Catalonia's largest university charges every bachelor's student the same regional price, while non-EU master's students without Spanish residence pay more. Fees, teaching languages, admission routes and visas explained.
The University of Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona, UB), founded in 1450, is Catalonia's largest public university, with more than 41000 bachelor's students and 170 university master's degrees. Two things shape the decision for an international applicant. Fees are set per credit by the Catalan government, and UB charges non-EU students a higher rate only at master's level. Language matters even more: about three quarters of bachelor's teaching hours are in Catalan, while master's programmes lean towards Spanish and English. That makes UB a very different proposition for a school leaver than for a graduate looking for a master's degree.
Location
Barcelona, Spain
Establishment year
1450
Students
57,214
International students
7,635
Female students
62%
Acceptance rate
80%
Place in ratings
There's not enough data to display the dynamics of this rating.
22 USD per credit for EU nationals and Spanish residence permit holders; 93 USD for most other international students, 80-124 USD on some programmes[3]
A bachelor's year for about 1,356 USD, whatever your nationality
Sixty credits at 20 USD come to 1,199 USD, plus an annual file management fee of 79 USD, 79 USD for learning support services and 1 USD of compulsory insurance for students under 28[3]. The price list shows no separate bachelor's rate for non-EU students.
A large master's offer with a real English share
With 170 university master's degrees[1] and 22.7% of master's teaching hours in English[2], graduates without Catalan still have options. UB lists its English-taught programmes and courses on a dedicated page[5].
Fee rules are public and predictable
Prices come from an annual Catalan government decree[6], and UB publishes its full price list for the year, non-EU rates included[3], so you can calculate the full cost before applying.
Drawbacks and limitations of UB
Most bachelor's teaching is in Catalan
Catalan accounts for 74.0% of bachelor's teaching hours[2]. Spanish alone is not enough for most undergraduate programmes.
Non-EU master's students pay over four times more per credit
93 USD instead of 22 USD on most programmes, and a student stay permit does not count as residence[3].
Public grants are closed to students on a study permit
Non-EU students need a Spanish residence permit to receive public grants; student permits are not valid[7].
Catalonia's government fixes the price of official degrees at its public universities each year; for 2026-2027 this is Decree 96/2026 of 16 June[3]. The decree lets each university's social council set a separate credit price, at any level, for non-resident students who are not EU nationals, capped at the full cost of the course, and it states that a long-stay study authorisation is not residence[6]. UB uses this power for master's degrees only:
Master's degrees, 2026-2027
EU, EEA, Swiss, Andorran and Chinese nationals; Spanish residence permit holders
Other international students, including study permit holders
Degrees giving access to a regulated profession, such as law practice or secondary teacher training
20 USD per credit
80 USD per credit
Most master's degrees
22 USD per credit
93 USD per credit
Five business and economics degrees, including International Business
22 USD per credit
107-124 USD per credit
Master's degrees run to 60, 90 or 120 credits[4], so a one-year programme at 93 USD costs about 5,560 USD and a two-year one about 11,119 USD. Holders of a degree from outside the EU also pay 247 USD for the equivalence check and 34 USD for the review of documents during selection[3].
Bachelor's admission with a non-EU school certificate
The shortcut through the Spanish accreditation service UNEDasiss is open only to school systems of the EU and a short list of countries with reciprocal agreements, such as China, Colombia, Switzerland and the UK[8]. India, Nigeria, the Philippines, the United States and the UAE are not on it, so CBSE, WAEC, K-12 and US high school graduates first need their qualification officially recognised as equivalent to the Spanish baccalaureate. Applicants living outside Catalonia apply to the Spanish Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport.
For the June pre-enrolment you need the definitive recognition, not just the application slip, plus a pass in the university entrance exam, either the PAU/EBAU at a Spanish university or the UNEDasiss specific competency tests (PCE). The compulsory subjects are Spanish Language and Literature, a foreign language, History or History of Philosophy, and one subject linked to your field. Your entrance mark is 40% exam average and 60% school average, and must reach 5 out of 10; up to two optional subjects can raise the admission mark to a maximum of 14. In the September round you can apply with only the recognition application, but you are among the last to be allocated places[8]. Our overview of the admission process in Spain covers the national system in more detail.
You do not have to get your degree officially recognised before applying: the university checks that it matches the level of a Spanish degree and gives access to master's study in the issuing country, and admission does not count as recognition for any other purpose[4]. At enrolment, UB asks for proof that your degree gives master's access in the issuing country and proof of paying the equivalence fee; for degrees from outside the European Higher Education Area, such as those from India, Nigeria, the Philippines or the US, it also requires an access authorisation from the dean. Foreign documents must be official, legalised and translated where applicable[9].
Selection criteria, deadlines and the teaching language are set for each programme, so check the programme page before you apply. For a wider comparison, see our guide to master's degrees in Spain.
Teaching languages by faculty
The language mix varies a lot. In bachelor's programmes at the Faculty of Economics and Business, 14.9% of teaching hours are in English and 39.1% in Spanish; at the Faculty of Law, Spanish reaches 50.0%; at the Faculty of Biology, Catalan takes 71.9%[2]. If you plan to study in Spanish, Law or Economics and Business will feel very different from Biology in the first semesters. You can gauge your Spanish against the DELE exam levels before applying.
Stays longer than six months need a long-term student visa from the Spanish consulate in your country of residence, and the programme must be full-time: 60 credits or at least 20 hours a week. Applicants submit the acceptance letter, proof of sufficient funds, health insurance with complete cover, a medical certificate and a criminal record certificate for the last five years. Within one month of arrival you must apply for a Foreigner's ID Card (TIE)[10].
Rent is the big cost: 565-791 USD a month in Barcelona, while an unlimited monthly public transport pass (T-usual) costs 25 USD[11]. For a bachelor's student, housing costs several times more than tuition.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a whole degree in English?
At bachelor's level English is under 5% of teaching hours overall, so a fully English undergraduate path is rare. At master's level the share is much higher; UB's English offer page lists the options[5].
Does a Spanish residence permit lower the master's fee?
Yes, if it is a residence permit: holders pay the 22 USD rate. A permit to stay for studies does not qualify[3].
How does UB compare with other universities in Spain?
All Catalan public universities share the same decree prices for local students, but each can set its own non-EU rate[6]. Our overview of universities in Spain helps compare options across regions.
UB rewards two kinds of applicants. School leavers who are ready to learn Catalan and sit the Spanish entrance exams get a low-cost bachelor's in a major European city, where rent rather than tuition drives the budget. Graduates get a choice of 170 master's degrees with a substantial English share, as long as they budget at the non-EU rate of 93 USD per credit or more.
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