Spain

Higher education in Spain consists almost exclusively of universities. Currently, there are 70 universities—50 public and 20 private. There are 1.6 million students enrolled, only 8% in private institutions. Formally, all universities have a similar structure and scope as a consequence of rigid state regulation. In principle, all may deliver programs of any level and are engaged in research activities, though in practice there are relevant differences among institutions.

The Spanish higher education system experienced rapid growth in the last three decades, and has transformed into a mass higher education system enrolling a high proportion of secondary school graduates. Very recently, the system has entered a period of enrollment stability due to the nation’s overall population decrease. During this period of growth, a complete legal and structural revolution deeply transformed the entire higher education system. This chapter will focus especially on these last decades, the most important in the history of the Spanish universities.