E/Education in Spain
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Public education · Spain

A shared right.
A territorial reality.

Public education is governed through a national framework and 17 regional administrations. This guide separates schools from universities and turns the system into practical next steps.

Right

Equity & access

Compulsory basic education is free; public provision must support equal access, inclusion and territorial cohesion.

Governance

Shared powers

The State sets the common legal structure; autonomous communities organise admissions, curricula development, staffing and the public network.

Territory

Location matters

Catchment areas, language models, application dates, services and university fees vary by territory.

Public schools & institutes

From a postcode to an informed choice.

Public schools are owned by a public administration. Admission is governed by published regional procedures; when demand exceeds places, objective priority criteria apply.

01

Find the competent authority

Admissions, calendars, services and catchment rules are set mainly by each autonomous community.

02

Search the official register

Filter the State directory by territory, locality, ownership and educational stage.

03

Read the annual call

Check priority criteria, supporting documents, deadlines, available places and appeal routes.

04

Visit the real school

Ask about the educational project, inclusion, language model, tutoring, wellbeing and daily organisation.

Working directory

Start with the register.
Finish with the school.

Official search

Non-university schools

Search all territories, then filter by locality, stage and ownership to identify public schools and institutes.

Open the State school directory Regional authority

Admissions & rules

Go from the national map to the education department responsible for deadlines, catchment areas and applications.

Find your education authority Support

Grants & aid

Check national calls and your autonomous community for study, transport, meals, residence and specific support.

Open the official grants portal

Public universities

50 institutions.
A national research network.

Public universities offer 71% of the programmes taught in Spain in 2024–25 and 89% of doctoral provision. Public tuition is regulated by each autonomous community; it is not one single national price.

7,163 programmes taught by public universities153 municipalities with public university presence245,226 new-entry degree places offered by on-campus public universities
Explore data and the official university directory

Directory

Every public university in Spain.

Grouped by principal territorial responsibility; UNED and UIMP appear under state-wide institutions.

Andalucía10
  • Universidad de Almería
  • Universidad de Cádiz
  • Universidad de Córdoba
  • Universidad de Granada
  • Universidad de Huelva
  • Universidad de Jaén
  • Universidad de Málaga
  • Universidad Pablo de Olavide
  • Universidad de Sevilla
  • Universidad Internacional de Andalucía
Aragón1
  • Universidad de Zaragoza
Principado de Asturias1
  • Universidad de Oviedo
Illes Balears1
  • Universitat de les Illes Balears
Canarias2
  • Universidad de La Laguna
  • Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Cantabria1
  • Universidad de Cantabria
Castilla-La Mancha1
  • Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Castilla y León4
  • Universidad de Burgos
  • Universidad de León
  • Universidad de Salamanca
  • Universidad de Valladolid
Cataluña7
  • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
  • Universitat de Barcelona
  • Universitat de Girona
  • Universitat de Lleida
  • Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  • Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Comunitat Valenciana5
  • Universidad de Alicante
  • Universitat Jaume I
  • Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
  • Universitat Politècnica de València
  • Universitat de València
Extremadura1
  • Universidad de Extremadura
Galicia3
  • Universidade da Coruña
  • Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
  • Universidade de Vigo
Comunidad de Madrid6
  • Universidad de Alcalá
  • Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
  • Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
  • Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Región de Murcia2
  • Universidad de Murcia
  • Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena
Comunidad Foral de Navarra1
  • Universidad Pública de Navarra
País Vasco / Euskadi1
  • Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
La Rioja1
  • Universidad de La Rioja
Ámbito estatal2
  • Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)
  • Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP)

School choice checklist

Project, support, languages, coexistence, wellbeing, timetable, transport and family participation.

University choice checklist

Official title, cut-off grades, campus, teaching plan, fees, grants, mobility and graduate outcomes.

One principle

A directory finds an institution. A good decision still requires context, evidence and a conversation.