How much does it cost to study in Spain?
It you want to study at a Spanish university, the cost of your studies will depend on the Autonomous Region, the university and the degree course you choose. The price of the official degrees awarded by the public universities is regulated on a yearly basis by the government, and consists of a single mandatory fee. Then the corresponding amount is established by decree in each Autonomous Region, within the established limits..
If you opt for a degree offered by a particular university, the price will be decided by the university where the course is taught.
The following prices to the public were established by the Ministry for the academic year 2015-2016 (see the tables at the end of the document):
https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2015/07/02/pdfs/BOE-A-2015-7382.pdf
In order to calculate the price of enrolment, you can multiply the total number of credits you intend to register for by the sum of each credit. For example, if a degree in Computer Engineering costs €22.16 /credit, a full academic year consisting of 60 credits will cost you €1,329.60.
First-year students must add in other factors such as the fee for opening up their academic record. Furthermore, depending on your country of origin, the university may multiply the established price.
To give you an idea of the evolution of the fees, we also provide a link with statistics on public university fees issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport:
http://www.mecd.gob.es/educacion-mecd/areas-educacion/universidades/estadisticas-informes/estadisticas/precios-publicos.html
Things to remember
If you fail a subject and have to enrol a second or third time, you will generally have to pay a surcharge.
In the case of private universities, the enrolment fee is established individually by each institution.
Some universities offer what are known as travel subsidies, a form of financial assistance which can be requested for travel by both Spanish and international students.
And as for material for your studies, the best idea is to go to the university libraries, where they will provide the loan of a computer for use on their premises.
Grants
To find out about any grants for which you may be eligible as a student of another nationality, we recommend that you first seek information in your country of origin and then on the website of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID).
This link provides information on the MAE-AECID grants aimed at foreign citizens who wish to pursue their studies in Spain:
http://www.aecid.es/en/index.html
In addition to these MAE-AECID grants, which are among the most commonly known, you can also find many others by using the following search engines:
http://universidad.es/buscador-becas
http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/becas-ayudas.htm
Which one most closely suits your needs? Since financial assistance tends to be limited, we recommend that if you meet the requirements you apply as early as possible, and before travelling to Spain.
Studying Spanish
If you are interested in obtaining your Diploma in Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE), remember that the price of the exam depends on the level and the country in which you register to obtain it.
The following link contains a list of examination centres in Spain:
http://diplomas.cervantes.es/informacion/centros_examen_espanol.html?cod_pais=724