based in the heart of Madrid, with around 15,000 students (20% international). Its law faculty, ICADE, is a reference among law firms and major companies, while ICAI (engineering) trains professionals with employability rates close to 100%. Comillas ranks first in Spain for employability according to the QS Graduate Employability rankings.

• Campuses: Chamberí (Alberto Aguilera), Cantoblanco
• National ranking: 17th | Indicative price: €6,000-12,000/year depending on degree

Universidad Europea: practical, global approach

Founded in 1989, with a model very focused on career development and internships built into the curriculum. International students make up around 40% of its population. It stands out in health sciences (with simulated hospitals), sports, business, law, communication, engineering, architecture and design.

• Campuses: Villaviciosa de Odón, Alcobendas, and the Creative Campus (design, in María de Molina, central Madrid)
• National ranking: 31-40

Universidad CEU San Pablo: tradition with its own hospitals

Madrid’s branch of the CEU Universities network, with somewhere between 8,000 and 15,000 students depending on the source. It stands out in communication, health sciences (with its own university hospitals), business and law. It ranks 4th among young universities in Spain and 5th among the best private universities according to Forbes.

• Campuses: Moncloa-Aravaca, Montepríncipe
• National ranking: 35th | Indicative price: around €9,000/year

Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV): fast growth

Founded in 1993, with around 10,000 students and over 50 degrees in law, business sciences, communication, health, medicine, education, psychology and experimental sciences. 93% of its students find work within a year of graduating.

• Campuses: Pozuelo de Alarcón (around 40 minutes from the centre), Montepríncipe
• National ranking: 54-55 | Indicative price: €9,000-17,900/year

IESE Business School: MBA elite

Founded in 1958 as part of the Universidad de Navarra, IESE ranks among the best business schools in the world, also present in New York, São Paulo, Barcelona and Munich. It only admits 750 students a year across postgraduate, executive and doctoral programmes focused on leadership, strategy and entrepreneurship competition is fierce.

• Campuses: Moncloa-Aravaca (around 25 minutes from the centre)

Alfonso X El Sabio (UAX): a very broad offering

Founded in 1993, with over 125 programmes across bachelor’s degrees, dual degrees, master’s, vocational training and doctorates, in health and sport, engineering, architecture, business and law, education, and arts and music. Over 8,800 internship agreements, and 93% of its students find work within their first year.

• Campuses: Villanueva de la Cañada, Chamartín, Chamberí (Madrid), plus Málaga and Oviedo
• Indicative price: €7,000-21,000/year depending on programme

CUNEF Universidad: finance and quantitative analysis

With roots dating back to 1973 (recognised as an independent university in 2019), CUNEF specialises in economics, finance, law, business and data science, with very close ties to the financial sector and employability rates above 95%.

• Campuses: Chamartín (Calle Pirineos)

Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC): creativity and sport

Founded in 2000, part of the SEK educational institution, specialising in communication, education, health, technology, science and entrepreneurship, with professional TV studios and high performance sports centres.

• Campuses: Villafranca / Almagro (central Madrid)
• Indicative price: around €10,000/year

Universidad Nebrija: languages and international business

Founded in 1995, specialising in languages, communication and international business, with over 100 undergraduate and dual degrees. Ranked number 1 in Spain for teaching and number 2 for employability according to the U-Ranking (BBVA Foundation and IVIE).

• Campuses: Princesa, La Berzosa, Arturo Soria, San Francisco de Sales
• Indicative price: €6,000-13,000/year

UNIE University: experiential learning

Founded in 2022, part of the Planeta Formación y Universidades group, with a model based on experiential learning and over 3,500 agreements with companies, institutions and startups.

• Campuses: Chamberí, Castellana, Monforte de Lemos, Tres Cantos
• Stands out in: marketing, law, psychology and computer science

ESIC University: the business school with the widest national reach

Specialising in management, marketing, digital business, data science, international trade and communication/advertising, with a 92% employability rate and agreements with over 120 universities worldwide. It has a presence across many Spanish cities, not just Madrid.

• Campuses: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Málaga, Pamplona, Bilbao, Granada
• Indicative price: around €10,000/year

TAI Escuela Universitaria de Artes: film, performing arts and design

A centre specialising in artistic and creative training since 1973: film, performing arts, music, photography, design and visual arts, with a very practical approach and direct ties to the cultural and audiovisual industry.

• Campuses: central Madrid

UDIT (University of Design, Innovation and Technology): technology and creativity

Founded in 1988, focused on design, applied engineering, robotics, AI and emerging technology sectors.

• Campuses: Chamartín, Alcalá

How to get to the different campuses?

Since Madrid has universities spread across the city and its metropolitan area, commute times vary quite a bit depending on where you live. As a general reference:

• Campuses within Madrid city (Moncloa-Aravaca, Chamberí, Chamartín, La Paz…): well connected by metro, typically between 20 and 50 minutes depending on your starting point.
• Campuses on the metropolitan outskirts (Getafe, Leganés, Alcalá de Henares, Alcobendas, Villaviciosa de Odón, Pozuelo de Alarcón): you’ll need to combine metro with Cercanías or bus, with journeys that can exceed an hour, so it’s worth factoring this in when choosing where to live (as covered in the Madrid housing guide).