Study in Oviedo, Spain

About Oviedo

Oviedo is the capital of the Principality of Asturias, on Spain's green northern coast between Galicia and Cantabria. The municipality had 223,968 inhabitants on 1 January 2025, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), out of 1,013,529 in the whole region. It is a compact, walkable city with a medieval old town around the cathedral, a strong musical life and easy access to the mountains and the Cantabrian Sea.

Students come to Oviedo mainly for its public university, one of the oldest in Spain, and for Spanish courses in a city where daily life is almost entirely in Spanish. It is a quieter and more affordable alternative to the big metropolitan areas, with a mild, rainy Atlantic climate.

Studying in Oviedo

Our directory lists 10 active schools in Oviedo: three universities and other higher-education centres, two language schools, three vocational and professional schools, one primary and secondary school and one online and distance-learning provider. The Universidad de Oviedo is the public university of Asturias, with more than 410 years of history. According to the university, it offers 60 bachelor's degrees (grados), 19 of them bilingual, and 60 university master's degrees, and has about 21,000 students. Teaching takes place on seven campuses in three cities: five in Oviedo (El Cristo, El Milán, Llamaquique, Catalanes and Oviedo-Centro), one in Gijón and one in Mieres.

The university has long ties with Latin America: in 1909 the scholar Rafael Altamira travelled on its behalf to Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Cuba, Uruguay and the United States to restore academic links between the two continents. Today, the university states that it receives more than a thousand international students each year, and its a-dUO programme pairs each newcomer with a Spanish student from the same campus.

Other examples in our listings include:

• the Conservatorio Superior de Música "Eduardo Martínez Torner" del Principado de Asturias (CONSMUPA), the region's higher music conservatory, in the historic centre
• the Escuela Universitaria "P. Enrique de Ossó", affiliated to the Universidad de Oviedo, for teacher training, occupational therapy and social education
• the Escuela de Arte de Oviedo, which teaches the arts Bachillerato and vocational programmes in interior design, graphic and audiovisual communication, applied book arts and sculpture
• Estudio Alemán IFA, a German language academy that is a partner of the Goethe-Institut and runs the official German exams in Asturias

Popular subjects in our Oviedo listings include language courses, primary and early-childhood teacher training, Spanish language and literature, social education and occupational therapy. Degrees are taught mainly in Spanish, so a good command of the language is needed for most programmes.

Learning Spanish in Oviedo

The university's language centre, La Casa de las Lenguas on the El Milán campus, runs eight types of Spanish course of different lengths, from beginners' courses to academic Spanish and courses for specific purposes. The autumn course (October to December) and the spring course (January to May) are offered at five levels, from A1 to C1, and intensive courses run in summer, including in July and August. Its "Lengua y cultura españolas" courses combine language classes with subjects such as Spanish and Latin American literature, history and art. Oviedo also has a private Spanish school, Alea, in our listings.

Cost of living for students

Oviedo is generally cheaper than Madrid or Barcelona, but we found no official source with current rent figures. For housing, the university's Centro de Información de Vivienda al Estudiante (CIVE) helps students find a flat to rent; the service is free of charge. The university also runs residences such as the Residencia Universitaria San Gregorio, on the Catalanes campus, a ten-minute walk from the cathedral and the old town.

City buses are run by TUA. According to its fare page, a single ticket costs €1.20, and the regional CONECTA pass of the Consorcio de Transportes de Asturias (CTA) costs €30 a month for one zone. Discounts and conditions change, so check the CTA's current conditions before buying a pass.

Getting around and daily life

The centre of Oviedo is small enough to walk almost everywhere, and the university's historic building and several faculties are close to the old town. Asturias Airport (OVD) lies on the coast near Avilés; according to Aena, Alsa buses link the airport with Avilés, Gijón and Oviedo, with departures roughly every hour between about 6:00 and midnight. Renfe trains run from Madrid Chamartín - Clara Campoamor to Oviedo, with the first departure at 06:36, and regional trains and buses connect Oviedo with Gijón, Avilés and Mieres, where the university also has campuses.

The climate is oceanic: mild, humid and rainy. At the AEMET Oviedo station (normals for 1981-2010), the average temperature is 8.3 °C in January and 18.7 °C in July, with average July highs of 22.8 °C. Annual rainfall averages 960 mm, so a good raincoat is more useful than summer clothes for most of the academic year.

Frequently asked questions

Which universities are in Oviedo?

The Universidad de Oviedo is the public university of Asturias, with five campuses in the city and others in Gijón and Mieres. The Escuela Universitaria "P. Enrique de Ossó" is affiliated to it, and CONSMUPA offers higher music studies.

Is Oviedo a good place to learn Spanish?

Yes. Daily life is in Spanish, and the university's Casa de las Lenguas runs Spanish courses all year, from A1 to C1, including summer intensive courses.

How do students find accommodation in Oviedo?

The university's free CIVE service helps students find rented flats, and the university runs residences such as San Gregorio. Language schools usually help their own students with housing.

What is the weather like in Oviedo?

Mild and rainy. AEMET normals give an average of 8.3 °C in January and 18.7 °C in July, with about 960 mm of rain a year.