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University guides · Spain

University of Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona)

University of Barcelona for North American students: Catalan and Spanish teaching, diploma recognition, entrance exams and Catalan pre-registration.

Updated · Independent guide, not written or reviewed by the university

Location
Barcelona, Catalonia
Type
Public
Founded
1450
Teaching languages
Catalan, Spanish
Apply through
Catalan university pre-registration (Study in Catalonia)
Official website
ub.edu/web/portal/en

In short

  • The University of Barcelona (UB) is a public university whose founding charter dates from 1450.
  • Bachelor teaching is in Catalan and Spanish; you need good Spanish and should expect some Catalan.
  • A US or Canadian diploma must first be officially recognized as equivalent to the Spanish baccalaureate, and you then sit entrance exams (PAU or the UNEDasiss PCE).
  • Admission to bachelor degrees in Catalonia is through the regional pre-registration process, which allocates places by admission mark.

About UB

The Universitat de Barcelona dates its foundation to 1450, when King Alfonso V issued the charter for the Estudi General of Barcelona, and it marked its 575th anniversary in 2025-2026. It is a public university. Its historic building on Plaça de la Universitat is still in use, and teaching is spread over several campuses in the city, including Diagonal and the health sciences sites.

Languages

Catalan and Spanish are both used for teaching at UB, so a single program may mix the two. Some courses and master programs use English, but full bachelor degrees in English are not the norm. A Canadian or US student should plan for strong Spanish and be ready to follow some classes or materials in Catalan. The UB languages portal lists language courses for students.

Access route for a North American diploma

Canada and the United States are not among the countries with access agreements listed by Study in Catalonia, the Catalan government portal, so students from these systems follow the general route for foreign education systems. The first step is to have your upper secondary diploma officially recognized (homologated) as equivalent to the Spanish baccalaureate. You then sit university entrance exams, either the PAU or the UNEDasiss specific competence tests (PCE), which include Spanish language and literature, a foreign language, history or history of philosophy, and a subject from a listed area. Your entrance mark combines the exam results and your diploma average and must reach at least 5.00.

  1. Request official recognition of your high school diploma from the Spanish authorities as early as possible.
  2. Prepare your diploma and transcripts; they may need legalization and an official translation.
  3. Register for the PAU or the UNEDasiss PCE and prepare the required subjects, including Spanish language and literature.
  4. Pre-register for your degrees through the Catalan university pre-registration within the June or September period.
  5. If your recognition is not final when you pre-register, upload it as soon as you receive it and before the deadline the portal sets.

Places and admission marks

Each UB degree has a fixed number of places, and offers are made in order of admission mark through the Catalan pre-registration system. Popular degrees, such as those in health sciences, often fill with high marks. Your entrance exam results and diploma average feed into that mark, and optional subjects can raise it, so look at the previous year’s cut-off marks published by the Catalan universities to set expectations.

Fees and visas

Tuition at Catalan public universities is set by the regional government per credit and varies by field. Students from outside the EU who are not residents may be charged at a different rate. Check the UB enrolment regulations for the current year. Canadian and US students need a Spanish student visa for a full degree; apply through the Spanish consulate after admission.

Preparing with StudyBrix

Start or strengthen your Spanish with our Spanish A1 and Spanish A2 decks. If your degree is in science, the chemistry readiness deck can help with subject tests. Our Spain guide explains the national access system in detail.

How applications work everywhere in Spain: Studying at university in Spain.

Sources

  1. Universitat de Barcelona: Home page
  2. UNEDasiss: Accreditation and tests for international students
  3. Study in Catalonia: Students from a foreign education system
  4. Universitat de Barcelona: Historical university

Checked on the official pages above (last update October 26, 2026). Admission rules, deadlines and fees change every year: always confirm on the official pages before you apply. This guide is independent and not affiliated with any university or application service. Found a mistake? Tell us.