Address: Calle Profesor José García Santesmases, 9, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Data Science and AI
The Faculty of Computer Science of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) offers degrees in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Data Science.
The Faculty of Computer Science of the Complutense University of Madrid stands in the Ciudad Universitaria, the university district in the north-west of the city, on the street named after Professor José García Santesmases, a pioneer of computing in Spain who built early machines. It belongs to a university that traces its origin to 1499, when Cardinal Cisneros founded it in Alcalá de Henares, and that moved to Madrid in 1836. The faculty has about 3,500 students and 350 teaching staff.
The faculty offers degrees in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering (hardware), and Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, together with double degrees with Mathematics and other fields, and a degree in data science. Master’s programmes cover artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software engineering, computer graphics, formal methods and data science. Teaching is mainly in Spanish, and some master’s courses are in English.
Research groups work on programming languages, formal methods and program verification, artificial intelligence, optimisation, computer architecture, security, bioinformatics and computational models. The Maude language group, devoted to rewriting logic, and the research on declarative programming are known internationally. The faculty maintains cooperation with companies in Madrid, a major centre for software, telecommunications and consulting, which provides internships and jobs.
Admission to the degrees follows the Spanish university entrance system, in which places are allocated by grades in the university entrance exam and the secondary school record, so cut-off marks differ by year. Public prices in the Community of Madrid are regulated and fixed per credit, and non-EU students may pay more. Check the current tariff.
The Ciudad Universitaria is reached by metro line 6 and several bus lines, and it is close to the city centre. The faculty has laboratories, a library and student associations that organise programming contests, and there are exchange agreements within the Erasmus programme. Madrid offers a wide choice of student housing, although rents are high.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Engineering, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Telecommunications
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of UCM, with strong international collaborations and partnerships with leading technology companies for research, internships, and talent development.
Research:
Cutting-edge research in areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, software engineering, cybersecurity, cloud computing, data analytics, and human-computer interaction.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
350
Current students***:
3500
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
18000
Pros
Offers comprehensive and modern ICT degrees with a strong research component at one of Spain’s top universities.
Cons
Highly competitive programs.
Best For
Students aiming for a top-tier education in computer science, software engineering, or data science/AI at a leading research university.
Facultade de Informática takes a similar route through computer vision, statistics and data analytics, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenierías Informática y de Telecomunicación works in much the same fields, chiefly computer vision, telecommunications and robotics, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers signal processing and electrical and electronics as well.
Escuela de Ingeniería Informática is the closest domestic counterpart for computer vision, statistics and data analytics; it is far smaller, with about 800 students against roughly 3,500 here, and is also a public institution.
On content, Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering and this university are close, as both teach computer vision, telecommunications and robotics; it covers nanotechnologies and optics as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 2,000 students against roughly 3,500 here.
Also strong in computer vision, statistics and data analytics, Escola Superior de Enxeñaría Informática makes a sensible second look at home; it is far smaller, with about 1,000 students against roughly 3,500 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Abroad, Indian Institute of Information Technology Allahabad (India) covers telecommunications, robotics and data analytics in a comparable way, and it is slightly smaller, at about 3,000 students against roughly 3,500 here, and is also a public institution.
For a study option in India with a comparable spread of computer vision, robotics and data analytics, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi is the reference point: it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
IT University of Copenhagen in Denmark pursues a similar profile in computer vision, telecommunications and data analytics, and it is slightly smaller, at about 2,600 students against roughly 3,500 here, and is also a public institution.
If this university is on your list for computer vision, telecommunications and robotics, Télécom SudParis in France deserves a comparison, because it covers ergonomics and UX and quality as well, and is far smaller, with about 1,000 students against roughly 3,500 here.
On content, Aichi Prefectural University in Japan and this university are close, as both teach computer vision, telecommunications and robotics; it covers ergonomics and UX and optics as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 3,000 students against roughly 3,500 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the Faculty of Computer Science of the Complutense University?
In the Ciudad Universitaria, in the north-west of Madrid, on Calle Profesor José García Santesmases.
Who was José García Santesmases?
A pioneer of computing in Spain who built early machines.
When was the Complutense University founded?
In 1499, by Cardinal Cisneros in Alcalá de Henares. It moved to Madrid in 1836.
How large is the faculty?
About 3,500 students and 350 teaching staff.
What degrees does it offer?
Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, and data science, plus double degrees.
What master's programmes does it have?
Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, software engineering, computer graphics, formal methods and data science.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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