University of Córdoba
Universidad de Córdoba
A public university in a UNESCO World Heritage city, strong in agri-food, veterinary science and the natural sciences.
- Students
- 21,000
- Tuition
- €4,500
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1972
- QS World Ranking
- 951-1000
- 2027 edition
About UCO
The University of Córdoba (UCO) is a public university in Andalusia, chartered in 1972 as the successor to earlier institutions in the city, including a long-established veterinary faculty. It has three campuses in the city of Córdoba and one school, the Polytechnic School of Belmez, about 60 kilometres away, which was founded in 1924 as a mining school and joined the university in 1973.
Its own description sets out three main areas: Food and Agriculture together with Science and Technology; Humanities and the Legal and Social Sciences; and Health Sciences. The Rabanales campus, 3 kilometres from the centre, houses Veterinary Science, Science, the Higher Polytechnic School and the Agricultural and Forest Engineering school. Law, Business and Economics, Philosophy and Letters, and Labour Sciences sit in the city, and Medicine and Nursing are on the Menéndez Pidal Health campus beside the Reina Sofía University Hospital. It is a founding member of the ceiA3 agri-food campus of international excellence, with the universities of Almería, Cádiz, Jaén and Huelva.
The university's own international pages describe about 21,000 students, more than 1,200 teaching staff and 700 administrative staff (an undated figure). Most degrees are taught in Spanish and follow the Andalusian single-district admission system, in which places are ranked by admission mark. It suits students who want low public tuition, a compact, walkable historic city and a degree in food, life or veterinary sciences, and who are ready to study in Spanish.
Why students choose UCO
Strength in agri-food, veterinary science and the natural sciences, with the Rabanales campus and the ceiA3 agri-food campus of international excellence.
Medicine and Nursing sit on a health campus beside the Reina Sofía University Hospital.
Public tuition in Andalusia is low: first-enrolment credits cost 12.62 euros each in every degree group, so about 757 euros for a 60-credit year, before the Junta's 99 percent bonus for credits passed at first attempt.
Córdoba was designated a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1984 and is linked by high-speed train to Madrid (about 2 hours), Seville (about 45 minutes) and Málaga (about 1 hour), according to the university.
Admissions
2027 entry (2027-28 academic year)
Selectivity
Places in Andalusian public universities are allocated by admission mark through the single-district (DUA) system, so each degree has a cut-off mark rather than an acceptance rate.
Typical entry requirements
| Non-EU baccalaureate from a country without an agreement with Spain | Homologation of the qualification to the Spanish baccalaureate (mandatory) or a registered homologation application with an academic transcript (admission then provisional); admission through the foreign-student phase to a limited number of places, or via the ordinary phase with the PEvAU |
|---|---|
| EU students and students from agreement countries meeting home access requirements | UNED credential for access to Spanish universities, then DUA pre-enrolment |
Deadlines
- Foreign-student phase (homologated qualification) Non-binding Passed6 to 19 March (2026 dates shown)
Previous cycle (2026/27 entry): 2027 dates not yet published. First allocation was 8 April 2026; homologation applications for unfinished studies had to be accredited by 17 July.
- Ordinary phase Non-binding Passed11 to 22 June (2026 dates shown)
Previous cycle. First allocation was published 3 July 2026 and the second on 16 July 2026.
The dates shown are the Junta de Andalucía's calendar for 2026/2027 entry (the previous cycle); the 2027 calendar has not been published. The foreign-student phase is usually in March and the ordinary phase in June.
How to apply
Submit a pre-enrolment request online through the Distrito Único Universitario Andaluz (DUA) with one list of degrees across the Andalusian public universities, after obtaining homologation or the UNED credential. Admitted students then enrol via the University of Córdoba's online automatrícula system.
What admissions looks for
- Admission is by mark: for homologated qualifications the admission mark combines the average bachillerato grade (60 percent) and the PEvAU (40 percent) plus weighted subject marks.
- Foreign-phase applicants must meet the minimum average mark set for each degree.
- Applicants can improve their mark by sitting up to four admission-phase subjects, of which the best two count, adding up to 4 points.
Tips for applying to UCO
- 1 Start the homologation of your secondary diploma early; the ministry handles it and a registered application can be enough for provisional admission.
- 2 Choose your admission-phase subjects carefully: weighting parameters vary by degree, and the Junta publishes them for each one.
- 3 If you took UNED specific competence tests, note that the 2023 UCO guide says Andalusian public universities do not use the UNED mark to calculate the admission mark.
- 4 Check the minimum bachillerato average for your degree in the foreign-student phase before applying.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
The Junta de Andalucía refunds 99 percent of the price of credits passed at first attempt the following year for students of Andalusian public universities. The University of Córdoba runs a scholarship and grant programme for Ibero-American students, has its own scholarship call and lists AECID and Ministry of Education scholarships in its admission guide.
- 99% of the price, applied the following year
- Junta de Andalucía bonus on first-enrolment credits passed
- 59.10 euros to open the student file; 5.70 euros for the student card
- Administrative fees on first enrolment
Academics
Veterinary Science
A long-established faculty on the Rabanales campus.
