University of Vigo
Universidade de Vigo
Galicia's most engineering-focused university, split across three specialised campuses in Vigo, Ourense and Pontevedra.
- Students
- 19,759
- 16,042 undergraduates
- International
- 7%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 14.6:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- €739
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1990
About UVigo
The Universidade de Vigo became an independent university in 1990, when the Galician university system was split from the University of Santiago de Compostela. It is a public university spread across three specialised campuses: Vigo Tecnolóxico, the main campus at Lagoas-Marcosende about 12 km from the city centre, focused on engineering and science; Campus CREA in Pontevedra, built around art, communication, education and design; and Campus Auga in Ourense, whose schools include aerospace engineering, computer science, law and history.
In 2024/25 it had about 19,800 students on official programmes, including 16,042 undergraduates, and offered 53 bachelor's degrees, 7 double-degree programmes, 68 master's and 40 doctoral programmes. Its strengths are technical: it has schools of telecommunication, industrial, mining and energy, forestry, aeronautical and space, and computer engineering, alongside marine science. Its research centres include CINBIO (biomedicine), AtlanTTIC (telecommunications), the Marine Research Centre (CIM) and CINTECX (engineering).
UVigo suits students who want a mid-sized Spanish public university with low fees and strong engineering, and who are comfortable studying in Spanish or Galician. A few engineering degrees have English-taught groups. Admission to every bachelor's degree is through Galicia's joint pre-enrolment system, which ranks applicants by admission grade.
Why students choose UVigo
Tuition is set by the Galician government at 9.85 to 13.93 euros per credit (about 591 to 836 euros for a 60-credit year), and new students who pass Galicia's PAU can get a 99% discount on their first-year credits.
Aerospace Engineering on the Ourense campus is one of the most competitive degrees in Galicia, with a 2025/26 cut-off of 12.130 out of 14.
Telecommunication Technologies Engineering and Industrial Technologies Engineering have English-taught groups on the Vigo campus.
Each campus specialises: engineering and marine science in Vigo, creative and education degrees in Pontevedra, and aerospace, computing and law in Ourense.
Admissions
2027/28 entry (dates below are from the 2026 admission round)
Selectivity
UVigo does not publish an overall admission rate. All bachelor's degrees have limited places, allocated by Galicia's Interuniversity Commission (CiUG) by admission grade (out of 14). Cut-offs vary widely: in 2025/26 Aerospace Engineering (Ourense) closed at 12.130 and Physiotherapy (Pontevedra) at 10.686 in the ordinary round, while many degrees admit anyone who meets the minimum of 5.
Typical entry requirements
| Spanish Bachillerato + PAU | Pass the PAU; admission grade out of 14, e.g. 2025/26 ordinary-round cut-offs of 12.130 for Aerospace Engineering, 10.056 for Biomedical Engineering, 9.090 for Artificial Intelligence (Ourense) and 7.622 for Law (Ourense) |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma or European Baccalaureate | Accepted directly in the ordinary pre-enrolment round |
| Other foreign qualifications | UNEDasiss accreditation for access to Spanish universities, or homologation of your qualification to the Spanish Bachillerato |
| English language | Most teaching is in Spanish or Galician. UVigo notes that some programmes require proof of English competence before the final degree project; no general IELTS or TOEFL minimum for admission is published. |
Deadlines
- Ordinary pre-enrolment (NERTA) Non-binding Passed25 June 2026 (2026 round)
Opened 12 June 2026. Applicants waiting for UNEDasiss results enter a provisional grade of 5.000 and submit the UNED record by 7 July.
- Extraordinary pre-enrolment (NERTA) Non-binding Passed20 July 2026 (2026 round)
Opened 16 July 2026, for places left after the ordinary round.
- Special round for PAU passed in September outside Galicia Non-binding Passed25 September 2026 (2026 round)
Opened 21 September 2026, only for degrees with remaining places.
The 2027 pre-enrolment calendar has not been published yet; the dates shown are from CiUG's 2026 admission resolution, and 2027 dates are likely to be similar (mid to late June for the ordinary round).
How to apply
Apply for a place through NERTA, the online pre-enrolment system of the Galician University System, within the CiUG deadlines; you can rank several degrees at the three Galician public universities. Applicants with foreign qualifications first need a UNEDasiss accreditation (or homologation) and send it to the admissions office of the campus of their first choice. Admitted students then complete online self-enrolment (automatrícula) and pay fees in one payment or instalments.
What admissions looks for
- A qualification that gives access to Spanish universities: the PAU, an EU or IB baccalaureate, or a UNEDasiss accreditation or homologation.
- An admission grade above the degree's cut-off, since places are allocated strictly by grade.
- Specific PAU or UNEDasiss subject exams in subjects weighted for your degree, which can add up to 4 points.
- Enough Spanish or Galician to follow classes, except in the English-taught engineering groups.
Tips for applying to UVigo
- 1 Start the UNEDasiss accreditation early if you have a foreign diploma: you can pre-enrol with a provisional grade, but must submit your UNED record by early July.
- 2 Check CiUG's weighting tables so your specific subject exams count for the degrees you want.
- 3 List several degrees and campuses in NERTA; cut-offs for the same degree can differ between campuses.
