Address: Plaça de la Mercè, 10-12, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Health and Life Sciences, Economics and Business, Political and Social Sciences, Communication, Law, Humanities, Translation and Language Sciences, Engineering
Pompeu Fabra University, in Catalan Universitat Pompeu Fabra, was founded on 18 June 1990 by the Government of Catalonia. Its address is Plaça de la Mercè, 10-12, in Barcelona. It is one of the youngest public universities in Spain, and it has built a research profile in a short time. The language of the institution is Catalan.
The university works on three campuses in Barcelona. The Ciutadella campus hosts the social sciences and the humanities, next to the Parc de la Ciutadella. The Mar campus hosts health and life sciences, next to the Port Olímpic. The Poblenou campus hosts information and communicationtechnologies and communication sciences, next to the Can Framis Museum.
The size is moderate. The record gives 9,945 undergraduates for 2015 to 2016 and 2,613 graduate students for 2014 to 2015. The staff counts 592 full-time equivalent professors and 670 administrative staff. The budget was 150.5 million euros in 2020. The rector is Laia de Nadal, elected in May 2023.
Teaching is organised in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, the Faculty of Economics and Business, the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Communication, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Translation and Language Sciences, and the Engineering School. Affiliated centres include IBEI, Tecnocampus, the UPF Barcelona School of Management, ESCI, ESIM, the Mar University School of Nursing, and the UPF Barcelona School of Economics.
The people linked to UPF include the economists Pol Antràs, a professor at Harvard, Andreu Mas-Colell, a former UPF professor, and Jordi Galí, as well as the sociologist Gøsta Esping-Andersen. The footballer Alexia Putellas is also on the list. In the Times Higher Education 150 Under 50 ranking of 2021 the university ranked first in Spain, seventh in Europe and 15th in the world. The QS 50 Under 50 of 2021 placed it first in Spain, eighth in Europe and 28th in the world. Public tuition fees in Spain are set by each region. Check the current tariff.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Finance, Life Sciences, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Affiliated centres IBEI, Tecnocampus, UPF Barcelona School of Management, ESCI, ESIM and UPF Barcelona School of Economics.
Research:
Economics, social sciences, communication, health and life sciences, information and communication technologies and humanities.
Famous Alumnis:
Pol Antràs, Andreu Mas-Colell, Jordi Galí, Gøsta Esping-Andersen, Alexia Putellas
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1262
Current students***:
12558
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Young university ranked first in Spain in the THE 150 Under 50 of 2021, three campuses in Barcelona, strong economics, compact size.
Cons
Small size, teaching largely in Catalan and Spanish, high demand for places.
Best For
Students looking for a young, research-driven university in Barcelona with strong economics and social sciences.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Think of University of Barcelona when finance, life sciences and data analytics is the priority: it covers microbiology and genetics and chemistry as well, and is far larger, with about 62,995 students against roughly 12,558 here.
For students who like the finance, life sciences and data analytics focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Complutense University of Madrid fits well: it is far larger, with about 86,159 students against roughly 12,558 here, and is also a public institution.
Both schools build their programmes around life sciences and data analytics, and Autonomous University of Barcelona is the one to compare first within the country, since it covers microbiology and genetics and computer vision as well, and is larger, enrolling about 37,166 students against roughly 12,558 here.
A good alternative in the same country is University of Valencia, which likewise covers finance, statistics and life sciences; it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers microbiology and genetics and chemistry as well.
For students who like the finance and life sciences focus of this university but want another option nearby, University of Seville fits well: it covers aerospace and chemistry as well, and is far larger, with about 57,214 students against roughly 12,558 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Students considering a move abroad can look at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen in China, where finance, life sciences and data analytics also form the core, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers robotics and electrical and electronics as well.
In China, Renmin University of China teaches much the same core subjects, finance, statistics and data analytics, and it is larger, enrolling about 27,810 students against roughly 12,558 here, and is also a public institution.
Toulouse Capitole University in France pursues a similar profile in finance, statistics and data analytics, and it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
In the United States, George Mason University teaches much the same core subjects, finance, statistics and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom shares the finance, statistics and data analytics orientation of this institution, and it has almost the same size, at about 12,950 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 Pompeu Fabra University?
In Barcelona, with the registered address at Plaça de la Mercè, 10-12.
When was it founded?
On 18 June 1990, by the Government of Catalonia.
How many campuses does it have?
Three, all in Barcelona: Ciutadella, Mar and Poblenou.
Which fields are on the Poblenou campus?
Information and communication technologies and communication sciences.
What is the language of the institution?
Catalan.
Who is the rector?
Laia de Nadal, elected in May 2023.
How many faculties does it have?
Seven faculties and an Engineering School.
How is it placed in the THE 150 Under 50 of 2021?
First in Spain, seventh in Europe and 15th in the world.
Which economists are linked to it?
Pol Antràs, Andreu Mas-Colell and Jordi Galí.
What does it cost?
Public tuition fees in Spain are set by each region. Check the current tariff.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Financial, Innovation, 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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