Universitat Ramon Llull
A private federation of Barcelona schools, from Esade and IQS to La Salle and Blanquerna, each with its own admissions.
- Students
- 22,505
- 14,767 undergraduates
- International
- 28%
- of students
- Tuition
- €21,300
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1990
About URL
Universitat Ramon Llull (URL) was created on 1 March 1990 and approved by the Parliament of Catalonia in 1991 as a not-for-profit private university with humanist and Christian ideals. It is federal by design: its founding members were older Barcelona institutions, including IQS (whose chemistry laboratory dates from 1905), La Salle (technical programmes since 1903) and Fundació Blanquerna (1948), and it later added Esade, the Pere Tarrés Foundation, the Ebro Observatory, the Vidal i Barraquer mental health institute, the Borja Institute of Bioethics and the ESDi design school.
In 2024-25 URL had 22,505 students, 14,767 of them on bachelor's degrees, and 27.5% international students from 141 nationalities. It offers 49 bachelor's degrees across 13 schools and faculties and 3 university institutes. Each member keeps its own identity: Esade for business and law, IQS for chemistry, engineering and management, La Salle for engineering, digital technology and architecture, and Blanquerna for psychology, education, sport, health sciences, communication and international relations.
Because URL is private, admission is not by PAU cut-off: each school runs its own process, often with an entrance test, interview or essays. Esade, for example, says none of its degrees has a minimum entry grade and assesses your record, essays, admissions test and English. Fees are set by each school; Esade bachelor's degrees cost 21,300 euros a year. URL suits students who want small classes and close contact with faculty in a professionally focused school inside a larger university.
Why students choose URL
Small groups and close student-faculty relationships are central to URL's stated teaching model.
Access to strong professional schools under one university, including Esade, whose Full-Time MBA the Financial Times ranked 7th in the world in 2026.
More than 6,500 agreements with companies and institutions, and 3,893 students on mobility programmes in 2024-25.
5,440 students received URL scholarships and aid in 2024-25, with 19.8 million euros invested.
Admissions
2027-28 entry
Selectivity
URL does not publish an overall admission rate, and there are no PAU cut-offs: each member school runs its own selective process. Esade states that none of its degrees has a minimum entry grade, but grades must meet its level of academic excellence and places are limited.
Typical entry requirements
| Spanish Bachillerato | Pass the PAU university entrance exam (or hold a higher vocational qualification), plus the school's own admission process |
|---|---|
| EU or agreement-country secondary qualification | A school-leaving qualification that gives university access in your own country |
| Other non-EU secondary qualification | Official Spanish recognition (homologation) of your diploma, or proof that you have applied for it; contact the school's admissions office |
| English language | Depends on the programme's language. Esade assesses English proficiency for all applicants, and its BBA is taught 100% in English; check the teaching language of degrees at other URL schools, which set their own language requirements. |
Deadlines
- Esade bachelor's admissions (September 2027 intake) Non-bindingRolling until June 2027, while places remain
Applications are open now; Esade warns that places are limited, so apply early.
Each URL school sets its own calendar and test dates; check your school's admissions page. Admitted Esade students reserve their place by paying 25% of first-year tuition by the date in their acceptance letter.
How to apply
Apply directly to the URL school that runs your degree, not through the public Catalan pre-enrolment. At Esade, apply online, submit essays and grades and take the Esade Admission Test. At IQS, apply online, pay a 125 euro processing fee (refunded if you are not admitted) and choose an admissions test date from its calendar. Blanquerna and La Salle run their own online applications.
What admissions looks for
- A strong academic record and recent grades; Esade says grades matter but are not the only factor.
- Results in the school's own admission test.
- Well-argued application essays and, where relevant, interviews.
- English proficiency for English-taught degrees.
Tips for applying to URL
- 1 Treat each URL school as its own university: Esade, IQS, La Salle and Blanquerna have separate applications, tests and fees.
- 2 Apply early at Esade: admission is rolling until June 2027 and ends when places run out.
- 3 At IQS, pick your admissions test date when you apply; the 125 euro fee counts toward tuition if you enrol.
- 4 Check the teaching language of your degree: Esade's BBA is 100% in English, while other URL degrees set their own languages of instruction.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in EUR
URL and its schools gave scholarships and aid to 5,440 students in 2024-25, investing 19.8 million euros, and URL runs Santander-URL grant calls. Esade says 53% of students who applied for a scholarship obtained one and offers student loans; Spanish state grants also apply to eligible students.
