Address: Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 585, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Informatics, Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Economics and Business, Philosophy, Pharmacy, Education
The University of Barcelona, in Catalan Universitat de Barcelona and known as UB, was established on 3 November 1450 under a royal prerogative of King Alfons el Magnànim. A medical school, the Estudi General, existed earlier, founded by Martí the Humane in 1401. The university was closed under the Bourbons from 1714 to 1837, and was then restored in Barcelona. Its motto is Libertas perfundet omnia luce, freedom bathes everything with light.
The institution is very large. The infobox gives 62,995 students, while the body text mentions about 76,000. The administrative staff counts 5,715, and more than 5,000 full-time researchers, technicians and research assistants work at the university. According to the infobox it has four campuses, 16 faculties and nine affiliated centres, and the text gives 18 faculties and 100 to 106 departments, so the figures conflict. The Pedralbes campus dates from 1952 and the Campus Mundet from the 1990s.
The academic offer includes 74 undergraduate programmes, 349 graduate programmes and 48 doctoral programmes. This makes the university one of the broadest in Spain, from medicine and law to physics and philosophy. The library holds about two million volumes, the second largest university library in Spain.
Research is a strength. The Government of Catalonia recognises 243 research groups, and the university has 30 research centres. In 2010 it won 175 national and 17 European grants, ran more than 500 joint projects with business and earned about 70 million euros in research income. Affiliated research foundations include PCB and IRB Barcelona, IDIBAPS and IDIBELL.
The university ranks first in Spain in most rankings of 2024 and 2025 and around 50th in Europe. Times Higher Education 2026 places it 145th in the world. The QS subject rankings of 2020 placed anatomy and physiology 14th, library science 43rd, philosophy 45th and archaeology 47th. The alumni include the football manager Josep Guardiola, the basketball player Pau Gasol, the tenor José Carreras, the cardiologist Valentín Fuster, the politician Lluís Companys, the poet Carles Riba and the writer Najat El Hachmi. Public tuition fees in Spain are set by each region. Check the current tariff.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Finance, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Microbiology and Genetics, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Four campuses, 16 faculties, nine affiliated centres, research foundations PCB, IRB Barcelona, IDIBAPS and IDIBELL.
Research:
Biomedicine, chemistry, physics, biology, humanities and social sciences, with 243 research groups.
Famous Alumnis:
Josep Guardiola, Pau Gasol, José Carreras, Valentín Fuster, Lluís Companys, Carles Riba, Najat El Hachmi
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5715
Current students***:
62995
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
First in Spain in most 2024 and 2025 rankings, 243 research groups, library of about two million volumes, founded in 1450.
Cons
Very large student body, crowded lecture halls in some degrees, campuses spread across the city.
Best For
Students looking for the leading research university of Spain, in the centre of Barcelona.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
A good alternative in the same country is Complutense University of Madrid, which likewise covers finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is slightly larger, at about 86,159 students against roughly 62,995 here.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry can consider University of Valencia, and it covers statistics and engineering as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 55,000 students against roughly 62,995 here.
Autonomous University of Madrid works in much the same fields, chiefly finance, chemistry and physics, and it covers engineering as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 31,722 students against roughly 62,995 here.
Where this institution leans on chemistry, physics and mathematics, University of Granada does the same, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
In terms of fields, University of Seville is the nearest neighbour, with finance, chemistry and physics again at the core; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers aerospace and telecommunications as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Vienna in Austria shares the finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry orientation of this institution, and it is slightly larger, at about 85,243 students against roughly 62,995 here, and is also a public institution.
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany pursues a similar profile in microbiology and genetics, chemistry and physics, and it covers software engineering as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 32,000 students against roughly 62,995 here.
University of Turin in Italy shares the finance, microbiology and genetics and chemistry orientation of this institution, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers agriculture and statistics as well.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Charles University in the Czech Republic, where microbiology and genetics, chemistry and physics also form the core, and it is slightly smaller, at about 51,438 students against roughly 62,995 here, and is also a public institution.
Abroad, Université Paris Cité (France) covers microbiology and genetics, chemistry and physics in a comparable way, and it has almost the same size, at about 64,100 students, and is also a public institution.
*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 University of Barcelona?
In Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, with campuses including Pedralbes and Mundet.
When was it established?
On 3 November 1450.
What is its motto?
Libertas perfundet omnia luce.
When was it closed under the Bourbons?
From 1714 to 1837.
How many students does it have?
62,995 according to the infobox.
How many research groups does it have?
243 recognised by the Government of Catalonia.
How many volumes does the library hold?
About two million.
How is it ranked in Spain?
First in most rankings of 2024 and 2025.
Which football manager studied there?
Josep Guardiola.
What does it cost?
Public tuition fees in Spain are set by each region. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Chemistry, Innovation, Physics, Research and Development
*: 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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