A public Madrid university where most teaching is in Spanish and fees depend on nationality and residence. What a non-EU student pays, which master's run in English and how each admission route works.
The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) is a public university founded in 1968. Almost all of its faculties share the Cantoblanco campus, 20 minutes from the Puerta del Sol, while the medical school sits beside La Paz University Hospital, where students train every day. Teaching is mainly in Spanish, so many international students start with a master's: several one-year programmes run in English, and their fees are among the lowest UAM charges non-EU students. Fees in Madrid are set per credit by the regional government, and the rate depends on nationality and residence. That is why the gap between the standard price and the non-EU price varies so much from one programme to another.
Location
Madrid, Spain
Establishment year
1968
Students
30,354
International students
2,828
Female students
61%
Place in ratings
There's not enough data to display the dynamics of this rating.
English-taught master's degrees at 5,739 USD for non-EU students
One-year programmes taught in English include Quantitative Economic Analysis (QuEA)[8], Democracy and Government[10] and Deep Learning for Audio and Visual Artificial Intelligence[11]. Each lists 3,092 USD as the standard fee and 5,739 USD for non-resident non-EU citizens[10].
An early master's admission round designed around visa timing
UAM's Early Admission lets international students be admitted in advance so they have time to arrange a visa or apply for a scholarship at home[9]. For 2027-28 it runs from 1 October 2026 to 8 January 2027[9].
Research links with Spain's national research council
A joint Campus of International Excellence with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has, in the university's words, made UAM a leader in nanoscience, advanced materials and life sciences. UAM is also part of the CIVIS European university alliance[1] and counts 39 institutes and research centres[3].
Medical training beside a major hospital
The medical campus is located next to La Paz University Hospital, where students do their daily clinical practice[2].
Drawbacks to weigh before applying
Non-EU bachelor's fees are six to seven times the standard rate
A year of Law, Economics or Psychology costs 1,147 USD at the standard rate and 7,710 USD for non-EU students[7]; Medicine and Biology cost 1,402 USD and 9,250 USD[12].
Master's degrees that qualify for a profession cost up to 17,209 USD
Non-resident non-EU students pay the highest rate on master's degrees that give access to a regulated profession[13]. The master's in General Health Psychology lists 2,103 USD at the standard rate and 17,209 USD for non-resident non-EU students[14].
Most programmes require Spanish at B2
Students from non-Spanish-speaking countries must prove at least B2 Spanish for bachelor's study[6], and the same level applies to master's programmes unless they are taught in another language[9].
Bachelor's entry from most countries means homologation and exams
Only EU and IB certificates and those of countries with a reciprocity agreement, a list that includes China and Colombia, follow the simpler route. Certificates from countries such as India, Nigeria, the Philippines or the USA need homologation by the Spanish Ministry of Education, a UNEDasiss accreditation and passed subject exams (PCE)[6].
High cut-off marks for popular degrees
Admission marks go up to 14 points, and for 2026-27 Medicine admitted students from 12.950[12] and Psychology from 11.070[15].
Who UAM suits
UAM fits students who either speak Spanish well or have found an English-taught master's, and who want a public research university in Madrid. At bachelor's level it suits applicants ready to go through homologation and subject exams well ahead of the intake. It fits less well if you need a fully English-language bachelor's degree, if your budget assumes the standard Spanish fee without Spanish residence, or if you want to enter on a school certificate alone. Our guide to universities in Spain helps compare options.
Fees at Madrid's public universities are set by decree of the regional government; the decree currently in force is Decree 43/2022[13]. Students pay per ECTS credit, and the rate rises with the number of times a student enrols in the same subject: first, second, third and so on[13].
For master's degrees UAM spells out who pays what. Students from EU countries, non-EU students with official residence in Spain and Moroccan nationals pay the normal first-enrolment rate. Non-EU students without official residence in Spain pay the third-enrolment rate, or the fourth-enrolment rate on master's degrees that qualify for a profession[13]. For bachelor's degrees, each programme page shows a separate non-EU price.
Programme
Standard fee
Non-EU fee
Bachelor's in Law, Economics or Psychology (per year)
UAM's master's pages give these figures as approximate first-enrolment fees. Whether a student residence authorisation counts as official residence is not explained on the fees page, so check your status with the admissions office before you enrol. Master's fees can be paid at once or in four instalments if the amount is at least 395 USD; direct debit requires a Spanish bank account, and card payment at the terminal cannot be split[13].
