Camilo José Cela University has been included in Forbes magazine’s list of the 20 best universities in Spain – also among the 10 best private universities, a distinction that places the institution among the country’s leading higher education centres thanks to the quality of its academic offering, its educational model and its ability to connect learning with the professional world.
Compiled for the sixth consecutive year by the specialised publication, the ranking analyses nearly one hundred Spanish universities, both public and private, and highlights those that have achieved academic excellence based on indicators related to academic programmes, employability, internationalisation, research, facilities and educational innovation.
UCJC has also been recognised as the second-best private university in Spain in the ranking published by El Español. The digital newspaper highlights the university’s standards of rigour and excellence, as well as its continuous evolution in response to business and social realities. It also points to entrepreneurship and innovation, technology and digitalisation, social commitment, and wellbeing as the institution’s key strategic pillars.
In addition, the newspaper El Mundo has ranked Universidad Camilo José Cela among the best universities in Spain, highlighting several of its degrees among the most sought-after, including the degrees in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education.
An educational model that combines practical training with a strong professional focus
In the case of Camilo José Cela University, Forbes highlights an educational model that combines practical training, active learning methodologies, flexibility and a strong professional orientation. The publication also emphasises the diversity and specialisation of its campuses (Villafranca del Castillo, Castellana, Almagro and the maritime campus aboard the Cervantes Saavedra schooner) as well as the quality of its facilities designed for applied learning. These include Health Sciences laboratories, simulation spaces, a forensic science laboratory, MediaLab, Design Lab, Learning Lab and sports facilities, alongside a strategic partnership with HM Hospitales to strengthen healthcare education.
The magazine also recognises the university’s international dimension, with students from 65 nationalities, its own exchange programmes with 14 countries and collaborations with academic institutions around the world. In addition, it highlights the university’s employability rates, which reach 84.5% for undergraduate programmes and 86.3% for postgraduate studies.
With more than 12,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, Camilo José Cela University currently offers 44 bachelor’s degrees, 51 official master’s programmes, 30 proprietary programmes and three doctoral programmes. This broad academic portfolio reflects a model focused on experiential learning, educational innovation and the preparation of professionals capable of thriving in global and constantly evolving environments.
The Forbes ranking also recognises the achievements of the university’s alumni who have gained national and international recognition in the world of sport, including footballers Álvaro Arbeloa, Lucas Vázquez and Miguel Gutiérrez, middle-distance runner Adrián Ben and handball player Abel Serdio.
