Best language schools spain: The Best Spanish Language Schools in Spain

The Best Spanish Language Schools in Spain

Jale

Updated on Jan 10 • 7 minute read

Living

There’re many reasons why you should learn Spanish, the 4th most spoken language in the world. Learning Spanish is the key to feeling at home in Spain. You’ll be able to make local friends, you’ll have more options when applying for jobs, you’ll understand local pop culture and news, read menus and government letters with ease or visit the doctor without worrying you won’t understand them.

The best way to learn Spanish is to learn it in Spain. Why? Because exposure to Spanish outside the classroom can help you practice your skills every single day. From shop signs to Spanish people, you’ll be surrounded by Spanish everywhere.

But with over a thousand Spanish language schools across Spain, it can feel nearly impossible to narrow down the schools that are the best fit for you. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

We’re sharing a list of Spanish language schools in Malaga, Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid that have been accredited as one of the top schools in Spain. All these schools offer numerous courses for different age groups and various extracurricular activities to help you immerse in Spanish culture.

What is the best place to study Spanish in Spain?

The best place to study Spanish depends on which city you want to live in and how fast you want to learn.

If you want to learn Spanish in one of Spain’s best cities, then we recommend studying Spanish in Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia or Madrid. These cities are quite international and you’ll find yourself surrounded with other expats who’re learning Spanish.

If you prefer learning Spanish by surrounding yourself with mostly locals, then we recommend heading to one of the less expat popular cities, such as Salamanca, Bilbao, Cadiz, etc. You’ll get to truly immerse yourself in the local culture and learn Spanish quickly.

“

Keep in mind that Spain has different dialects. While most schools will teach Castilian, you’ll likely hear Spanish with an Andalusian accent in Málaga or Valencian in Valencia.

”

Are you coming to Spain just to learn Spanish? In that case, you’ll need to apply for a student visa to legally enter and live in Spain. Since the majority of the Spanish language schools don’t handle the student visa process, you’ll have to organise the documents and apply for the visa yourself.

How to Choose a Spanish Language School in Spain

There’re a couple of things you should consider before choosing your dream Spanish Language school.

  1. Accreditation

We wanted to make the selection process easier for you. So we only covered Spanish language schools accredited by Instituto Cervantes and FELEDE in this article. These are 2 institutions that assess the quality of education at language schools and give them a stamp of approval.

  1. Types of courses

Most schools typically have semi-intensive, intensive, immersive, or private courses. Proficiency levels are divided into 6 levels (A1 to C2 ) proposed by the European Framework for Languages. Some schools also offer exam preparation for the DELE exam, a compulsory exam for those who want to apply for Spanish citizenship.

  1. Extracurricular activities

Spanish schools in Spain offer a myriad of extracurricular activities ranging from sightseeings, flamenco classes, cooking, sports etc. Taking part in these is a perfect way to learn Spanish in a real life setting, doing an activity you love.

  1. Housing availability

Most schools offer accommodation as an add on option. In this case, you’ll either stay in an apartment or with a host family that will provide you with accommodation and food. A cheaper option would be to book your own studio or room via HousingAnywhere; the monthly rent for a single room in Spain is €424 as opposed to the monthly rent of €600- €900 charged by language schools.

The Best Spanish Language Schools across Spain

Málaga Spanish schools

1. Oléolé Spanish School

  • Location: Oléolé Spanish school is located in the centre of Málaga. So no matter which neighbourhood you live in, It’s easily reachable with Málaga’s public transport.

  • Courses: Oléolé offers three types of courses: Intensive A1-A2, Intensive A2 lessons and Private courses.

  • Class size: Small groups of a maximum of 10 students.

  • What’s unique: Unlike traditional language schools, Oléolé has a different approach to teaching Spanish grammar. They make the classes fun and interactive with various games.

  • Accommodation: Oléolé doesn’t offer accommodation. You’ll have to search for your own accommodation in Málaga.

  • Average course cost: The 3-week Intensive B1.1 Spanish course will cost you around €649.