Funding is limited. For 2026-27 UAM offered 45 master's excellence scholarships for students with an average of at least 8.70, or 7.30 in engineering and architecture[17]. They refund the first-enrolment fee at the rate set for Spanish students, up to 60 ECTS[17], so a non-EU student paying the higher rate gets back only part of what they paid.
Master's admission step by step
Register as a UAM user, choose up to two master's programmes in order of preference and pay the 31 USD application fee by card; it is deducted from tuition if you enrol[5].
Upload the documents your programme asks for. The MBA, for example, wants a motivation letter of up to 1000 words, a B2 Spanish certificate for non-native speakers and proof of English[18].
If your degree comes from outside the European Higher Education Area, have it legalised: an apostille is enough for countries in the 1961 Hague Convention. Documents in other languages need a Spanish translation, for example by a sworn translator registered in Spain[19].
Apply in the right window, then wait for the programme's decision and enrol.
Window
Dates
Conditions
Early Admission, 2027-28 intake
1 October 2026 — 8 January 2027
Average of at least 8.70 on a 1-10 scale, or 7.30 for engineering master's[9]
First window, 2026-27 intake
4 February — 8 April 2026
Most programmes fill their places in this window[5]
Early Admission applications go by email and need a declaration converting your average to the Spanish 1-10 scale, issued by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities[9]. In October 2026 the admission page still showed the 2026-27 windows, so use them as a guide for the regular rounds. Admission to an official master's does not mean your foreign degree is homologated or recognised for any other purpose[19]. Our guide to a master's in Spain covers the wider system.
Bachelor's admission with a non-European school certificate
Places are allocated through Madrid's single district of public universities (Distrito Único de Madrid), and the route depends on where your certificate comes from[20].
IB, EU and reciprocity-country certificates. Students who meet university entry requirements at home need a UNEDasiss accreditation and sit no entrance exam; their admission mark can rise to 14 with optional subject exams[6]. If they live outside Spain with their family, they can also use the bachelor's Early Admission round, which ran from 15 December 2025 to 26 February 2026 for the last intake[21].
All other certificates. First homologate your certificate to the Spanish Bachillerato through the Ministry of Education, then obtain a UNEDasiss accreditation that includes a recognised Bachillerato track by passing subject exams (PCE). The admission mark is the access mark of 5-10 plus the two best weighted PCE scores. Without the track you can only compete for places left after both allocation rounds[6].
Spanish at B2 can be shown with DELE, SIELE, an Official School of Languages certificate or a certificate from the language centre of a Madrid public university; otherwise it must appear in the UNEDasiss accreditation[6]. In 2026 the extended application period for applicants from foreign education systems ran from 5 June to 6 July, with results on 10 July[20]. Our page on the DELE exam explains the most common Spanish certificate.
Housing, visa and staying on
UAM runs its own residence hall, the Colegio Mayor Juan Luis Vives, and works with affiliated residences such as the Residencia Universitaria Erasmo, which has 765 places for UAM students during the academic year[22]. Once you have a home, you register with the local town hall (empadronamiento), usually with a lease of at least six months[23].
Non-EU students staying longer than six months need an open type D study visa from a Spanish consulate. It is valid for 90 days, and you must apply for a foreigner identity card (TIE) within a month of entering the Schengen area. The stay permit covers up to one academic year and is renewed each year if you complete your studies satisfactorily[24].
Graduates with at least a bachelor's degree can apply for a residence authorisation to look for work for up to 24 months. It does not itself allow you to work: once you find a suitable job, you apply for a work permit[24]. For the national framework, see our guide to the admission process in Spain.
Spanish is the main language. Economics has a bilingual Spanish-English group[25], and Law, Psychology and Medicine teach some subjects in English[7].
Does an IB diploma make UAM easier to enter?
Yes. IB holders who meet entry requirements follow the simpler route: a UNEDasiss accreditation and no entrance exam[6], and those living abroad can use the bachelor's Early Admission round[21].
Can I apply to two master's programmes?
Yes, with one application fee you can apply to two programmes in order of preference; if both admit you, UAM enrols you in your first choice[5].
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