Pompeu Fabra University (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, UPF), founded in 1990, is a young public university with campuses in the centre of Barcelona. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 263rd in the world and the fifth-highest-ranked university in Spain. It’s known for economics, political science, communication, law and the biomedical sciences.
UPF offers several bachelor’s degrees in English and a special route for students with non-EU school qualifications, but non-EU students pay much higher fees. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on UPF’s own guidance and official Spanish government information.
1. Choose an English-taught or Catalan/Spanish degree
Most UPF degrees are taught in Catalan and Spanish, but several are taught in English, including International Business Economics and Global Studies. UPF is a public university, so admission follows the procedures set by the Catalan government and the university.
2. Get your school qualification accredited
Spanish public universities admit students by an admission mark. If your school qualification is from an EU country, the International Baccalaureate, the European Baccalaureate or a country with a reciprocity agreement (such as the UK, China, Switzerland or Norway), you apply to UNEDasiss, run by Spain’s national distance university, for an accreditation that converts your grades to a mark of 5 to 10. If your qualification is from another country, such as the US or India, you usually need to have it officially recognised (homologated) by Spain’s Ministry of Education or go through UNEDasiss. You then apply through the Catalan government’s pre-enrolment system. UNEDasiss.
3. Raise your admission mark with the PCE
Popular degrees have high cut-off marks (notas de corte), and the maximum admission mark is 14. You can add up to 4 points by taking UNEDasiss’s subject exams, the Pruebas de Competencias Específicas (PCE), or the optional phase of Spain’s university entrance exam, in subjects that count extra for your chosen degree. PCE results stay valid for three academic years, so you can take them a year early.
4. Consider the non-EU route to Global Studies
UPF runs an exclusive pathway into its bachelor’s degree in Global Studies for students with school qualifications from outside the EU. Your qualification must be officially recognised (homologated), or you must have proof that you’ve applied for recognition, and your admission mark will be 5. For 2026-27, applications ran from 2 to 26 June 2026 through the Catalan University Access Office portal, with enrolment in July. You must have the recognition during your first year to continue. UPF: Global Studies non-EU pathway.
5. Apply in the Catalan pre-enrolment
For other degrees, you apply through the Catalan government’s pre-enrolment, usually in June for courses starting in September, listing your degrees in order of preference. Check UPF’s cut-off marks from previous years, because degrees such as International Business Economics are in high demand.
6. Prove your English for English-taught degrees
If you choose a degree taught in English, you’ll need to show your level of English. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests.
7. Understand the fees
For 2026-27, UPF’s approximate first-year price for most bachelor’s degrees is €1,202.32 for EU citizens and €6,800.32 for non-residents and citizens of countries outside the EU, including administrative fees. A student stay permit doesn’t qualify you for the EU price, but a Spanish residence permit valid on 1 September may. UPF bachelor’s prices.
8. Budget for life in Barcelona
UPF’s campuses are in central Barcelona, one of Spain’s most expensive cities for rent. Start looking for accommodation as soon as you have a place, and budget for rent, food and transport on top of your fees.
9. Get your student visa
EU citizens don’t need a visa to study in Spain, but they must register as residents if they stay more than three months. If you’re from outside the EU, you apply for a student visa (a long-term stay for studies) at the Spanish consulate in your country once UPF has admitted you. You’ll need to show that you can support yourself, normally 100% of Spain’s IPREM indicator for each month of your stay (€600 a month in 2025), or half that if your accommodation is already paid, plus health insurance. If your course lasts more than six months, you must apply for a foreigner identity card (TIE) within a month of arriving. Spanish consulate: student visa.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
Since Spain’s new immigration regulation came into force in May 2025, a long-term study authorisation for higher education automatically lets you work up to 30 hours a week, as long as the job is compatible with your studies, with no separate work permit. After you graduate with a bachelor’s degree or higher, you can apply for a residence permit to look for a job or start a business. The Ministry of Inclusion’s information sheet says this permit lasts up to 24 months, but you can’t work while you hold it, so you’ll need to switch to a work permit once you find a job. Rules change, so check the latest guidance with UPF’s international office.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at UPF?
UPF offers many official master’s degrees, many of them taught in English, and its economics programmes are run with the Barcelona School of Economics. Each programme sets its own requirements and deadlines. For a PhD, apply through UPF’s doctoral school. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
UPF’s English-taught degrees are in high demand, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to the University of Barcelona, Complutense University of Madrid, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Madrid. Our guide to studying in Spain explains how the Spanish system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from Pompeu Fabra University’s official admissions and fee pages, UNEDasiss, Spanish government sources and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on UPF’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Pompeu Fabra University.