The University of Salamanca, founded in 1218, is a medium sized university with over thirty thousand students. It is the second most popular university in the country for students wanting to study outside their home districts.
- #501 Ranking
- 2 Masters
- 1,634 Academic Staff
- 28,269 Students
- 5,088 Students (int'l)
- 16,961 Students (female)
- Public Institution Type
Master's Programmes
Social Sciences (2)
Business & Management (1)
About
History
Founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX, the University of Salamanca was Spain’s first institution of higher learning and the oldest in continuous operation. By 1254 it had received acknowledgment from Pope Alexander IV as being one of the four great world universities, along with the universities of Oxford, Paris and Bologna.
Education
The university offers 81 courses in the first and second cycles spread throughout the five branches of knowledge. Like the majority of Spanish universities, the branch of Social and Legal Sciences is where the largest percentage of students are registered. However, there is also a large number of students specialising in Humanities and Experimental Sciences, well above those of Media and Spanish.
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2021
GSSA 2021
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2021. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 8 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
University Ranking
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2022
501 -100
2021
401 300
2020
701
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2023
601 50
2022
651 -50
2021
601
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2023
801
2022
801
2021
801
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2023
-
2022
-
2021
672
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Services
Housing services
The student residences in Salamanca are very popular among long-term students (studying full degrees at Salamanca University), and long-term students always have preference for places at the residences over short-term students (studying a year or less).
Extra facilities depend on the particular residence chosen – these can include access to a gym, TV rooms, terraces, bicycle hire, and much more. One of the residences we work with provides kitchens so that students can cook their own meals; the other residences provide a range of catering options.
Library services
The university has one of the most important and beautiful university libraries in Spain. In the main library located in the historical centre more than 160.000 volumes can be found. There are also important manuscripts and incunables from between the 11th and 14th centuries and about 40.000 books edited between the 16th and 18th centuries.
ICT services
The Spanish courses for foreigners department is located in one of the historical university buildings situated in the Patio de Escuelas Menores which is in the centre of the old town. Although it is a historical building, the classrooms have been modernised, having access to the latest technology lsuch as TV, video and tape recorders to help students progress as swiftly as possible.
Student Life
Campus life
The university is made up of 9 teaching and administrative campuses in Ávila, Zamora, Béjar y Salamanca. Therefore, it is characterised by its widely dispersed geography. In the city of Salamanca, the educational centres are grouped into six campuses: the Historical campus, Campus of Sciences, Campus de Canalejas, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Campus Ciudad Jardín and Campus Villamayor.
Salamanca is a fundamentally university-focused city where close to forty thousand students live as part of a population which barely reaches one hundred and seventy thousand inhabitants.
Sports facilities
Salamanca University has two main sports complexes; the Polideportivo Universitario "Miguel de Unamuno" and the Complejo Deportivo Salas Bajas. Here you can practice almost all types of indoor and outdoor sports, including athletics, tennis, football, badminton, rugby, volleyball, etc.
Both complexes are located within walking distance of the old centre and it is possible to participate in sport activities at competition level or just as a hobby.
Student clubs
- Association of Independent Students of the University of Salamanca (AEUS).
- Alternative Student Group (CEA) (Alternative Students Group)
- Latin American Students Association of the University of Salamanca (ASELUS)
- Independent Students Youth Association (EEII)
- Miguel de Unamuno Student Association (AEMU)
- Progressive Students Association (UNE)
- Student Association (MUNUSAL)
- Students of Humanities' Association (ASHUM)
- Independent University Solution (SIU )
- Association of Underrated Investigators of Salamanca INNOVA (The Underrated Investigators Association of Salamanca)
- Mimesis University Association
- Independent Students (ESIN)
Accreditation
The university is officially recognized by the Ministerio de Universidades, España (Ministry of Universities of Spain).
Student Reviews
Salamanca in a nutshell
Anonymous rated 4 out of 5 stars
The stay at the University of Salamanca was quite good. Although the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, lessons quickly adapted to an online teaching method, then hybrid. I was also able to enjoy a semester abroad with an Erasmus scholarship. University facilities are good and provide students with all the necessary tools to enjoy their learning experiences.
Reinventing or dying: the pending future of the philosophical institution
Anonymous rated 4 out of 5 stars
The degree in Philosophy that I am doing in Salamanca has very well qualified professors, departments in different specialisations of philosophy and the study system is interesting and well formulated. I would have liked it to be a more practical, more applied and more up-to-date degree, as philosophy is very important nowadays and I think that many jobs can be done and a...
Back to School: Round 2
Anonymous rated 4 out of 5 stars
It is only my first month but so far it has been great. USAL has a very good reputation in Spain and in Europe. The campus of my studies is beautiful and the teachers are very passionate. So far I've enjoyed and gotten a lot from my classes.
Other programmes from this university
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