Universitat Politècnica de València
Spain's big public technical university, where aerospace and biomedical engineering need entry grades above 12 out of 14.
- Students
- 28,000
- Tuition
- €1,535
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1968
- QS World Ranking
- #434
- 2027 edition
About UPV
The Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) began in 1968 as the Instituto Politécnico Superior de Valencia, built around four higher technical schools, and became a university in 1971. It now has around 28,000 students and 2,500 teaching and research staff across three campuses: the large, pedestrianised Vera campus in Valencia, plus Alcoy and Gandia. Its motto, ex technica progressio, sums up the focus: engineering, architecture and applied science, with a Faculty of Fine Arts and a business faculty alongside.
UPV is organised into 15 schools and faculties, from the School of Architecture and the School of Industrial Engineering to the School of Informatics, the School of Telecommunications Engineering and the School of Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design. It offers more than 40 bachelor's degrees, double degrees and PARS programmes that combine a bachelor's and a master's in one admission. Many of these lead to regulated engineering and architecture professions in Spain.
Admission is by grade, not by essay. For 2026-27, the general-quota cut-off was 13.504 out of 14 for the PARS in Aeronautical Engineering, 13.275 for Aerospace Engineering, 12.498 for Biomedical Engineering and 12.193 for Engineering Physics. Other degrees were far more accessible, such as Informatics Engineering at 9.673 and Civil Engineering at 10.47. UPV suits students who want hands-on engineering at public-university prices in a large Mediterranean city, and who are ready to study mostly in Spanish.
Ex technica progressio
“Progress through technology” — university motto
Why students choose UPV
Public prices set by the Generalitat Valenciana: engineering degrees cost 17.34 euros per credit, about 1,040 euros for a 60-credit year, for Spanish and EU students.
PARS programmes let you pre-register for a bachelor's plus master's route in one go, for example in Aeronautical, Industrial or Telecommunication Engineering.
The Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación on the Vera campus puts more than 3,000 researchers and entrepreneurs next to the teaching buildings.
More than 60 international double-degree agreements, plus teaching options in Spanish, Valencian and English.
Admissions
2027-28 entry (dates below are from the 2026-27 cycle)
Selectivity
No overall admission rate is published. Places are allocated by admission grade out of 14; 82% of places go to the general quota. 2026-27 first-round general cut-offs included PARS Aeronautical Engineering 13.504, Aerospace Engineering 13.275, Biomedical Engineering 12.498, Biotechnology 12.344, Engineering Physics 12.193, PARS Informatics Engineering 12.017, Industrial Engineering 11.511, Artificial Intelligence 10.968, Fundamentals of Architecture 10.262 and Informatics Engineering 9.673. Cut-offs usually fall in later rounds.
Typical entry requirements
| Spanish Bachillerato + PAU | Admission grade above the degree's cut-off, e.g. 13.275 for Aerospace Engineering, 11.511 for Industrial Engineering or 9.673 for Informatics Engineering (2026-27, general quota) |
|---|---|
| EU or agreement-country secondary qualification (including IB) | UNEDasiss accreditation of your grade (maximum 10); optional PCE tests to add up to 4 points |
| Non-EU qualification from a country without an agreement (e.g. most of Latin America) | Legalisation and homologation plus UNEDasiss accreditation; without PCE tests the maximum grade is 6, so PCE is effectively needed for competitive degrees |
| English language | Teaching is mainly in Spanish, with some groups in Valencian and English. Applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries must prove Spanish at B2 level, using a certificate on the ACLES list. |
Deadlines
- Pre-registration (Spanish system) Non-binding Passed3 July 2026, 14:00 (2026-27 cycle, past)
Opened 15 June 2026. PAU ordinary call was 2-4 June 2026.
- Pre-registration (international students) Non-binding Passed7 July 2026, 14:00 (2026-27 cycle, past)
Opened 15 June 2026; no second period. Grades could be uploaded until 31 July 2026 by those who applied in time.
Dates for 2027-28 entry are not yet published; the dates shown are from the 2026-27 cycle and have passed. UPV's calendar for international applicants: choose degrees around November, apply for UNEDasiss accreditation and the first PCE call in February, take the PCE in May, and pre-register in June to early July.
How to apply
Pre-register through the Generalitat Valenciana's online application, listing up to 20 degrees at Valencian public universities in order of preference; you are admitted to the first one where your grade wins a place. International students must pre-register within the deadline even if their UNEDasiss accreditation is still pending, and can upload grades until the end of July. Admitted students then enrol online at UPV.
What admissions looks for
- An admission grade above the cut-off for your chosen degree; UPV stresses that it does not set cut-offs, which simply reflect demand.
- Strong results in the specific subjects weighted 0.2 for your degree, which can add up to 4 points.
- Correctly ordered preferences in pre-registration, since you are placed in the first listed degree your grade reaches.
- For international applicants, UNEDasiss accreditation and Spanish at B2.
Tips for applying to UPV
- 1 If you come from a foreign system, sit the UNEDasiss PCE: without them your grade is capped at 10 (or 6 for non-agreement countries), well below the 12-plus needed for aerospace or biomedical engineering.
- 2 Check UPV's weightings table and pick PCE subjects weighted 0.2 for your degree; the Valencian Community only requires 4 subjects.
- 3 Consider listing both the bachelor's and the PARS version of a degree: the PARS route leads straight into the master's but has a higher cut-off.
