Study in Gandía, Spain

About Gandía

Gandia is the main town of the Safor district, on the Mediterranean coast in the south of the province of Valencia. It had 83,135 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). The town has two distinct parts: the historic centre inland and the beach district of the Grau and Playa de Gandia, a busy summer resort.

Students come to Gandia mainly for the coastal campus of the Universitat Politècnica de València, for the public official language school and for its British and public secondary schools. It suits students who want a smaller, relaxed town by the sea with Valencia within reach. Valencian and Spanish are both official in the Valencian Community, and Valencian is widely used in public schools and administration.

Studying in Gandia

Our directory lists three active schools in Gandia: two primary and secondary schools and one official language school. For higher education, the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has its Campus de Gandia, formerly the Escuela Politécnica Superior de Gandia (EPSG). According to the UPV, the campus was created in 1993, lies about 600 metres from the beach and offers 5 bachelor's degrees, 4 double degrees, 6 master's degrees and 1 doctoral programme.

For school-age students there are two very different options:

• British School Gandia, opened in September 2015, which teaches the British curriculum from Pre-Nursery to Sixth Form and belongs to the same group as British School Alzira and British School Xàtiva
• IES Ausiàs March, a public secondary school offering compulsory secondary education (ESO) and the Bachillerato, with an Erasmus+ exchange call for first-year Bachillerato students

Learning languages in Gandia

The Escola Oficial d'Idiomes de Gandia, part of the Valencian public school network, teaches German, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Valencian. It also has sections in Cullera, Oliva and Sueca and offers online courses. Classes for the 2026-27 year started on 28 September 2026. Places are limited: the school announced that no places were left in Spanish for foreigners for 2026-27, so apply early in the next admission period. New students who already know a language can take a placement test (test de classificació) to start above the first level.

Cost of living for students

No official figure for typical student rent in Gandia was found. Rent rises near the beach in summer, so many students look for shared flats with an academic-year contract; the UPV campus has a flats-for-students section on its website. Transport costs can be low for UPV students: those aged 30 or under who are enrolled at the Campus de Gandia travel free on urban bus line 1 (La Marina), which links Gandia's Renfe station with the campus, if they apply for the transport card between 1 and 30 September or between 1 and 10 February. The free service stops in the months without teaching (June, July, August and early September). Renfe also offers subsidised season tickets on Cercanías and regional trains in the Valencia area.

Getting around and daily life

The town centre and the beach district are flat and easy to cover on foot, by bike or by urban bus. Gandia's Renfe station connects the town with Valencia by Cercanías train, and Valencia Airport, run by Aena, is the nearest international airport.

Gandia has a mild Mediterranean climate. There is no main AEMET station in Gandia; at Valencia Airport (normals for 1981-2010), the average temperature is 10.5 °C in January and 25.5 °C in July, when average highs reach 30.6 °C. Annual rainfall is about 461 mm, much of it in autumn.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a university in Gandia?

Yes. The Universitat Politècnica de València has its Campus de Gandia, created in 1993 near the beach, with 5 bachelor's degrees, 4 double degrees, 6 master's degrees and 1 doctoral programme.

Can I learn Spanish in Gandia?

Yes. The public Escola Oficial d'Idiomes de Gandia teaches Spanish for foreigners, along with German, English, French, Italian and Valencian. Places are limited, and for 2026-27 the Spanish groups were already full by early October.

Is there an international school in Gandia?

British School Gandia, opened in 2015, teaches the British curriculum from Pre-Nursery to Sixth Form.

Do students get free buses in Gandia?

UPV students aged 30 or under enrolled at the Campus de Gandia can travel free on urban bus line 1 between the Renfe station and the campus during the teaching months, after applying for the transport card.