University of Zaragoza
Universidad de Zaragoza
Aragon's public university since 1542, where Ramón y Cajal trained, with low regulated fees and campuses in three cities.
- Students
- 32,830
- 27,796 undergraduates
- Tuition
- €2,358
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1542
- QS World Ranking
- 701-710
- 2027 edition
About Unizar
The University of Zaragoza is the public university of Aragon in north-east Spain. Its School of Arts became a university in 1542, which makes it one of the oldest in the country. Today it teaches across three provinces: most faculties are in Zaragoza, with further faculties and polytechnic schools in Huesca and Teruel. In 2024-25 it had 27,796 bachelor's and exchange students, 2,673 master's students and 2,361 doctoral candidates, with 4,552 teaching and research staff.
The university offers 56 bachelor's degrees plus 8 joint and double-degree programmes, 61 master's degrees and 50 doctoral programmes (2025-26). Teaching is in Spanish, with one exception for international applicants: the Bachelor in International Business at the Faculty of Economics and Business, whose courses are taught in English. Its best-known student is Santiago Ramón y Cajal, who graduated in medicine here in 1873 and later won the 1906 Nobel Prize; his statue stands in the Paraninfo building.
Admission works like the rest of Spain's public system. Places go by an admission grade out of 14, based on the Bachillerato and the PAU entrance exam, or on a UNED accreditation for students from foreign school systems. Most programmes admit anyone with a pass mark, but Medicine, Dentistry and double degrees need top grades. Zaragoza suits students who speak Spanish, want low regulated fees, and like a large, affordable regional capital rather than Madrid or Barcelona.
Why students choose Unizar
Public fees are low: in 2026-27 a first-year credit costs 13.10 to 20.02 euros for Spanish, EU and resident students, which is about 786 to 1,201 euros for a 60-credit year.
The Bachelor in International Business is taught in English, with French as a second language and study-abroad options; applicants need B2 English.
Joint programmes such as Physics and Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Engineering, and Law with Business Administration let strong students take two degrees at once.
Research institutes on campus include the Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), the BIFI complex-systems institute and the INMA nanoscience institute, run jointly with Spain's CSIC.
Admissions
Entry September 2027 (2027-28 academic year)
Selectivity
There is no single acceptance rate. Places are allocated by admission grade (out of 14). Many degrees accept any applicant with the minimum 5.000, but some are highly competitive: after the last official call for 2026-27, the lowest admitted grade in the general quota was 12.690 for Medicine in Zaragoza, 12.480 for Dentistry and 13.319 for the Physics and Mathematics joint programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Spanish Bachillerato + PAU | Pass mark 5.000 for open degrees; competitive programmes in 2026-27 closed at 12.690 (Medicine, Zaragoza), 11.647 (Biotechnology), 11.253 (Veterinary Medicine), 9.523 (Law) and 8.851 (Computer Engineering) in the general quota |
|---|---|
| Foreign school-leaving certificates (EU, IB, European Baccalaureate, agreement countries) | UNED accreditation (UNEDasiss) giving a Spanish-equivalent access grade; applicants get an extended ordinary deadline |
| Other foreign diplomas | Homologation to the Spanish Bachillerato (or proof of having applied), used only in the extraordinary admission period |
| English language | The Bachelor in International Business requires English at CEFR B2 or equivalent by the application deadline. All other bachelor's degrees are taught in Spanish. |
Deadlines
- Ordinary period (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed11-29 June 2026
For entry in 2026-27; the 2027 dates had not been published when checked. Expect a similar mid-June window in 2027.
- UNED accreditation applicants (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed11 June - 7 July 2026
Extended ordinary period for students from foreign education systems; access grades sent by 31 July were still counted.
- Extraordinary period (2026 cycle, past) Non-binding Passed9-14 July 2026
Waiting lists only for degrees with places left; the only period for applicants with a homologated diploma.
All dates shown are from the 2026 admission call (entry 2026-27) and have passed. The University of Zaragoza publishes the 2027 calendar in spring 2027, so check the admission page from May 2027. UNED accreditation takes time, so start it early in 2027.
How to apply
Apply online on the University of Zaragoza admission portal, listing degrees in order of preference. Spanish and PAU students apply in the ordinary June period; students with a UNED accreditation get an extended deadline and must also submit the official form and documents; students with a homologated diploma apply only in the extraordinary July period. Admission lists are published in July, followed by several waiting-list calls up to September.
What admissions looks for
- An admission grade high enough for your chosen degree: places are allocated purely by grade within each quota.
- High marks in the subjects the university weights for your degree, which raise the admission grade above the basic access grade.
- For the Bachelor in International Business, proof of English at B2 level by the application deadline.
- A correctly accredited foreign qualification (UNED accreditation or homologation) submitted within the deadline.
Tips for applying to Unizar
- 1 Check the published cut-off grades (notas de corte) before ranking your choices: in 2026-27 Medicine in Zaragoza closed at 12.690 and the Physics and Mathematics joint programme at 13.319, while many degrees admit at 5.000.
- 2 If you are at an IB, European Baccalaureate or EU school, apply for UNEDasiss accreditation early so your access grade is ready for the June-July window.
- 3 Use the ordinary period even if your UNED grade is not ready; the university accepts late accreditations from applicants who applied on time.
- 4 Keep checking waiting lists after July: in 2026 there were six numbered public calls between 20 July and 31 August, followed by further calls on 7 and 14 September.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Spanish Ministry of Education grants (becas) cover tuition and living costs for eligible students; 6,351 Unizar students held a grant in 2024-25. The university also runs its own tuition-aid call, including aid for non-resident foreign students who cannot pay the fees.
