Written by Eva Gausa and Charo Rodríguez
If you are an International or a Spanish student studying the IBDP and you want to apply to a university in Spain, this guide will help you to understand a bit more about the choices you have and how the application process works.
There are many top public and private universities in Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain offering more than 600 degree courses. If you are studying the IBDP and want to study at a university in Spain this guide will help you to understand a bit more about the choices you have and how the application process works.
Can I apply to Spanish universities with the IB Diploma?
Yes. The IBDP has been approved by the Spanish Ministry of Education and the Departament d’Educació in Catalonia as an eligible pre-university diploma program and does not require further homologation in order to apply for admission to a Spanish university.
Do I need to take the Selectividad (University Entrance Exams) to attend university in Spain?
No. students possessing the IB Diploma are exempted from undertaking the University Entrance Exams in Spain, specifically the Selectividad or EvAU. This is due to the provision that allows them to equate their IB Diploma points for admission into the Spanish educational system, with a score range conversion from 24 equating to 5 up to 42-45 equating to 10.
Score Conversion
Do I need to take the Specific Selectividad Exams in order to attend the university in Spain?
It depends on the cut-off score of the university program a student is applying for and it also depends if you are applying to a university in Catalonia or in another autonomous community in Spain.
Public and private universities have a different set of requirements. It is important you get all the information before applying to them.
Public universities in Spain are highly regarded and recognized for their quality, teaching, research, technological developments, and service. They are also economically, accessible to everyone. That is why they are in high demand and many universities have high cut-off grades, sometimes higher than 10 points, which is the maximum score you will get from the conversion from IBDP scores to the Spanish grading system.
If the student is applying to a university in Catalonia and needs a higher score than the one obtained from the conversion to the Spanish system, the student can take the PCE (Pruebas de Competencias Especificas) to increase it up to four points. You can take a maximum of 4 subject exams, but usually, students take only 2 (those that score a maximum of 2 points each). At BFIS we help students to register for these PCE exams and provide prep classes for each subject at no cost.
In some other autonomous communities in Spain, students with the IB Diploma do not need to take those extra exams to achieve a higher score. It is important that if you want to pursue your higher education in Spain, you contact the BFIS Spanish Technical Director, who will meet with all interested students and will provide guidance and support throughout the university admissions process.
Do I need the ESO (Spanish Compulsory Secondary Education) to apply to the university in Spain?
For many international families, the ESO Certificate of Completion is not necessary, as the IB diploma is recognized as an official High School Diploma and allows for entrance into Spanish and International universities.
However, if a student does not complete the IB program, and instead only meets the requirements for the US High School Diploma, without the ESO, the student would have very limited access to Spanish and European universities*. AT BFIS we think that all students are capable of successfully obtaining the IB Diploma.
Approximately, 98% of our students take the IBDP, and only very few decide to meet only the High School Diploma requirements.
*Please contact the BFIS Technical Director to explain to you the options available.
What if I Studied Abroad During the ESO Years?
Students who have studied outside of Spain during 7th-10th grade must present their official transcripts with the stamp and signature of the school director where they studied if they want to get the ESO validation. If they studied outside the EU they need the Hague Apostille to validate their documents. At BFIS they must continue studying Spanish Language, Catalan Language, and Spanish History.
For more information, please contact the BFIS Spanish Technical Director.
Do I need to take Catalan Language?
In order to obtain the Graduado en Educación Secundaria, or ESO Certificate of Completion (Certificate of Studies from Grades 7 to 10), the Catalan government requires students in grades 7-10 to take a certain number of hours of Catalan Language and Literature.
Students who hold a Spanish passport are required to take Catalan, while international students may sign a waiver exempting them from this requirement.
Students who wish to obtain Level C1 in Catalan must continue to take Catalan classes through 12th grade.
Other related articles:
How to get good grades on the IBDP Extended Essay
International education and the value of International mindedness
5 tips to succeed in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program