2. AIL Málaga

AIL Málaga is the sister academy of the highly acclaimed AIL Madrid. They’ve been in the business since 2006 and have helped thousands of students integrate into Spanish society over the years.

Studying at AIL Málaga is an exceptional experience because they use innovative techniques to teach Spanish, have multiple part-time and full-time courses, cater to different age groups, and have various extracurricular activities. The academy offers classes for almost every age from 16 to 50.

  • Location: AIL Málaga is located very close to the centre, in the culturally rich part of the city.

  • Courses: The academy offers classes for almost every age from 16 to 50. They offer Part-time and full-time general Spanish courses, Exam prep, University pathway programs and professional programs.

  • Class size: They have an average of 4 students per class or a maximum of 8 students.

  • Extracurriculars: The Spanish + Experience Program offers a wide range of hobbies such as tennis, cooking, flamenco. These programs are ideal for those who wish to learn Spanish quickly whilst having fun.

  • What’s unique: The Club 50+ Spanish course has been specially designed for elderly students who wish to learn Spanish. With this program, you’ll discover Malaga in a more exciting and relaxed way– guided tours through the historic city centre, visits to museums, and so much more!

  • Average course cost: The 3-week beginner Intensive Spanish course will cost you around €1315 euros with a single-person homestay. This price includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.

3. The Escuela Cervantes

  • Location: The Escuela Cervantes is located in the central part of Malaga and is close to public transportation.

  • Courses: They offer Spanish courses for all levels and every age group. They also offer DELE exam preparation.

  • Class size: The minimum class size is 4 and the maximum is 12.

  • Extracurriculars: They provide a variety of leisure activities, such as guided walking tours of the city, spa days, and hikes. You can also add afternoon activities to your package, such as flamenco classes. The prices for extra activities vary from free to €50.

  • What’s unique: You can study legal Spanish, Spanish tourism, or Hispanic culture in addition to the standard immersion Spanish classes.

  • Average course cost: The basic intensive Spanish course with a stay at a host family will cost around €730.

Valencia Spanish Language Schools

1. Taronja Language school

  • Location: Taronja Language school is located in the heart of Valencia, in a neighbourhood that is full of attractions. All public transport means are also nearby, making it easy for you to get here.

  • Courses: Taronja has private lessons, intensive Spanish courses and only conversation workshops as well.

  • Class size: The maximum number of students in class is 12.

  • What’s unique: Aside from being accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, Taronjo is part of the prestigious worldwide association of language schools IALC.

  • Extracurriculars: Taronja school gives great importance to the social and cultural integration of the students. That’s why they offer classes like art classes, windsurf or salsa alongside Spanish courses.

  • Average course cost: Studying in Taronja with a host family in a shared room will cost you around €789.

2. Euroace

  • Location: Euroace is located in Colon street in Valencia; a walking distance from all tourist sites and shopping areas.

  • Courses: Euroace offers Spanish courses for all levels within a group or one-to-one setting. Aside from general Spanish classes, Euroace also offers preparation courses for DELE exams.

  • Class size: The number of students in the classes is a max of 8 students.

  • What’s unique: What differentiates Euroace from other schools is that they complement Spanish courses with an internship at a Spanish company. This unique opportunity helps to combine your work and language learning together.

  • Average course cost: Two weeks of General Spanish classes with a homestay in a shared room will cost you around €708, including breakfast.

Barcelona Spanish Language Schools

1. Linguaschools

  • Location: Its proximity to the beach and tovibrant nightlife make Linguaschools one of the most appealing Spanish schools in Barcelona.

  • Courses: They offer Intensive, Individual, and exam preparation classes.

  • Class size: Maximum group size is 10 students.

  • Extracurriculars: After class, the school engages you with Spanish-language activities such as sports, trips, and cultural experiences.

  • Average course cost: Two-week intensive Spanish program costs around €730. This also includes staying with host families.

