CEU Universities (Spain): CEU San Pablo, CEU Cardenal Herrera, Abat Oliba CEU and CEU Fernando III
Universidades CEU
A Catholic-inspired Spanish university group with four universities in Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona and Seville.
- Students
- 21,391
- International
- 20%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 12.6:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- €4,800
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1933
About CEU Universities
This profile covers the Spanish CEU group (CEU Universities), not Central European University in Vienna. CEU Universities is the brand of the higher-education institutions run by the Fundación Universitaria San Pablo CEU, which the Catholic Association of Propagandists founded in 1933. The ceu.es Spanish pages speak of 'our 4 universities' and list Universidad CEU San Pablo (Madrid), CEU Cardenal Herrera (Valencia, Elche and Castellón), Abat Oliba CEU (Barcelona) and CEU Fernando III (Seville); QS also lists the same four. (The English ceu.es homepage still says three, and THE's description names only Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia.) Admissions and fee details below are for CEU San Pablo in Madrid, used as the reference.
Times Higher Education's 2026 ranking entry for CEU Universities shows about 21,400 students, of whom 20 percent are international, and a student-to-staff ratio of 12.6. The group says its universities attract students from more than 90 countries, and its teaching follows a model based on Christian Humanism. For international applicants, CEU San Pablo (Madrid) is the best documented member and the reference for admissions and fees on this page: it has six schools on the Moncloa and Montepríncipe campuses plus a newer Creativity Campus, and it offers degrees in English, bilingual degrees and dual degrees with US partners.
CEU admits students through an application form, transcripts, a motivation letter and an interview rather than a fixed grade cut-off. It suits applicants who want small-group teaching in a private Spanish university, are comfortable with its Catholic-inspired ethos, and can pay private fees.
Why students choose CEU Universities
CEU San Pablo offers degrees taught entirely in English, such as Dentistry, Pharmacy, Architecture, Advertising and Public Relations, and International Relations and the European Union.
International Dual Degrees with Boston University and Fordham University include a period studying in the United States.
CEU Universities hold five stars in every QS Stars category (2025 to 2030 rating), including for teaching, employability and internationalisation.
Merit scholarships of 2,500 to 7,500 euros are available to national and international students with a secondary-school average of 8 out of 10 or higher.
Admissions
2027 entry (CEU San Pablo, Madrid, used as the reference)
Selectivity
CEU does not publish an acceptance rate. CEU San Pablo says no minimum average grade is required; admission depends on the academic record plus an interview and a knowledge assessment, with specific procedures for Medicine, Dentistry and international programmes.
Typical entry requirements
| EU, IB, European Baccalaureate and treaty countries | Students who can enter university in their own education system (listed systems include the UK, France, Italy, Poland, China and the IB) apply for the UNED accreditation to access Spanish universities |
|---|---|
| Other non-EU secondary qualifications | Official recognition (homologación) of the secondary qualification to the Spanish Bachillerato by the Spanish Ministry of Education |
| English language | No fixed admission score is published. The interview checks the level needed for the degree's language. Students must certify English B2 before graduating (before the end of second year in English or bilingual degrees). Internal TOEFL-style tests are offered only for the International Dual Degrees. |
Deadlines
- Applications open (CEU San Pablo) Non-bindingFrom November (the FAQ gives no year; for 2027 entry this means November 2026); no fixed closing date published
The FAQ says that starting in November applicants can apply through the online form; places are reserved by payment of the reservation fee. Year not stated on the page.
Admissions, deadlines and fees on this page are for CEU San Pablo (Madrid) as the reference. CEU San Pablo does not publish a closing date; apply early because places are allocated as applicants complete the process. Other CEU universities have their own procedures.
How to apply
Fill in the online admission form on the CEU San Pablo site, upload grades or equivalent, a letter of motivation and an ID or passport, book an interview with a professor (online or in person), then receive a decision. After pre-registration and payment of the place reservation fee, enrolment requires a legal university-access document for international students.
What admissions looks for
- Academic achievements from the last completed school year and the current report.
- Language skills for the language of the chosen degree.
- Motivation for the specific degree, assessed in the interview.
- Strengths that suggest success at university.
Tips for applying to CEU Universities
- 1 Start the legal access process (UNED accreditation or homologación) early; enrolment is not completed until the access document arrives.
- 2 Write the motivation letter for the specific degree; the interviewer weighs motivation for that degree.
- 3 Ask about the merit scholarship at application time; the 2026-27 application period is closed, so check the next call.
- 4 For Medicine and Dentistry, read the dedicated admission process and test requirements.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
CEU's own scholarships page claims the most investment in scholarships and grants among private institutions in Spain (more than 30 million euros; a self-description, not an independent ranking). CEU Merit Program scholarships of 2,500 to 7,500 euros go to national and international students with a school average of 8 or above (not Medicine), and the best candidate per degree with a 9 or above can receive 100 percent of fees. Marqués de Lozoya scholarships give a 68 percent discount for Education, Humanities, History and Art History.
- 2,500 to 7,500 euros; 100% of fees for the top candidate per degree (average 9+)
- CEU Merit scholarship
- 68% discount for Education, Humanities, History, Art History
- Marqués de Lozoya scholarships
- 25% discount on that year's fees for Boston University and Fordham dual degrees
- US dual degree mobility year
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters; annual tuition paid in monthly instalments
Medicine (CEU San Pablo)
Taught in Spanish or bilingually, 19,500 euros tuition per year in 2026-27 with its own admission process.
