Complutense University of Madrid
trusts
HousingAnywhere
with accommodation for their students since 2016

Get to know this university
its surroundings and accommodation

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Facts

  • Its origins date back to the late 13th century

  • Central University was founded on October 1822

  • Ranking: 233/900 QS World Universities 2017

  • Current number of students, 130,000 with 4,000 internationals

  • Undergraduate programs and master programs in English

  • Partner with HousingAnywhere since January 2016

General Information

Campus Facilities

The Universidad Complutense de Madrid is a massive sprawling complex to the north-west of the the City of Madrid, just adjacent to the even more gargantuan Casa de Campo park. On campus you’ll find the main university library, with over 2 million books and 40,000 scientific publications, as well as smaller libraries in every faculty with highly specialized volumes.

There are four separate sports facilities across the campus, including:

  • Rugby and football pitches

  • Volleyball + basketball courts

  • Gym

  • Swimming pool

  • Athletics track

  • Tennis courts

With all that studying and exercise, you’ll need some food to keep you going: each faculty has its own cafeteria with cheap food. To inject a little variety into your diet, there are plenty of options down the road in Moncloa. However, if you make the trip into Madrid itself, check out the top places to eat and drink there - student-friendly prices but only the best quality!

In general, Moncloa is where students live and hang out most often, and the supermarkets and shops there are pretty inexpensive as a result - Moncloa also provides the nearest clubs and bars, since you won’t find those on campus!

Courses

The university has over 100,000 students (around 130,000, in fact) and so, simply put, it’s enormous. There are 20 different faculties with 76 official degree programs of which medicine and psychology are the most popular and maths/physics are the most competitive, at least in terms of entry.

Undergraduate courses are available in the following subject areas:

  • Science

  • Social Sciences

  • Arts & Humanities

  • Engineering

  • Medicine and Health Services

Master’s programmes are available in the same niches, while there are also doctorate-level positions for students with the right undergraduate qualifications.

International Dimension

Universidad Complutense’s various international courses reel in around 4,000 international students every single year! This is an astonishing number, more than some Spanish universities entire student intake. What this also means is that there’s very international-friendly atmosphere at Complutense. You’ll fit right in, and the local students will be more than happy to help you with your Spanish or finding your way about town!

To help make the transition to live in the Spanish capital more straightforward, we’ve created a few tailored guides to answer all the tricky questions about:

Getting Here

The most common form of public transport to take is the Line 6 metro, which runs from the city centre right up through the university and Moncloa. The stop Ciudad Universitaria is in the heart of the campus, while Moncloa station is just to the south by the hospital.

The number 82 bus also runs between Moncloa and various locations around campus, but unless it’s miserable weather (unlikely) it might be easier to just cycle around. Easier and healthier by far!

Downloading the EMT App will help you find optimum routes wherever you’re headed around the city, while our public transport in Madrid guide will give you heaps of information, like how the ticketing system works and how to travel around outside the immediate city centre.

University Accommodation

Student Neighborhoods in Madrid

Many students choose to live in Moncloa, which is the closest neighborhood to the university; in fact, they pretty much overlap at the campus’s southern edge. In addition to its location and by virtue of the number of students who live there, the atmosphere around Moncloa is youthful, energetic and vibrant. Most of the shops, bars, and entertainment offer reduced prices for students and because it’s a small area, you can walk around it easily.

Moncloa offers a bit more freedom than the city center, though you’ll undoubtedly spend plenty of time down there too - it’s only a few minutes by metro line 6!

Common Housing Practices

The most sensible way to start looking for an apartment in Madrid is by getting online - there are loads of reliable sources you can use.Housing Anywhere is as safe, dependable and easy to use as anywhere else. We regularly update our listings with ads from existing tenants, so you don’t have to mess around with 3rd party, commission-based agents.

As a rule, you want to look for a private room in a shared apartment - this is the cheapest option which still offers good amounts of privacy and space. In Spain, the "rent" amount will not always include utility bills and internet, so make sure you check that before agreeing a contract. On that note - always have a contract, if possible. It will state how long you are entitled to stay and exactly how much money will be paid; this is useful for dealing with not-so-reliable landlords further down the line.

So why not give it a go and book student accommodation in Madrid today?

Student Associations

Being an active part of a Student Association is really fulfilling way to spend time during your exchange, but it’s also a surefire way to meet people, make friends and embark on unique experiences! There are hundreds of different associations and unions at UCM, but the Central Student’s Union is the big one - their role is basically to be the middle-man between you and the university, improving the student experience for everyone.

Another big hitter is the Erasmus Student Network, a group which is active in most of the major universities in Europe! Basically they arrange activities and experiences for internationals, to help you make the most of your exchange and to meet your peers outside of the classroom!

Events

Some of the events organized by the Central Student Union include Arts, Theatre, Music, Community Involvement, Workshops, courses, seminars, Conferences, presentations and more.

ESN Complutense organizes welcome days for the new international incomings, as well as trips in different cities of Spain so Erasmus students get familiar with the country, together with pub crawls and sport events.

Check out this link in order to learn more on what to do and see in the beautiful city of Madrid.


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