2. Expanish Language School

  • Location: Expanish is located in I’Eixample. This neighbourhood is close to nice cafes, shopping centres and many restaurants. The subway is nearby as well.

  • Courses: Expanish opened in 2017 and offers a variety of group or private Spanish classes. They also offer DELE Exam Preparation classes.

  • Class size: They keep groups small, with an average of 6 students per class.

  • Extracurriculars: Group programs offer sightseeing and fun activities alongside Spanish classes.

  • What’s unique: The evening program is excellent for travellers or those who have commitments during the day and prefer doing an evening course. The evening classes start at 7 pm until 9 pm.

Average course cost: A 2-week group course of 20 hours will cost you around €1000. This includes a single homestay.

Madrid Spanish Language Schools

1. AIL Madrid

AIL Madrid is one of the most highly rated and costly language schools in Spain.

  • Location: It’s located in the heart of young, dynamic and modern Madrid.

  • Courses: AIL Madrid has 24 Spanish courses. They also offer 50+ program for the elderly and evening programs for people who study or work during the day. The goal of any course is to help students achieve conversational level Spanish.

  • Class size: They offer classes with a maximum of 8 students per class.

  • What’s unique: AIL offers a University Pathway program; this program helps students with enrolling at Spanish Universities. If you want to gain expertise in various business fields, you can choose the Business Spanish program.

  • Extracurriculars: They offer more than 50 afternoon activities such as dancing, art classes and cooking.

  • Average course cost: A 2-week intensive Spanish course with a single-room homestay will cost you around €982.

2.

TANDEM Escuela Internacional Madrid

When you choose a Spanish school, Madrid is an ideal option if you’re looking for a metropolis city life. There’s always something happening in Madrid.

  • Location: TANDEM is centrally located, a 2-min walk from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

  • Courses: You can choose from a variety of different course options at this school. They offer Spanish summer youth programs, Spanish teacher training, and company-specific programs in addition to regular Spanish immersion classes for adults.

  • Class size: The classes are organized into small groups with a maximum of 10 students per class.

  • What’s unique: TANDEM has subsidiaries in Granada and Sebastian. This allows you to stay in all three cities while studying the language by booking their Spanish travelling program.

  • Average course cost: Studying standard intensive Spanish with a host family will cost you around €720.

Time to learn Spanish in Spain!

What better way to learn a language than developing new skills while enjoying fun activities with fellow students? One of the best aspects of learning Spanish in Spain is that you can truly immerse yourself in the local culture. So stop thinking and start your new experience!

Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any suggestions or inquiries about the content on this page.

15 Best Spanish Schools in Spain [Features & Reviews]

[Based on Reviews and Features]

Picking the Right Spanish School Is an Important and Hard Decision

We all know the best way to learn Spanish (and learn Spanish fast) is to study Spanish in Spain. You just can’t beat Spanish immersion courses in Spain for improving your skills.

If you have already decided to study Spanish in Spain (which we think is a very good decision), then picking the right Spanish school is a very important and hard task. The options of Spanish courses in Spain for adults seem endless.

Being a Spanish language school ourselves we had the urge to know: which is the best Spanish school in Spain? And – of course – where would we rank on the list?

To be fair, we were a little nervous about the results as well. But since we are confident about our service and the quality of our school we decided to go for it. (We are aware of the fact that not all the schools out there will love this post. Obviously, there are many great schools, which did not make it to this list.)

We put a lot of effort into creating this post.

First, we had endless team meetings where we were discussing the ranking criteria. At the end we were able to break down the Spanish language schools offers to measurable benchmarks and developed a reliable and – hopefully – fair ranking system based on numbers. Then we needed weeks and weeks of research, writing, tweaking, more meetings, etc. before we finally finished the post.

Now we are able to present you: The Best Language Schools to Study Spanish in Spain [Based on Numbers]. Spoiler alert: We did make it on the list 😉

Instituto Cervantes and FEDELE – the Guards of High Quality Teaching of Spanish in Spain

There are easily more than 1.000 Spanish schools in Spain. We knew from the beginning that we would not be able to research and evaluate them all. So, we decided to only take Spanish schools into consideration which are

  1. accredited by the Instituto Cervantes and
  2. members of FEDELE, the Federation of Spanish schools in Spain

Why did we do that?