Dentistry in English (CEU San Pablo)
A fully English-taught option, with optional Chemistry and Biology tests and a teaching polyclinic in Madrid.
International Dual Degrees (Boston University, Fordham)
CEU San Pablo dual degrees that include mobility to the United States, with a 25 percent fee discount in the mobility year.
Veterinary Medicine (CEU Cardenal Herrera)
The QS Stars rating names Veterinary Medicine at CEU UCH for programme strength.
International Relations and the European Union (English)
English-taught Law School degree at CEU San Pablo, 13,200 euros per year in 2026-27.
Architecture and Pharmacy in English (CEU San Pablo)
Both are listed as English-language degrees (14,700 and 15,000 euros per year in 2026-27).
Research
- CEU reports more than 70 active research projects worth more than 8 million euros, and doctoral studies run through the inter-university CEINDO international doctoral school.
- CEU San Pablo's research institutes include the Metabolomics and Bioanalysis Excellence Centre (CEMBIO) and the Institute for Applied Molecular Medicine (IMMA), per Wikipedia.
- CEU San Pablo operates a teaching polyclinic for Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Psychology and Nutrition in Madrid.
Schools & faculties
- CEU San Pablo: School of Humanities and Communication Sciences
- CEU San Pablo: Law School
- CEU San Pablo: School of Economics and Business
- CEU San Pablo: School of Pharmacy
- CEU San Pablo: School of Medicine
- CEU San Pablo: Institute of Technology (Escuela Politécnica Superior)
- CEU Cardenal Herrera: Humanities and Communication, Law, Business and Political Science, Health Sciences, Veterinary, Higher School of Technical Studies
- CEU Fernando III (Seville): Education (Magisterio), Law, and Physical Activity and Sport Sciences
- Abat Oliba CEU: a single School of Social Sciences
CEU's degree page says that in some faculties on average 95 percent of graduates find work, and that for some degrees 89 percent found employment in under three months. These are the group's own figures, not an independent survey.
Student life
At CEU San Pablo in Madrid, students are assigned a tutor professor and most of the undergraduate schools sit on the Moncloa campus near the city centre, with Pharmacy, Medicine and the Institute of Technology at Montepríncipe in Alcorcón, reached by a university bus service. A Creativity Campus in central Madrid hosts art, design and animation degrees. The university says its faculties draw students from up to 20 countries each, and the wider group says it has students from more than 90 countries. CEU also runs an entrepreneurship programme (StartinCEU) and a high-ability programme.
- Own bus service between central Madrid and the Montepríncipe campus.
- StartinCEU and CEU Emprende programmes for student entrepreneurship.
- Colegio Mayor San Pablo university residence near the Moncloa campus, according to Wikipedia.
- Language training in English or Spanish included in the tuition.
Housing. CEU San Pablo has no single housing guarantee on the pages fetched; the Colegio Mayor San Pablo residence hall is located next to the university, per Wikipedia.
Location
CEU San Pablo's Moncloa campus is on Julián Romea Street in central Madrid, reachable by Metro lines 6 and 7, while Montepríncipe lies in Alcorcón on the edge of the city. CEU's other universities are in Valencia, Elche and Castellón (CEU Cardenal Herrera), Barcelona (Abat Oliba CEU) and Seville (CEU Fernando III). The group says student spending in Spain averages 800 to 1,200 euros a month.
Notable alumni
- DM Dolors MontserratSpanish People's Party politician and Member of the European Parliament; law degree at Abat Oliba CEU (English and Spanish Wikipedia)
- JM Jorge MoragasSpanish politician and diplomat; Spanish Wikipedia's infobox lists Universidad CEU Abat Oliba among his education
- MC Miquel CalçadaJournalist, broadcaster and co-founder of the Flaix Group; Spanish Wikipedia's infobox lists Universidad CEU Abat Oliba among his education
- MJ María José CataláPeople's Party politician; law degree and 2017 doctorate from CEU Cardenal Herrera (English Wikipedia)
- AM Ana MilánActress, presenter and model; education listed as CEU Cardenal Herrera (Wikipedia infobox)
Frequently asked questions
Is CEU Universities the same as Central European University?
No. This profile is for the Spanish CEU group (Fundación Universitaria San Pablo CEU), which ceu.es describes as four universities: CEU San Pablo (Madrid), CEU Cardenal Herrera (Valencia), Abat Oliba CEU (Barcelona) and CEU Fernando III (Seville). It is unrelated to Central European University in Vienna. Admissions and fee answers here refer to CEU San Pablo in Madrid.
How much does CEU San Pablo (Madrid) cost?
For 2026-27, annual tuition for single degrees runs from 4,800 euros (Primary Education) to 23,100 euros (Dentistry in English), plus a reservation fee and an enrolment fee. Medicine is 19,500 euros per year.
Does CEU San Pablo require an entrance exam?
No fixed entrance exam: admission uses your record, a motivation letter and an interview, followed by online levelling tests. Applicants from non-EU education systems may first need their secondary qualification recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
Can I study in English at CEU?
Yes. CEU San Pablo lists English-taught degrees including Dentistry, Pharmacy, Architecture, Advertising and Public Relations, and International Relations and the European Union, plus bilingual degrees.
Are there scholarships for international students?
CEU Merit scholarships of 2,500 to 7,500 euros are open to national and international students with a school average of 8 or above. The 2026-27 application period is closed, so check the next call.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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