- 4 If you want to study in English, look at the English-taught groups of Telecommunication Technologies Engineering and Industrial Technologies Engineering, whose cut-offs are published separately.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
The Galician government gives a 99% discount on first-enrolment credits to new students who passed the compulsory part of the PAU in Galicia in 2026 (or an FP higher cycle, or IB/Bachibac in Galicia), and to continuing students who pass a set share of their credits; it applies regardless of income. Students can also apply for Spain's national MEFP grants, and UVigo runs its own grants for students in financial difficulty. Fees can be split into up to six instalments without charge.
- 99% of first-enrolment credits for eligible new and continuing students
- Xunta de Galicia discount
- +25% on per-credit fees for non-residents
- Non-EU surcharge
- Up to 6 interest-free instalments
- Payment plan
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Aerospace Engineering (Ourense)
One of the university's highest cut-offs in 2025/26 (12.130 out of 14); a combined bachelor's-to-master's (PARS) route closed even higher, at 12.336.
Telecommunication Technologies Engineering
Taught at the School of Telecommunication Engineering in Vigo, with an English-taught group and links to the AtlanTTIC research centre.
Biomedical Engineering
Cut-offs above 10 out of 14, with double degrees combining it with Mechanical or Industrial Electronics Engineering.
Artificial Intelligence (Ourense)
Taught at the Higher School of Computer Engineering in Ourense (2025/26 cut-off 9.090), with a double degree combining it with Computer Engineering.
Marine Sciences
A dedicated faculty on the Vigo coast, backed by the Marine Research Centre (CIM) and the Campus do Mar network.
Translation and Interpreting
Spanish-English, Spanish-French and Galician-English tracks at the Faculty of Philology and Translation.
Research
- Four research centres: CINBIO (biomedicine), AtlanTTIC (telecommunications), CIM (marine research) and CINTECX (engineering and technology).
- In 2024 UVigo won 148 research projects, held 224 active patents and attracted about 16 million euros in Spanish state project funding and 11.9 million in European and interregional funding.
- UVigo is a member of the ATHENA European University alliance.
Schools & faculties
- School of Telecommunication Engineering
- School of Industrial Engineering
- School of Mining and Energy Engineering
- School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering
- Higher School of Computer Engineering
- School of Forestry Engineering
- Faculty of Marine Sciences
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Economics and Business
- Faculty of Philology and Translation
- Faculty of Communication
- Faculty of Fine Arts
UVigo does not publish a headline graduate employment rate on its English pages. In 2024/25, 2,701 students did curricular internships and 569 extracurricular internships, under 2,029 company agreements.
Student life
Life at UVigo depends on your campus. The main Vigo campus at Lagoas-Marcosende is about 12 km from the city, with many buildings by well-known architects and two schools downtown; the Ourense campus is inside the city, where everything is walkable, and the Pontevedra campus is a 12-minute walk from the centre. The university runs three residences with 561 places, 11 libraries and more than 71,000 square metres of sports facilities, and organises cultural, sports and volunteering programmes on all three campuses.
- Three residences with 561 places in total.
- 11 libraries with more than 3,000 study places.
- Over 71,000 square metres of sports facilities across the campuses.
- Galician language courses and university extension courses open to students.
- Member of the ATHENA European University alliance, with exchange opportunities.
Housing. UVigo has three residences with 561 places, so most students rent privately in Vigo, Ourense or Pontevedra.
Location
Vigo is Galicia's largest city, with about 300,000 inhabitants, set on the Ría de Vigo estuary on Spain's Atlantic coast near the Portuguese border. Its airport is 12 km from the centre, and Santiago de Compostela (90 km) and Porto (150 km) are reachable by train or bus. Ourense and Pontevedra, the other campus cities, are smaller and walkable.
Nearest airport: Vigo-Peinador Airport (VGO)
Notable alumni
- ÓL Óliver LaxeFilm director of Mimosas, Fire Will Come and Sirāt; studied Advertising and Public Relations for two years (non-degree)
- NG Nuria González PrelcicElectrical engineer and professor at UC San Diego; master's and PhD in telecommunications engineering
- ER Eva RajoElectrical engineer researching metamaterials and antennas; master's in telecommunication engineering
- CS Carmela SilvaSpanish senator and former president of the Provincial Deputation of Pontevedra; degree in economic law
- ED Estela DoiroSpain international handball player; degrees in sport sciences and primary education
- GC Gonzalo CaballeroEconomist and secretary-general of the Socialists' Party of Galicia; degree and PhD in economics
- DG Diego GagoFormer People's Party member of the Congress of Deputies; degree in business law
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Vigo cost per year?
For 2026/27, first-enrolment credits cost 9.85 or 13.93 euros depending on the field, about 591 to 836 euros for a 60-credit year. Non-EU students without long-term residence pay 25% more, and eligible Galician PAU students get a 99% discount.
Does the University of Vigo teach in English?
Mostly no: teaching is in Spanish and Galician. Telecommunication Technologies Engineering and Industrial Technologies Engineering have English-taught groups.
How do international students apply to the University of Vigo?
EU, IB and European Baccalaureate holders apply directly through Galicia's NERTA pre-enrolment. Students from other systems first obtain a UNEDasiss accreditation or homologation, then pre-enrol in NERTA.
What grade do you need for Aerospace Engineering at Vigo?
The 2025/26 ordinary-round cut-off was 12.130 out of 14, after 12.090 and 12.064 in the two previous years.
When is the application deadline for the University of Vigo?
In 2026 the ordinary pre-enrolment ran from 12 to 25 June and the extraordinary round from 16 to 20 July. 2027 dates are not yet published.
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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