- 6,351
- Students with a grant (2024-25)
- 34.05 euros admin fee, 31.90 euros file opening (new students), 1.12 euros school insurance (under 28)
- Fixed charges (2026-27)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (September to June)
Medicine
Ramón y Cajal's school; one of Unizar's most competitive degrees, with a 12.690 cut-off in Zaragoza for 2026-27.
Bachelor in International Business
Taught in English at the Faculty of Economics and Business, with French, international teamwork and exchange options.
Physics and Mathematics joint programme (FisMat)
One of the hardest programmes to enter, with a 2026-27 cut-off of 13.319 out of 14.
Veterinary Medicine
Taught at its own faculty in Zaragoza; cut-off 11.253 in 2026-27.
Biomedical Engineering
Offered by the School of Engineering and Architecture, linked to the I3A engineering research institute; cut-off 11.491 in 2026-27.
Research
- Unizar has 171 research groups and 3,741 researchers in them, and 70 spin-offs and start-ups have been created (2025).
- Its own institutes include the Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), the Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI) and the Centre for Astroparticles and High Energy Physics (CAPA).
- Joint institutes with Spain's CSIC include the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon (INMA) and the Institute of Chemical Synthesis and Homogeneous Catalysis (ISQCH); the Zaragoza Logistics Center is an attached institute.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Philosophy and Arts
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Economics and Business
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Social and Labour Sciences
- School of Engineering and Architecture
- Huesca: Faculty of Business and Public Management, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Polytechnic School
- Teruel: Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Polytechnic University School
4,442 students completed a bachelor's and 1,491 a master's degree in 2023-24; 4,750 student internships ran with 1,389 partner organisations in 2024.
Student life
Most Zaragoza students live in shared flats, and the university runs three halls of residence (colegios mayores): Pedro Cerbuna on the Zaragoza campus with 260 single rooms, Ramón Acín in Huesca and Pablo Serrano in Teruel. Several private halls also take university students. The historic Paraninfo building, inaugurated in 1893, houses the library and exhibitions. The university also offers language courses in ten languages at its Modern Languages Centre, Spanish courses for foreigners, a summer university in Teruel and a residence in Jaca in the Pyrenees.
- Three university-owned halls: Pedro Cerbuna (260 places, Zaragoza), Ramón Acín (125, Huesca) and Pablo Serrano (181, Teruel).
- The Paraninfo, the former Faculties of Medicine and Sciences, is the university's landmark and holds a statue of Ramón y Cajal.
- 1,057 international exchange students came to Zaragoza in 2024-25, and 1,335 Unizar students went abroad.
- Campus life includes a sports card, university competitions, a film club (Aula de Cine) and music programme.
Housing. The university's own halls (colegios mayores) offer about 566 places across Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel, and a university accommodation service helps students find flats.
Location
Zaragoza is the capital of Aragon, on the Ebro river roughly halfway between Madrid and Barcelona. The main Plaza San Francisco campus, home to most faculties and the Paraninfo, is in the city, with other sites including the Río Ebro campus, and further faculties in the smaller cities of Huesca and Teruel. For students it offers big-city services at a lower cost than Spain's two largest cities.
Nearest airport: Zaragoza Airport (ZAZ)
Notable alumni
- SR Santiago Ramón y CajalNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1906, father of modern neuroscience; studied medicine, graduating in 1873
- JM José MartíCuban national hero, poet and independence leader; studied law and philosophy and letters
- MM María MolinerLibrarian and lexicographer who wrote the Diccionario de uso del español; studied philosophy and letters
- FL Fernando Lázaro CarreterLinguist and director of the Royal Spanish Academy; studied philosophy and letters
- JA José Antonio LabordetaSinger-songwriter, writer and member of the Spanish parliament; studied philosophy and letters
- CA César AliertaFormer chairman of Telefónica; studied law
- CL Carlos López-OtínBiochemist and cancer and ageing researcher, National Research Prize in Biology 2008; studied chemistry
- MB Martina BescósSpain's first female cardiologist; studied medicine
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Zaragoza teach in English?
Almost all bachelor's degrees are taught in Spanish. The exception is the Bachelor in International Business at the Faculty of Economics and Business, whose courses are taught in English and which requires B2 English.
How much does the University of Zaragoza cost per year?
Fees are charged per credit. In 2026-27 a first-enrolment credit costs 13.10 to 20.02 euros for Spanish, EU and resident students (about 786 to 1,201 euros for 60 credits) and 39.30 to 60.06 euros for non-EU non-residents (about 2,358 to 3,604 euros a year).
How do international students apply to the University of Zaragoza?
Students from EU, IB, European Baccalaureate or agreement-country systems usually get a UNED accreditation (UNEDasiss) and apply online in the ordinary June period, which is extended for them until early July. Students from other systems homologate their diploma and apply in the July extraordinary period.
What grade do you need for Medicine at Zaragoza?
After the last official call for 2026-27, the lowest admitted grade for Medicine in Zaragoza's general quota was 12.690 out of 14.
When is the University of Zaragoza application deadline for 2027?
The 2027 dates are not out yet. In 2026 the ordinary period ran from 11 to 29 June, UNED-accredited applicants could apply until 7 July, and the extraordinary period ran from 9 to 14 July.
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Unizar in the QS World University Rankings 2027.