How Much Does a Master's in Spain Cost in 2026/27? About €5,000 in Tuition If You Are Not From the EU

The short answer

A one-year, 60-credit master's at a Spanish public university costs a non-EU student about €5,000 in tuition alone. At Complutense (Madrid) it is €5,044, at the University of Barcelona €4,920. A local student pays €2,701 and €1,162 for the same programme.

On top of that you need living money: €720 to €1,600 a month, depending on the city and the housing. For the visa, the consulate asks you to show at least €600 for each month of study.

We took the 2026/27 prices from the universities' official pages on 6 November 2026. Requirements depend on the university, programme and intake year.

Why international students pay more

In Spain, each region sets the price per credit at public universities by decree. Regions may charge more to students from outside the EU who have no residence permit.

Madrid does it like this: a non-EU, non-resident student pays the third-enrolment price instead of the first-enrolment one. On masters that qualify you for a regulated profession, the fourth-enrolment price. Catalonia simply has a separate line in the table for these students.

One detail from the University of Barcelona's table matters: a student stay permit does not help. Students already living in Spain on a study visa pay the higher price too. The standard price applies to citizens of the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Andorra and China, and to people with a Spanish residence permit that is not for study.

2026/27 prices: two universities, one 60-credit programme

A master's in Spain most often lasts one year, which is 60 ECTS credits. Below is the price per credit and our calculation for 60 credits.

• Complutense, standard master's: €45.02 per credit for locals, €84.07 for non-EU students. Per year: €2,701 and €5,044.
• Complutense, professional masters: from €16.92 to €20.68 per credit for locals. Non-EU students pay the fourth-enrolment price: €126 (Law practice), €154.80 (Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering), €169.21 (General Health Psychology). 60 credits of Computer Engineering come to €9,288.
• University of Barcelona, standard master's: €19.37 for locals, €82 for non-EU students. Per year: €1,162 and €4,920.
• University of Barcelona, professional masters: €17.69 for locals, €71 for non-EU students. Per year: €1,061 and €4,260.
• Some University of Barcelona programmes: €95 or €110 per credit, which is €5,700 to €6,600 for 60 credits.

Living in Madrid and Barcelona

The universities give these figures without a date, so treat them as a guide. The most common student housing is a room in a shared flat.

• Madrid, room: €400–800 a month plus €50–120 for utilities (Autonomous University of Madrid).
• Madrid, residence or studio: €700–1,200 and €750–1,100 a month.
• Madrid, total: €800–1,200 a month on a tight budget, €1,200–1,600 or more otherwise. Complutense says €900–1,300.
• Barcelona, room: €260–400, an individual flat €700–1,200 (Autonomous University of Barcelona).
• Barcelona, total: €720–1,200 a month, including €250–350 for food and €60–80 for transport.

Visa funds: €600 for every month

For a study visa you must show funds of at least 100% of IPREM, a Spanish public income indicator. The Spanish consulate in Buenos Aires puts it plainly: at least €600 for each month of study, or for 12 months if the course lasts longer than a year. So one year of a master's means €7,200.

If family members come with you, add €450 a month for the second person and €300 for each one after that. Health insurance must be full, with no co-payments and no waiting periods. Travel insurance and insurance tied to a credit card are not accepted.

The consulate advises applying for the visa two months before the course starts. Check the amount and the document list with your own consulate: requirements may differ.

What it adds up to: three scenarios

This is our calculation from the figures above, not a price list. Flights, document translation and the visa fee are not included.

• Tight, Barcelona: tuition €4,920 and €720 a month to live. About €13,560 a year.
• Middle, Madrid: tuition €5,044 and €1,000 a month to live. About €17,040 a year.
• With a margin, Madrid: a professional master's in Computer Engineering at €9,288 and €1,600 a month to live. About €28,490 a year.

Do you need your degree homologated?

For a standard master's, usually not. The university itself checks that your bachelor's degree is equivalent in level to a Spanish one and gives access to a master's in your country. Complutense and the University of Barcelona both work this way. You need copies of your diploma and transcript, legalised or apostilled, with an official translation.

This access does not recognise your degree in Spain in general. It is valid only for that master's. Some professional programmes require full homologation: Complutense requires it for Law practice, and for General Health Psychology it asks for homologation or a special accreditation. That takes time, so start early.

Common mistakes

• Reading the local price. The first line on a university page is for EU citizens. Look for the line for non-EU students.
• Assuming a study visa removes the surcharge. At the University of Barcelona it does not.
• Taking the credit price for the yearly price. Multiply by the programme's credits: 60, 90 or 120.
• Not checking whether the master's is professional. Those have different prices and sometimes require homologation.
• Showing exactly €7,200 for the visa. That is the minimum for living. Tuition and rent need money too.
• Forgetting about Spanish. If Spanish is not your native language, Complutense asks for B2 unless the programme description says otherwise.
• Buying travel insurance. It is not accepted for a study visa.

What you can do yourself and what we take on

You can choose a field and a city and gather your diploma and transcript yourself. The risk of error lies elsewhere: finding the price line for your status, working out whether a programme is professional, getting legalisation and translation done in time. We match universities to your budget, check your documents and handle the application. Our work for one university in Spain costs $529. You pay the university's fee yourself, on its invoice, with no markup from us.

After you are admitted, we help with the visa: study visa, $180. If the programme requires homologation, there is a homologation service, $260 (through a partner, on request). Admission is the university's decision; we do not promise a result.

What to do today

Write down two or three programmes you like. For each, find the number of credits and the price line for non-EU students. Multiply, then add living costs from the table above.

How applying for a master's differs from a bachelor's is covered in a separate article. Next, look at universities in Spain and grants in Spain. If you want us to work out your case, fill in the form.

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