When it comes to the choice of Universities in Spain, one has to differentiate between Public and Private Institutions.
The main difference between Public and Private Universities in Spain is the way they are financed. Public Universities receive funds from the government and stately administrations, while Private Universities are primarily financed with their own endowment funds and the tuition fees that are paid by the students. As a result, Private Universities in Spain are a lot more up-to-date and flexible in terms of study curriculum and hiring specialists from the industries for teaching the subjects.
In general, students receive a lot more individual attention at Private Universities in Spain and their career department helps them with finding a job after graduation. Higher employability and higher salary are typical when obtaining a degree from a Private School rather than a Public one. On the other hand, Public Schools offer a lot more degrees in different fields, whereas Private Universities are more directed into fields such as Business, Technology, Psychology, International Relations, Sports Management and similar.
In this article, we will cover the basic information on both Spanish University Types and show you the Pro’s and Con’s of each.
LEAP is one of the leading educational consultants worldwide, which helps with the challenging Spanish public university admission process.
Pro’s vs. Con’s Public Universities in Spain
- Affordable Tuition Fees
- Often have National Accreditation
- Spanish Public Universities are ranked similar than Private Schools (QS)
- Wide variety of faculties and Bachelor/Master/PhD Study Programs
- Vast offer of extracurricular activities and athletics
- Challenging Admission Requirements, especially for Bachelor Programs. Check out this article on how to get Admission to Undergraduate studies at Public Universities in Spain
- PCE Exams (University Entry Test) in Spanish, even for English Study Programs
- Big class sizes and little individual attention
- Rigid curriculums with professors who are good at teaching but have little practical experience
- Very few scholarships available
- Fewer student diversity
- Fewer English taught degrees
Pro’s vs. Con’s Public Universities in Spain
- High individual student attention and career planning departments
- Partnerships with companies for internship and full-time job placement during and after Graduation
- Offer substantial Tuition Discounts and Financial Aid
- Specialized Degrees that meet the current demand of the labour market
- Professors work usually part-time, as they teach subjects according to their practical working experience. For example, a Marketing Manager from Google would teach the Performance Marketing class
- Higher Prestige Factor than Public Universities
- Geographically more diverse (80+ Nationalities per University)
