UPF is a public, international and research-intensive university that, in just twenty-five years, has earned a place for itself among the best universities in Europe.
On 18 June 1990, Catalan Parliament gave the go-ahead for the creation of a new public university in Catalonia, Pompeu Fabra University, inspired by the principles of freedom, democracy, justice, equality, independence and plurality.
From its beginnings, this young academic institution set itself this main objective: to train responsible professionals and citizens fully committed to civic values.
Education
EDvolution is the education model currently being designed by UPF to adapt to the needs of tomorrow’s professionals, companies and social agents.
This model aims to provide students with a global vision of the world and encourages an autonomous, proactive approach, with an emphasis on technological literacy and excellent communication skills.
Research
UPF Research Service mission is to promote knowledge generation at UPF through promotion, advisement and management of the participation in research programmes.
Information on accessing UPF and also how it operates, its organisation and activities.
Assistance and advice for carrying out administrative procedures related with your academic lifeand with other activities that take place at UPF.
Guidance for finding the best solution for your needs.
Housing services
Since 1997, UPF, together with the rest of the universities in the Province of Barcelona, the Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya), has been collaborating with the Barcelona Centre Universitari (BCU), an organism offering services relating to extracurricular university life for the community of foreign students studying in Barcelona.
This housing service allows you to search its database and make reservations online for free, can assist you in different languages (Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Italian) and rounds off its services with free legal advice on rental contracts. It also provides short-term rental contract service.
Library services
Library/CRAI users include all the members of the UPF university community and any other persons expressly authorised by way of agreements reached with individual or organisations.
ICT services
This is a service aimed mainly at students (but which can be used by the whole university community) to resolve the most common IT incidents, such as:
Access to the network, Wi-Fi and Eduroam
Your computer set-up
Campus life
At Pompeu Fabra University there are three campuses:
Ciutadella Campus
Poblenou Campus
Mar Campus
Sports facilities
UPF organizes a plan of theory sessions, which is the Sports Workshop, whose main goal is to offer a debate forum about sports and physical activities to the University Community.
Accreditation
The UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM) has obtained EQUIS accreditation, the most prestigious institutional distinction for business and management schools, which certifies its quality based on rigorous international standards and places it among the elite of business schools.
Pompeu Fabra UniversityOverview
Pompeu Fabra UniversityRankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 1.5%Spain
Top 3.1%Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
QS World University Rankings
263
By TopUniversities
Climbed 2 places compared to 2026
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
2025
2026
2027
265
265
263
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
270
By U.S. News & World Report
Climbed 6 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
2025
2026
2027
269
276
270
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
No 2027 Ranking
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
2025
2026
2027
176
187
-
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Academic Ranking of World Universities
No 2026 Ranking
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities
2024
2025
2026
301
301
-
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
My experience studying Computer Engineering at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) has been incredibly rewarding. The coursework provides a very solid theoretical foundation in numerical methods and programming, but what truly makes the difference are the practical opportunities. Getting involved in scientific research projects and having access to labs to work with microcontrollers, robotics, and 3D printing has allowed me to apply what I learn in the classroom to real-world problems. The academic environment is collaborative, and the professors are always open to supporting students who want to go beyond the standard curriculum. It is a challenging program, but definitely worth it for anyone passionate about technology.
Posted byAnonymous
Studied fromUnknown
Posted onAug 2026
4/5
Global Studies Degree Experience
The Global Studies Degree at the Pompeu Fabra was an interesting program for those interested in topics such as international relations, public policy, and human rights. The obligatory courses were in english with extra-curricular courses ranging from English, Spanish, to Catalan. There was a sizable amount of international students, from mainly LATAM, the US, or other EU countries, although most of the students where Catalan. While the coursework was interesting, the classes varied widely based on professor. Some courses (especially the history, economics, IR theory) were challenging and worthwhile, some courses felt very randomly thrown together and extremely easy. Outside of the classroom, there were plenty of activities, clubs, and internships, but you have to make more of an effort to seek them out, and not speaking Catalan could make joining a bit challenging. All in all, it was a worthwhile experience, but the value you get out of it depends on what you make of it.
Posted byAnonymous
Studied fromUnknown
Posted onAug 2026
4/5
A high-quality institution
About the university I like the academic atmosphere in the university, as well as other places for personal-relationships developmnent, such as the Caf� or the Library.
What I also fins useful is the different services the institution offers, for people with different needs.
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