- 4 Note that some degrees are offered on more than one campus (Valencia, Alcoy or Gandia) with very different cut-offs, e.g. Mechanical Engineering 12.586 in Valencia and 10.197 in Alcoy.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Prices are set by the Generalitat Valenciana's public price decree (Decree 101/2024, amended by Decree 195/2025). EU students can apply for most Spanish state and regional grants and UPV aid; enrolled international students can apply for some UPV aid and cooperation programmes, and UPV points non-EU students to home-country scholarships such as PRONABEC, BecAr or Fundación Carolina.
- 12.79 to 18.00 euros (UPV degrees 12.79 to 17.34)
- First-enrolment price per credit, bachelor's (2026-27)
- Double the public price per credit
- Non-resident non-EU students
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters, September to June; one intake per year
Aerospace Engineering (Bachelor's)
UPV's most competitive degree: 13.275 out of 14 in 2026-27, and 13.504 for the PARS route into Aeronautical Engineering.
Biomedical Engineering (Bachelor's)
Taught at the School of Industrial Engineering, with a 2026-27 cut-off of 12.498.
Engineering Physics (Bachelor's)
A demanding physics-and-engineering degree at the School of Telecommunications Engineering; cut-off 12.193 in 2026-27.
Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (Bachelor's)
Newer degrees at the School of Informatics, with cut-offs of 10.968 and 10.592 in 2026-27.
Fundamentals of Architecture and PARS in Architecture
The route to Spain's regulated architect profession; the PARS version needed 12.033 in 2026-27.
Biotechnology (Bachelor's)
Taught at the School of Agricultural Engineering and Environment; cut-off 12.344 in 2026-27.
Research
- The Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación, UPV's science park on the Vera campus, hosts more than 3,000 researchers, entrepreneurs and support staff.
- UPV's brochure names research lines such as new-generation zeolites, nanophotonic metamaterials, smart drugs and optical chips, and says it leads Spain in patent exploitation.
- UPV reports more than 100 patents from its research and says all its university research institutes are accredited by the Valencian government.
Schools & faculties
- School of Architecture
- School of Agricultural Engineering and Environment
- School of Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design
- School of Building Engineering
- School of Engineering in Geodesy, Cartography and Surveying
- School of Informatics
- School of Civil Engineering
- School of Industrial Engineering
- School of Telecommunications Engineering
- Faculty of Business Administration and Management
- Faculty of Fine Arts
- Higher Polytechnic School of Alcoy
UPV states that 93% of its graduates would choose to study their degree at UPV again, and that its academic success rate is three points above the Spanish average.
Student life
Most of UPV's life happens on the Vera campus, a pedestrianised site almost 2 km long on the north-east edge of Valencia, with 125,000 m2 of green space, sports facilities, cafés, shops and the Casa del Alumno student centre. The Área de Deportes runs leagues, sports schools and UPV teams on all three campuses. Student engineering teams are supported through UPV's Generación Espontánea programme. The smaller Alcoy and Gandia campuses have their own sports programmes and a more local feel.
- Vera campus: pedestrianised, almost 2 km end to end, with 125,000 m2 of green areas.
- Generación Espontánea: UPV's umbrella for student-led competition teams and projects.
- Área de Deportes: leagues, sports schools and UPV representative teams on the Vera, Alcoy and Gandia campuses.
- More than 60 international double-degree agreements and exchanges through Erasmus, Promoe, Sicue and the ENHANCE alliance.
Housing. UPV runs an accommodation service to help students find housing; there is no published guarantee of a university room, so arrange housing early.
Location
Valencia is Spain's third-largest city, on the Mediterranean coast. The Vera campus sits on the north-eastern edge of the city, between residential districts and the huerta farmland. Life is generally cheaper than in Madrid or Barcelona, and UPV points out that its fees for international students are well below those in those cities.
Nearest airport: Valencia Airport (VLC)
Notable alumni
- SC Santiago CalatravaArchitect and structural engineer
- EL Enrique LoresBusiness executive, CEO of HP Inc.
- IM Iker MarcaideIndustrial engineer, founder of Flywire and Zubi Group
- JR Joan RibóMayor of Valencia, 2015-2023
- MM Marcela MiróAgricultural engineer and first woman to preside over the Corts Valencianes (1999-2003)
- BR Blanca RodriguezProfessor of Computational Medicine at the University of Oxford
- VF Victoria FrancésIllustrator
- NR Nuria RocaTelevision presenter
Frequently asked questions
What grade do you need for UPV?
It depends on the degree. In 2026-27 the general-quota cut-off out of 14 ranged from about 13.5 for the PARS in Aeronautical Engineering and 13.275 for Aerospace Engineering to 9.673 for Informatics Engineering in Valencia, with some degrees on the Alcoy and Gandia campuses lower still.
How much does UPV cost per year?
For Spanish, EU and resident students, a 60-credit year costs about 767 to 1,040 euros at 2026-27 first-enrolment prices. Non-EU students without Spanish residence pay double, about 1,535 to 2,081 euros.
Can international students study at UPV in English?
Most teaching is in Spanish, with some groups in Valencian and English, and applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries must prove Spanish at B2 level.
Do international students need to take the PAU to enter UPV?
No. Students from foreign systems apply with UNEDasiss accreditation, and can take the optional PCE tests to raise their grade above the 10 (or 6) cap.
When is the UPV application deadline?
The 2027-28 dates are not published yet. In the 2026-27 cycle, pre-registration ran from 15 June to 3 July 2026, and to 7 July 2026 for international students.
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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