Spanish educational institutions and study programmes

Below, we explain what types of Spanish educational institutions and study programmes there are. And how we check whether they are recognised or accredited. We check the and to make sure that the quality is sufficient. We give the necessary information for each type of education.

General secondary education | schools

Students can get the diploma Título de Bachiller in general secondary education. We only compare nationally recognised diplomas. A Título de Bachiller is nationally recognised if the student got it from a recognised school. Therefore we always check if these diplomas come from a recognised school.

Checking the recognition of schools

You can find an overview of all recognised schools on the website of the Spanish Ministry of Education. Do you want to check the of a school yourself?

  • Go to the website of the Ministry of Education (in Spanish only).
  • Choose Todo el territorio (all of Spain) in the top right corner, next to the Spanish flag.
  • Click on the arrow next to Tipo de estudios (type of education).
  • Choose Bachillerato (secondary school diploma).
  • Enter the name of the school at Nombre del centro (school name).
  • Click on Buscar (search).
  • If the school is not mentioned, the school is not recognised.

    Please note: if the school is not recognised, we cannot compare the diploma with a Dutch diploma.

Vocational secondary education | study programmes

Students can get the Título de Técnico diploma in vocational secondary education. Before we can compare this diploma with a Dutch diploma, we check the of the study programme.

Please note: if we see that a study programme is accredited, this also means that the school is recognised. Therefore, we do not check the of the school separately. Programmes from non-recognised schools are probably not accredited.

Checking the accreditation of study programmes

We check the of a Título de Técnico programme on the website of the Ministry of Vocational Education. The website offers an overview of all accredited programmes. Do you want to check the accreditation yourself?

Please note: if the study programme is not accredited, we cannot compare the diploma with a Dutch diploma.

Higher education | educational institutions

Because we always check the of higher education programmes, we first explain where students can take these programmes. There are different types of higher education institutions:

  • universidades en centros universitarios;
  • centros docentes no universitarios.

Universidades en centros universitarios

At universidades (universities) and centros universitarios (university centres), students usually take a research-oriented education. Sometimes a study programme is focused on professional practice. Students can obtain the Graduado (bachelor), Máster Universitario (master) and Doctor (PhD) degrees.

Recognised universities and centros universitarios are listed in the Spanish Ministry of Education's Register (Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos, RUCT):

Centros docentes no universitarios

At centros docentes no universitarios, students mainly take professional education (non-university education). They can get the Título de Técnico Superior in various fields of study. Art students also take study programmes in these educational institutions. They can get the Título Superior and the Máster en Enseñanzas Artísticas.

Higher education | study programmes

For higher education, we check the of the study programmes. Students can only get a nationally recognised diploma (título oficial) after they have completed an accredited programme. We can only compare títulos oficiales with Dutch diplomas.

Please note: if we see that a programme is accredited and students receive a nationally recognised diploma, this also means that the educational institution is recognised. Therefore, we do not check the of the educational institution separately. Programmes from non-recognised institutions are probably not accredited.

Checking the accreditation of university programmes

Nationally recognised diplomas from accredited programmes are listed in the register (RUCT). Do you want to check whether a study programme is accredited?

  • Go to the RUCT register (in Spanish only).
  • Click on the 3rd button: Sección títulos (diploma).
  • Choose the university that is mentioned on the diploma under Universidad (university).
  • Choose Grado, Máster or Doctor under Nivel académico (academic level) or choose Ciclo (cycle) for the old system.
  • Click on Consultar (view).
  • If the programme is not listed, the programme is probably not accredited.

Please note: if the programme is not accredited, we cannot compare the diploma with a Dutch diploma.

Checking the accreditation of centros docentes no universitarios programmes

We check the of centros docentes no universitarios programmes:

Técnico Superior programmes

We check the accreditation of Técnico Superior programmes on the website of the Ministry of Vocational Education. There you will find an overview of all accredited programmes. Do you want to check the accreditation yourself?

Please note: if the programme is not accredited, we cannot compare the diploma with a Dutch diploma.

Art programmes

You can find an overview of all accredited art programmes on the website of the Spanish Ministry of Education. Do you want to check the accreditation yourself?

  • Go to the website of the Ministry of Education (in Spanish only).
  • Select Todo el territorio (all of Spain) in the top right corner, next to the Spanish flag.
  • Click on the arrow next to Tipo de estudios (type of education).
  • Choose Enseñanzas Artisticas Superiores (higher art education).
  • Choose the programme under Enseñanza (education).
  • If the programme is not listed, it is probably not accredited.

    Please note: if the programme is not accredited, we cannot compare the diploma with a Dutch diploma.