Study in Santander, Spain

About Santander

The dock in Santander, Spain, Source.

Santander is the capital of Cantabria, a region on the north coast of Spain, on a wide bay of the Bay of Biscay. It had 175,425 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to the Spanish statistics institute (INE). It is a mid-sized city with a port and beaches along its seafront.

Students choose Santander for a calmer, smaller-city experience than Madrid or Barcelona, with a public university, private higher-education centres and the sea close by. Spanish is the language of daily life, and the mild, rainy climate of the north is very different from the image of sunny southern Spain.

Studying in Santander

Our directory lists 5 active schools in Santander: 3 universities and university centres, 1 language school and 1 vocational training centre. The public Universidad de Cantabria (UC) was created in 1972 and, according to the university, has trained close to 36,000 graduates since then. It is one of Spain's nine International Campuses of Excellence and a member of EUNICE, a European university alliance of ten universities, which opens exchange options with partner institutions.

The Universidad Europea del Atlántico (UNEATLANTICO) is a private university that offers official bachelor's degrees and master's programmes, and runs its own student residence with 36 apartments and 69 studios. CESINE is a private university centre with two schools, business and communication, and design and creation. Its bachelor's degrees include Digital Communication, Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing, International Business Management, Graphic Design, Fashion Design and Interior Design; according to CESINE, they are official degrees validated through SIUCAN, and the centre also offers top-up degrees certified by London Metropolitan University.

For vocational training (FP), the Centro de Formación Profesional Decroly offers basic, intermediate (grado medio) and higher (grado superior) cycles, mainly in IT, administration and commerce. Several higher cycles, such as Web Application Development, can be taken in the classroom (state-funded places) or by distance learning (private). Most programmes at all these institutions are taught in Spanish, so international students should check the language requirements of each programme.

Learning Spanish in Santander

Santander has a much smaller offer of Spanish courses than cities such as Salamanca or Málaga. UNILANG, a language academy in the city centre with more than 40 years of experience, teaches Spanish to foreigners of all ages and levels, including general Spanish, courses for specific purposes and DELE and SIELE exam preparation.

Cost of living for students

No official source publishes typical student rents for Santander, so ask your university or school about residences, homestays and shared flats before you arrive. Universities with their own housing, such as UNEATLANTICO, are a practical option for a first year.

City buses are run by the municipal company TUS. A single ticket costs €1.30 and is valid on one line only. With the rechargeable card, which costs €1.00, each trip costs €0.66 and includes a free transfer to another line within one hour. Young people up to 25 who are registered as residents of Santander (empadronados) can get a quarterly youth card with unlimited travel, loaded with €51 per quarter. Prices are those published by TUS in October 2026.

Getting around and daily life

The city centre, the seafront and the main beaches are easy to reach on foot or by bus. Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport, just outside the city, is linked by a bus line to Santander's bus station, and Alsa coaches connect the airport with other cities in northern Spain such as Bilbao, Gijón and Oviedo, according to Aena. Renfe long-distance trains connect Santander with Madrid.

Santander has an oceanic climate: mild all year and often wet. At the AEMET Santander Airport station (normals for 1981-2010), the average temperature is 9.7 °C in January and 19.8 °C in July, when average daily highs are 23.6 °C. Annual rainfall averages 1,129 mm, so a good raincoat is more useful than heavy winter clothing.

Frequently asked questions

Which universities are in Santander?

The public Universidad de Cantabria, created in 1972, and the private Universidad Europea del Atlántico. CESINE is a private university centre offering bachelor's degrees in business, communication and design.

Can I learn Spanish in Santander?

Yes. The offer is smaller than in the main Spanish-course cities, but UNILANG teaches Spanish to foreigners at all levels and prepares students for the DELE and SIELE exams.

How much does the bus cost in Santander?

A single ticket costs €1.30. With the TUS rechargeable card each trip costs €0.66, with a free transfer within one hour.

What is the weather like in Santander?

Mild and rainy. AEMET normals give an average of 9.7 °C in January and 19.8 °C in July, with about 1,129 mm of rain a year.