Study in Granada, Spain

About Granada

Granada is a provincial capital in eastern Andalusia, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. It had 235,294 registered residents in 2025, according to the Andalusian statistics institute (IECA), and the city centre lies about 680 metres above sea level. It is a mid-sized city where most of daily life happens on foot, between the old quarters of the Albaicín and the Realejo and the newer university districts.

For many students, Granada is above all a university city. The Universidad de Granada (UGR) shapes the city's rhythm, and the university says that more than 6,000 international students study there each year, including more than 2,000 Erasmus students. Students also come for Spanish courses, for the Alhambra and the city's Moorish and Renaissance heritage, and for the mix of mountains and coast within reach.

Studying in Granada

Our directory lists 30 active schools in Granada: 10 universities and other higher-education centres, 17 language schools, 2 vocational and professional training centres and 1 primary and secondary school. The UGR is a public university whose foundation was confirmed by a papal bull on 14 July 1531, according to the university's own history. Its Centro de Lenguas Modernas teaches Spanish to foreign students and also offers courses in languages such as English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Arabic and Turkish.

Granada also has public and private centres for higher arts education. The Escuela de Arte y Superior de Diseño "José Val del Omar" offers four-year degrees in Fashion Design, Graphic Design and Product Design, and ESADA (Escuela Superior de Arte y Diseño de Andalucía) offers official design degrees of 240 ECTS credits over four years. Music students can look at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música "Victoria Eugenia". Psychology is another strong theme in our listings, with training centres such as the Instituto Superior de Psicología ALBORAN, and business professionals can study at the Escuela Internacional de Gerencia (EIG). Degrees at the UGR and most other centres are taught in Spanish.

Learning Spanish in Granada

Spanish courses are the largest group of schools in Granada. Several schools are accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, among them the Escuela Carmen de las Cuevas, which has taught in Granada since 1984 and also runs flamenco courses, and Escuela Montalbán, which has offered Spanish courses since 1986 and has been accredited since 2002. Delengua, teaching since 1997, works with small groups of 3 to 10 students. The public Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Granada, run by the Junta de Andalucía, also has a Spanish department. Typical options include:

• intensive group courses of about 20 lessons a week
• DELE and SIELE exam preparation
• one-to-one and specialised classes (business, tourism, medicine)
• Spanish combined with flamenco or culture programmes
• homestay or shared-flat accommodation arranged by the school

Cost of living for students

Rent is the main cost for most students. There is no official average rent for students, but school prices give an idea: Delengua lists a single room in a shared flat at €700 for four weeks and a single room with a host family, half board included, at €1,060 for four weeks, alongside a four-week intensive course at €700. For transport, the Metropolitano de Granada (light metro) sells a 30-day pass with unlimited journeys for €24, and a single journey costs €1.35, according to its fare page. The UGR has its own accommodation service for students looking for a room.

Getting around and daily life

The historic centre is compact, and city buses and the metro line connect it with the university districts and neighbouring towns. Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén Airport is 17 kilometres from the city centre; according to Aena, the Granada-Aeropuerto bus takes about 45 minutes for the full route, with stops at the bus station, Gran Vía de Colón and the Palacio de Congresos. Renfe runs AVE and long-distance trains to Granada from Madrid Puerta de Atocha - Almudena Grandes.

The climate is continental, with cold nights in winter and hot, dry summers. At the AEMET Granada Aeropuerto station (normals for 1981-2010), the average temperature is 6.5 °C in January, with average minimums around 0 °C, and 25.3 °C in July, when average daily highs reach 34.8 °C. Annual rainfall is low, about 365 mm. Bring warm clothes for winter evenings and plan for heat if you take a summer course.

Frequently asked questions

Is Granada a good place to learn Spanish?

Yes. Granada has 17 language schools in our directory, several of them accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, as well as the UGR's Centro de Lenguas Modernas. Courses range from short intensive programmes to DELE and SIELE preparation.

Which universities are in Granada?

The main university is the public Universidad de Granada, whose foundation was confirmed in 1531. The city also has higher arts centres for design and music, such as EASD Val del Omar, ESADA and the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música "Victoria Eugenia".

How much does public transport cost for a student in Granada?

The Metropolitano de Granada sells a 30-day pass with unlimited journeys for €24, and a single journey costs €1.35. Fares for city buses are set by the city's bus operator.

How do I get from Granada airport to the city centre?

The Granada-Aeropuerto bus line links the airport with the city centre, 17 kilometres away. The full route takes about 45 minutes, according to Aena.