Spain is one of the best-known countries in the European Union, offering international students a wide variety of academic and national environments. The educational system in Spain offers a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

While most courses are taught in Spanish, there are also a number of courses taught in English. Some universities also allow you to study in Spain without IELTS for programs taught in English.

Spain has developed into a country with a diverse and multicultural student population that has made the Spanish educational system one of the most attractive in Europe. An international student has the opportunity to obtain a degree in Spanish or English.

Requirements to study in Spain

To study in Spain, international students must meet certain criteria and present the following documents:

Application Form for Admission to Studies. To study in Spain a master’s degree, a valid bachelor’s degree from a university recognized by the government in the country of origin.

Official records of your grades, and certificates confirming any passed college entrance exam. To prove your English language proficiency, many universities require TOEFL/IELTS scores.

Motivation Letter/Statement of Purpose: The SOP must clearly describe your motivation behind admission to that particular university.

Typically, the student will require a letter of recommendation to apply to the university. The LOR must be from teachers at your school/university or from your employer.

Curriculum Vitae (CV). Copy of your passport. Passport.

Studying in Spain without IELTS

To study in Spain without IELTS, you must fulfill one of the following forms. These are some of the most popular options to continue your education in Spain without IELTS.

You are a native speaker

Worldwide, there are 450 million people who speak Spanish as their mother tongue. You can also find the Hispanic community in the United States. If you are a native Spanish or English speaker, you can move to Spain without taking IELTS.

Show proof of Spanish proficiency

If you speak Spanish, you can take the internationally recognized DELE exam to access Spanish universities. For the undergraduate course you will need a DELE B2 certificate and for a postgraduate program a DELE C1 certificate.

Take a preparatory course in Spanish

You can enroll in a Spanish language preparatory course to increase your proficiency to the level required by the institution to which you wish to apply.

The University of Nebrija in Spain is one of the universities that offer these preparatory courses. Without a doubt, this is one of the best ways to study in Spain without IELTS.

Diploma from a Spanish school

If you have a high school diploma from a specialized Spanish language school, you do not need to take any other proof of language proficiency to be admitted to a degree program in Spain. There are specialized language schools all over the world, so this option is quite viable.

Produce some other internationally recognized English proficiency certificate

If you are looking to gain admission to an English-taught degree program at a university in Spain, you can produce another IELTS substitute to prove your English proficiency. TOEFL is the most popular alternative to IELTS, as well as CAE and CPE from the University of Cambridge.

Universities in Spain without IELTS

The universities listed below do not specifically require IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency, as reported on their official websites.

Pablo de Olavide University

Pablo de Olavide University is popular primarily for its wide range of Spanish programs. Some of them include graduate programs such as the Hispanic Studies Program and the Spanish Language and Culture Program.

There are also several varieties of preparatory courses in Spanish, along with international TEFL and TESOL certificates.

University of Valencia

The University of Valencia is the Spanish university with the highest number of international admissions according to the latest statistics. The majority of international students come to the university under the Erasmus Program.

Most importantly, there are no specific requirements for any language certificate for international students. However, it is advisable to have basic knowledge of the Spanish language.

The University of Salamanca

This is the third oldest university in Europe, located in one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, Salamanca. The most popular degree programs for international students are in Health and Medicine and in Spanish Language and Culture.

Their business program is also a popular option. There is no information on specific language proficiency requirements for international students.

The best universities in Spain

Here we mention the list of universities in Spain, which is at the top of the world rankings according to the QS world university ranking:

  1. Universitat de Barcelona 
  2. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 
  3. Complutense University of Madrid
  4. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
  5. University of Navarra 
  6. Universitat Pompeu Fabra
  7. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) 
  8. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) 
  9. Universitat Politècnica de València 
  10. IE University 

So now you know how to study in Spain without IELTS. Be sure to ask about the particular university if it accepts non-IELTS admission for international students and gets your higher education in one of the best places in the world.