Spain Education System Explained for International Students | Qogent Global

Academic Structure

Understanding the Spain Education System

Gain insights into the Spain higher education framework, academic culture, teaching methods, and grading system to prepare for your studies.

Spain's three levels

Grado (bachelor's)

240 credits (ECTS, the European credit system), or 300 or 360 for some subjects

60 credits is one year.

Máster Universitario (master's)

60, 90 or 120 credits (ECTS)

Ends with a master's thesis worth 6 to 30 credits.

Doctorado (PhD)

PhD, the level after a master's.

Grado (bachelor's), Máster (master's) and Doctorado (PhD).

Higher Education Framework

How Higher Education Is Organised

Official university study has three levels: Grado (bachelor's), Máster (master's) and Doctorado (PhD).

Academic Degree Structure

Grado

240 ECTS (300 or 360 in some fields)

The bachelor's degree.

Key Characteristics:

Ends with a final project (trabajo de fin de grado) worth at least 6 credits.

Máster Universitario

60, 90 or 120 ECTS

The official master's degree.

Key Characteristics:

Ends with a master's thesis worth 6 to 30 credits.

Doctorado

The doctorate.

Key Characteristics:

Since 11 August 2026, PhD students on an official doctorate in Spain apply for a research residence permit (a permit to live in Spain for research), not a student stay permit.

Grading System

Grades in Spain

Spain marks each subject from 0 to 10, with one decimal. This is not a 4-point GPA.

Letter Grade	GPA	Description
SB	9.0 to 10	Sobresaliente (excellent)
NT	7.0 to 8.9	Notable (very good)
AP	5.0 to 6.9	Aprobado (pass)
SS	0 to 4.9	Suspenso (fail)

Matrícula de Honor

Matrícula de Honor (MH)

GPA: 9.0 or more

For students with 9.0 or more. At most 5% of the students in a subject get it.

5 Is a Pass

A mark of 5.0 or more is a pass. Below 5.0 is a fail.

Academic Calendar

The Academic Year

Courses run in an autumn and a spring semester.

Two semesters

Each university sets its own dates.

Autumn semester

Starts in September.

Spring semester

Starts in February.

Credits (ECTS)

Spain uses ECTS, the European credit system. 60 credits is one year.

Typical Course Credits

•Bachelor's, one year: 60 ECTS
•Bachelor's, full degree: 240 ECTS
•Master's: 60, 90 or 120 ECTS

Institutional Quality

Check a Degree Is Official

Official degrees are listed in the RUCT (Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos), Spain's register of universities, centres and degrees.

Where to Check

Look up your programme before you apply.

Official vs Own Degrees

Universities also run their own degrees (títulos propios) that are not official. A student visa needs a full-time programme at an approved university.