The best universities in Spain (Shanghai Ranking 2025)
The top 3 according to 3 votes from people: Universidad de Barcelona · Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · Universitat de València. (Updated Sep 19, 2025.)
The best-placed Spanish universities in the ARWU or Shanghai Ranking 2025, published in August 2025, with their world band. Spain has 36 universities among the world top 1,000.
Automatically translated (original in Español). See the original
Top 15
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1
Universidad de Barcelona
Barcelona; founded in 1450. World band 151–200 in ARWU 2025.
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2
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Barcelona; founded in 1971. World band 701–800 in ARWU 2025.
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3
Universitat de València
Valencia; founded in 1499. World band 201–300 in ARWU 2025.
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4
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès); founded in 1968. World band 301–400 in ARWU 2025.
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5
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Madrid; founded in 1968. World band 301–400 in ARWU 2025.
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6
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Madrid; heir to the Alcalá college of 1499. World band 301–400 in ARWU 2025.
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7
Universidad de Granada
Granada; founded in 1531. World band 301–400 in ARWU 2025.
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8
Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU)
Leioa and other campuses; founded in 1980. World band 301–400 in ARWU 2025.
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9
Universitat Politècnica de València
Valencia; the highest-ranked Spanish technical university. World band 401–500 in ARWU 2025.
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10
Universidad de Sevilla
Sevilla; founded in 1505. World band 401–500 in ARWU 2025.
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11
Universidad de Navarra
Pamplona; private, founded in 1952. World band 501–600 in ARWU 2025.
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12
Universidad de Salamanca
Salamanca; founded in 1218, Spain's oldest university still operating. World band 501–600 in ARWU 2025.
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13
Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela; founded in 1495. World band 501–600 in ARWU 2025.
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14
Universidad de Zaragoza
Zaragoza; founded in 1542. World band 501–600 in ARWU 2025.
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15
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Madrid; founded in 1971. World band 601–700 in ARWU 2025.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 15… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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16
Universidad de Alicante
San Vicente del Raspeig; founded in 1979. World band 601–700 in ARWU 2025.
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17
Universidad de Murcia
Murcia; founded in 1915. World band 601–700 in ARWU 2025.
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18
Universidad de Oviedo
Oviedo; founded in 1608. World band 601–700 in ARWU 2025.
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19
Universidad Rovira i Virgili
Tarragona; founded in 1991. World band 601–700 in ARWU 2025.
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20
Carlos III University of Madrid
Public university founded in 1989 in Getafe and Leganés, strong in economics, law and engineering.
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21
Universidad Pompeu Fabra
Barcelona; founded in 1990. World band 301–400 in ARWU 2025.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (7)
La de Granada siempre sale bien en informática y matemáticas.
La de Navarra es privada y está en el top, interesante.
La Complutense quinta... con lo grande que es.
La Universidad de Barcelona primera de España en Shanghái, como casi siempre.
Estos rankings premian sobre todo la investigación, no la docencia.
Falta la Carlos III, muy bien posicionada en otros rankings.
La de Granada siempre sale bien en informática, orgullo granadino.