- 5,440
- Students receiving URL scholarships and aid (2024-25)
- 19.8 million euros
- Invested in URL scholarships and aid (2024-25)
- 53%
- Esade applicants who obtained a scholarship
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters; school-specific calendars
Bachelor of Business Administration (Esade)
Esade's flagship bachelor's, part of a school whose Full-Time MBA the FT ranked 7th in the world in 2026; 21,300 euros a year.
Double Degree in Business Administration and Law (Esade)
Combines Esade's business and law schools; 24,500 euros a year.
Bachelor in Business and Artificial Intelligence (Esade)
A newer Esade degree, also offered as a double degree with the BBA.
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (IQS)
IQS grew from the Laboratori Químic de l'Ebre, founded in 1905, and offers a dual degree in both.
Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (IQS)
Health-science degrees from URL's chemistry-focused school in Sarrià.
Architecture (La Salle)
La Salle's School of Architecture was created in 1997 within a campus with engineering roots going back to 1903.
Research
- URL had 51 research groups, 76 active Spanish R&D projects and 33 active European research projects in 2024-25, with 6 million euros of European funding.
- 765 indexed publications in 2024 and 72 PhD theses defended in 2024-25.
- The Ebro Observatory, founded in 1904, is a URL university institute.
Schools & faculties
- Esade Business School
- Esade Law School
- IQS School of Engineering
- IQS School of Management
- La Salle Campus Barcelona (engineering, architecture, business and philosophy)
- Blanquerna Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences
- Blanquerna Faculty of Health Sciences
- Blanquerna Faculty of Communication and International Relations
- Pere Tarrés Faculty of Social Education and Social Work
- Ebro Observatory University Institute
- Vidal i Barraquer University Institute of Mental Health
- Borja Institute of Bioethics
URL reports being ranked 1st in Catalonia and 3rd in Spain for employability by QS (January 2026), and 5th in Spain in the GEURS international employability ranking (2025).
Student life
There is no single URL campus: life happens at your school. Esade teaches on its Pedralbes campus in the upper part of Barcelona or its Sant Cugat campus, 40 minutes from the centre, IQS is in Sarrià, and La Salle, Blanquerna and Pere Tarrés are spread across the city, most of them in or near central Barcelona. Classes are small, and schools run their own student associations, debate leagues and events. URL-wide services include a sport service, libraries, a university smart card, accommodation support, language services and career services.
- Esade student associations, a Debate League, BIMUN Esade model UN and moot court events for high-school students.
- 3,893 students took part in mobility programmes in 2024-25, and URL has close to 1,000 collaboration agreements with universities worldwide.
- URL sport service and shared libraries across the member schools.
- Student Council and an Ombudsperson for student representation.
Housing. URL has an accommodation service, and schools such as Esade publish guides to residences and housing in Barcelona.
Location
Barcelona is Catalonia's capital, a large Mediterranean city with both Catalan and Spanish as everyday languages. URL's rectorate is at Carrer de Claravall, and its schools are spread across neighbourhoods such as Sarrià and Pedralbes, with Esade also in Sant Cugat, 40 minutes from the city centre.
Nearest airport: Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)
Notable alumni
- RL Ramon LaguartaChairman and CEO of PepsiCo; BBA and MBA from Esade
- JD Joaquin DuatoCEO of Johnson & Johnson; Esade alumnus
- XE Xavier Espot ZamoraPrime Minister of Andorra; Esade alumnus
- FS Ferran SorianoCEO of Manchester City F.C.; Esade alumnus
- DC Damià CalvetCatalan Minister of Territory and Sustainability; building sciences degree from La Salle
- EV Ester Vilarrubla EscalesAndorran Minister of Education and Higher Education; teaching degree from Blanquerna
- RM Risto MejidePublicist, author and TV presenter; Esade alumnus
- AR Albina RuizPeruvian environmentalist and engineer, founder of Ciudad Saludable; PhD in Chemistry
Frequently asked questions
How do you get into Universitat Ramon Llull?
You apply directly to the URL school that offers your degree, such as Esade, IQS, La Salle or Blanquerna. Each has its own application and usually its own admission test, and Spanish-system students also need the PAU.
How much does Ramon Llull University cost?
There is no single URL fee: each school sets its own. The only figures given here are Esade's: bachelor's degrees cost 21,300 euros a year and double degrees 24,500 euros, the same for all nationalities. Check IQS, La Salle, Blanquerna and the other schools directly.
Is Esade part of Ramon Llull University?
Yes. Esade joined URL in 1995, and its bachelor's degrees are official URL degrees.
Does Ramon Llull use PAU cut-off marks?
No. As a private university it selects students through each school's own process; Esade says none of its degrees has a minimum entry grade.
How international is Ramon Llull University?
In 2024-25, 27.5% of its 22,505 students were international, from 141 nationalities.
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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