Agricultural and Forest Engineering
Taught at ETSIAM within the ceiA3 agri-food campus of international excellence.
Medicine and Nursing
Taught on the Menéndez Pidal Health campus next to the Reina Sofía University Hospital.
Sciences (biology, chemistry, environmental sciences)
The Faculty of Science is based at Rabanales, the university's main scientific campus.
Philosophy and Letters
Housed in the former Cardinal Salazar Hospital in the historic centre.
Research
- Most scientific activity is on the Rabanales campus, next to the Rabanales 21 Science and Technology Park.
- The Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research links the university with the Reina Sofía hospital.
- The university helped found the ceiA3 agri-food campus of international excellence, with the universities of Almería, Cádiz, Jaén and Huelva.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Law and Business and Economic Sciences
- Faculty of Labour Sciences
- Faculty of Philosophy and Letters
- Faculty of Education Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- Faculty of Veterinary Science
- Faculty of Science
- Higher Technical School of Agricultural and Forest Engineering (ETSIAM)
- Higher Polytechnic School
- Higher Polytechnic School of Belmez
The university links to the Junta de Andalucía's graduate employment statistics but the pages consulted publish no university-specific rate.
Student life
Students are split between three city campuses: the historic centre for humanities, law and business, the Health campus beside the Reina Sofía hospital, and the science-focused Rabanales campus 3 kilometres outside the centre, reached by commuter train and bus. The university offers sports facilities across roughly 60,000 square metres and a rented-housing route for newcomers: many students share a flat or live off campus with Spanish families, and there are student residence halls beside the health faculty. International students can get a 50 percent discount on some performance tickets in the city.
- Three city campuses plus the Belmez school, with commuter train and special bus services to Rabanales
- Sports facilities across about 60,000 square metres of campus space
- International exchange tutors and a welcome ceremony for international students
- 50 percent discount on tickets for some city performances for international students
- Cycling infrastructure: Córdoba has more than 35 km of cycle paths
Housing. Students can live off campus with Spanish families, share flats, or use the student residence halls next to the health faculty; the international office helps with finding accommodation.
Location
Córdoba is a historic Andalusian city on the Guadalquivir river, named a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1984 and once the capital of Al-Andalus. The university sits partly in the historic centre, near the Jewish Quarter, and partly on the Health and Rabanales campuses. High-speed AVE trains connect it to Madrid, Seville and Málaga, according to the university.
Nearest airport: Seville (SVQ) or Málaga (AGP), both linked by high-speed train
Notable alumni
- IE Ismahane ElouafiMoroccan-born plant scientist and international agricultural research leader; PhD in genetics from the University of Córdoba (2001)
- CC Carmen CalvoSpanish politician, Deputy Prime Minister 2018-2021; doctorate in constitutional law from the University of Córdoba
- GF Guillermo Fernández VaraSpanish physician and politician, President of the Regional Government of Extremadura 2007-2011 and 2015-2023 (died 5 October 2025); studied medicine at the University of Córdoba
- PJ Pedro JordanoEvolutionary ecologist; bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Córdoba in 1979
- MM Manuel MoyanoSpanish writer; studied agricultural engineering at the University of Córdoba
- JA Jesús AguirreSpanish politician, President of the Parliament of Andalusia 2022-2026; medicine degree from the University of Córdoba in 1979
- JA José Antonio NietoSpanish politician and former mayor of Córdoba (2011-2015); law degree from the University of Córdoba
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to study at the University of Córdoba?
For residents, first-enrolment credits cost 12.62 euros each under Andalusia's public-price decree (Decree 98/2023, still the reference in 2026/27), so about 757 euros for 60 credits plus small administrative fees. Non-EU students not resident in Spain may be charged more: an older university guide gave about 4,500 euros a year, but we could not find a 2026/27 figure, so confirm with the admissions office.
How do non-EU students apply to a bachelor's degree at Córdoba?
They homologate their secondary diploma with the Spanish ministry (a registered application can suffice for provisional admission), then pre-enrol through the Andalusian single-district system, either in the foreign-student phase or in the ordinary phase with the PEvAU.
What are the application dates for 2027?
The 2027 calendar is not yet published. For 2026/27 entry the foreign-student phase ran from 6 to 19 March 2026 and the ordinary phase from 11 to 22 June 2026.
Do I need Spanish?
Most degrees are taught in Spanish, and the university offers Spanish as a foreign language courses for international students.
What is Córdoba's campus structure?
Three campuses in the city (the historic centre, the Health campus and Rabanales) plus the Polytechnic School of Belmez, about 60 kilometres away.
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.
- University of Córdoba: About UCO (international)
- University of Córdoba: Foreign students
- University of Córdoba: Admission of non-EU students (PDF, 2023)
- University of Córdoba: Undergraduate students from foreign educational systems (PDF)
- University of Córdoba: Enrolment calendar 2026/27
- University of Córdoba: Enrolment (automatrícula) and public-price decree
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