Spain: Increasingly popular with international students – new survey
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Spain is becoming increasingly popular not just for foreign exchange students, but also for degree-seeking students
Since 2015, their number has doubled to more than 100,000
New survey shows that 81% of international students pick Spain for high quality of education
73% plan to work during their studies & more than half plan to stay in Spain after university
Hamburg, 28 May 2024. In recent years, Spain has become increasingly popular not just with Erasmus exchange students, but more so with foreign students pursuing full degrees. A new survey by European study choice platform Study.eu explores their motivations.
From 2015/16 to 2021/22 (last available data), the number of exchange students stayed relatively flat, while the number of foreign non-resident degree-seeking students nearly doubled to more than 101,000. Study.eu surveyed ca. 1,000 students globally who are interested in studying in Spain, and 81% said that the quality of the country’s higher education is a main motivation to study there. Another reason is the growing number of Bachelors and Masters completely taught in English, attracting those that do not already speak Spanish.
When asked how they were planning to finance their education abroad, 73% of respondents said that they expect to be working during their studies to cover their living expenses and contribute towards their tuition fees. “But that will be difficult in Spain, with youth unemployment being the highest in all of the EU,” comments Study.eu Analyst Sara Sánchez. Most students will also rely on family support or their own savings (71%), while a majority hope to obtain scholarships or grants.
When compared to other European countries, Spain can be more affordable for students. “With public tuition fees often as low as €800 to €1,200 a year, Spain is a real bargain compared to the UK with up to €30,000, or France with €4,000 for non-Europeans,” says Sánchez.
But over the duration of a full degree, the cost of living can become a major factor. The official governmental platform StudyinSpain lists average monthly expenses of about €900-1,000 depending on the city. For international students that can represent a total of ca. €50,000 for a 4-year Bachelor’s degree or €25,000 for a 2-year Master’s degree. For students at private universities or business schools, these numbers can double due to the higher tuition fees.
While the number of students in English-taught programmes is growing, most internationals are still Latin Americans and Caribbeans enrolled in Spanish-taught Bachelors and Masters.
Most foreign students choose to study in the metropolitan regions. Madrid and Barcelona are head-to-head, with Catalonia attracting slightly more foreign students (46,223 vs. 43,787). Business schools and private universities are much more international, with an average of 25% of students coming from abroad, compared to only 8% at public universities.
Spain’s popularity is not limited to its educational promise. When asked about their plans for after graduation, most survey respondents were excited about the prospect of life in Spain: 53% indicated that they want to stay at least for a while.
Study.eu is the gateway to universities in Europe. As the most-visited study choice platform for Greater Europe, it offers students details about more than 19,000 study programmes at more than 1,000 universities. Every year, the Hamburg-based company reaches more than 2.5 million prospective students from around the world. Study.eu closely cooperates with institutions of higher education as well as governmental organisations throughout Europe.
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