Over the last ten years and before the pandemic, the number of international students who chose Spain as their destination for higher education studies had been steadily growing. According to the Spanish Ministries of Science, Research, and Universities, it accounted for 9.46% of the total number of higher education students in 2019/20. This is an increase of more than 2% from 2015/16, although numbers obviously decreased in 2020.  What does the future hold for our post-pandemic, COVID-endemic world?

The primary groups that compose this cohort of international students are multi-fold: 1) study abroad students from the U.S., 2) Erasmus + students, 3) those that take Spanish classes at language schools, 4) Instituto Cervantes students and test candidates, 5) degree-seeking students at Spanish universities, and 6) those that come for their master’s degree.

The report, “The Economic Impact of International Students in Spain,” clarifies that these groups have had surprisingly very different impacts on the economy of Spain. The study conducted by the consultant group Spain Education Programs (SEP) reported that, for the academic year 2018-19, graduate and degree-seeking undergraduate students had the largest economic impact, as “they accounted for 65% of the overall economic impact from the export of education.” This is far from obvious, as these two groups represent only a 15% of all international students. Although Instituto Cervantes (IC) and language school students are more numerous, their economic impact is much smaller and even negative in the case of IC, as it is a subsidized program. However, as the report effectively argues, it is crucial to value not only the economic revenue but “the constructive social outcomes that derive from the presence of these international students.”

Erasmus students are a clear example of this consideration. Spain has been the number one Erasmus destination since 2001 and, although its economic impact is the second lowest after IC’s, the benefits derived from having such large numbers of international students in Spanish universities are great. Plus, it is a two-fold advantage, as the Erasmus program also allows many Spanish students to study abroad.

Higher education institutions report an optimistic situation for 2022-23, although data from the Spanish Ministries is not yet available. Enrollment will likely return to those present before the pandemic. The most likely trends for the future include study abroad programs shifting from a curriculum designed for Spanish majors and minors to a blend of courses in English and Spanish that cater to STEM, health sciences, business, or education students. Another likely trend is for Spanish universities, both public and private, to continue to present a robust offering of undergraduate courses in English. These are designed to attract not only Erasmus students but also increasing numbers of students from the Americas and Asia. A clear indication of this trend is the promising search engine “Spain College Degrees” to be presented this summer at the AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) in Salamanca. This website, offered to students and universities free of charge, will allow international students to search and identify all Spanish universities with degrees that have at least 50% of their courses offered in English. This initiative is just one indication of the commitment at many levels in Spain to sustain international student engagement as a national priority.

For additional information:  Grasset, C. and Garcia, B., “The Economic Impact of International Students in Spain” (2020), retrieved April 2023, from

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