Spanish universities receive nearly 160,000 foreign students every year

The number of international students pursuing full degrees at Spanish universities has grown by 4.1% annually since 2000, below the global average of 5.5%, according to a study by Fundación BBVA and the Valencian institute of economic research (Ivie) that analyses the level of internationalisation of higher education institutions.

This percentage includes both those with regular enrollment, approximately 95,000 in the 2023/2024 academic year, and those participating in exchange programmes such as Erasmus.

"Spain is part of the expanding trend of internationalisation, but at a lower rate than the average," states the U-Ranking analysis of the Spanish university system. Although there has been "progress in attracting international students and faculty", the study maintains that, "in this process of internationalisation, both in teaching and research, not all Spanish universities are developing at the same pace". "Only 20 universities educate 59.4% of international students in Spain," the study says.

Foreign students in Spain come from Latin America and the Caribbean (44.3%) and Europe (35.5%), with a "limited number" from Asia (10%), which is "a significant source of international students because it represents more than half of the world's university students studying abroad". Chinese students, for example, make up the largest group globally, with more than one million studying abroad each year.

In this area, Spain "still lags behind", with international graduates accounting for 6.5% of students at its universities, below the EU-27 average of 9.6%. By contrast, the proportion of students taking part in mobility programmes stands slightly above the European average at 10.3%.

Furthermore, very few international students attend public universities, relative to the size of these institutions. "In Spain, the rate of international students enrolled in regular programmes is significantly higher in doctoral (20.7%) and Master's (18.6%) programmes than in undergraduate (3.5%) programmes." This indicates that "they find it difficult to integrate international students into their undergraduate admissions systems, which are primarily based on entrance exam scores".

This internationalisation brings clear benefits: "it broadens the prospects of students, improves the employability of graduates and strengthens the institution's reputation". "However, opportunities to study abroad remain unequal, particularly for younger students," the authors of the study say.

The number of Spaniards studying abroad has also risen, although at a slower pace than the number of international students coming to Spain. The number of Spanish students enrolled on full degree courses overseas has increased by an average of 2.7% per year and now stands at around 50,000. Another 44,000 take part in mobility programmes.

However, the report concludes that these schemes do not necessarily act as a social leveller.

"Despite the expansion of mobility programmes such as Erasmus, which allow students to study abroad at a lower cost than completing a full degree overseas, most participants still come from more advantaged socio-economic backgrounds," the study says.

"Since studying for a full degree abroad is far more expensive, it is reasonable to assume, although no data exists, that this route is even more heavily concentrated among people from wealthier backgrounds."