Because both institutions gave us a perfect selection of high-quality Spanish language schools in Spain.

Being an accredited school of Instituto Cervantes assures the student high quality in all areas of a Spanish school: teaching, course variety, accommodation, leisure and culture activities and general customer service.

To ensure a stable level of quality and constant improvements, the schools go through evaluations, which take place every two to three years.

Becoming a member of FEDELE only is possible when the school fulfills quality requirements to reach business excellence. The federation set up certain demands in the fields of legal standards, service, and organization. They can be reviewed in the quality charter for the sector.

What is the Instituto Cervantes?

The Instituto Cervantes is a public institution created by Spain in 1991 to universally promote the teaching, study and use of Spanish and contribute to the dissemination of Hispanic cultures abroad. In its activities, the Cervantes Institute deals fundamentally with the linguistic and cultural heritage that is common to the countries and peoples of the Spanish-speaking community. It is present in 87 centers distributed in 44 countries across five continents.

The Instituto Cervantes it is the only specific quality accreditation system for teaching Spanish at an international level.

What is the FEDELE Federation?

The Spanish Federation of Associations of Schools of Spanish as a Foreign Language regulates a status of quality for teaching Spanish in Spain. It holds cooperation with the Instituto Cervantes to assure a global policy on quality and on the international promotion of Spanish studies. The federation consists of 7 associations which hold more than 100 Schools of Spanish as a Foreign Language. The schools are located in Andalusia, the Canaries, the Valencian Community, the Community of Madrid, Castille and Leon, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Basque Country.

Our Ranking System

The ranking is based on the following criteria (that we were able to research)

  • Popularity of the school
  • Prices
  • Location within the area
  • Organization of the school
  • Range of study programs
  • After class activities

Read more about our ranking system

Popularity was measured by Social Media followers and reviews from former students. To assure the ratings are reliable we only took Facebook and Google my Business reviews into account when at least 30 of those were given.

To honor low prices we calculated a two-weeks Intensive Spanish course with 20 hours of class a week and a stay at a host family. Since this is a standard offer it makes it possible to compare the course and accommodation expenses of the various schools.

The location was taken into account positively when the school is placed not further than 15 minutes walk from the beach or the city center.

Leisure time activities and excursions were considered such as special offers like a youth, senior or sports programs.

To evaluate the organizational level of the school we had a look at the number of languages they communicate their services in and if they offer educational leave.

Besides being accredited by the Instituto Cervantes and FEDELE, there are certain criteria which are indicators for high-quality Spanish schools.

Having a special teachers program is one of them, which is why we give a lot of credit to that.

It is the most recognized Spanish proficiency test on the globe, an excellent Spanish school will also help you get ready for and take the DELE Exam. This is why we gave credit for preparation courses and for being a registered DELE examination center.

Living in a digital world, being able to participate in online Spanish courses was also an important rating criterion.

We consider the fairness of the conditions a major deal for your study abroad experience. This is why we scanned the contracts of the schools and gave top points for student-friendly terms.

All schools that schedule their classes for 55 or more minutes got an extra point. If the study groups are limited to eight or fewer students it was also worth an extra credit for us.

Regardless of the quality of the school, there is a chance that you might not like the school or the course or the location – but you won’t realize this until you arrive. Schools that take that into account and will refund your money even after you started the course got rewarded with an extra point. For any other specific advantage, a school gives to its language students we gave points.

⭐️ Before you start reading through the list please notice the fact that FEDELE has almost 100 members. Researching all of them made us even more aware that there is such a great variety of high-quality Spanish language schools in Spain. Every school has more positive aspects and selling points, but we couldn’t take all of them into account. So, we have chosen specific criteria which we feel are the most important. 

Our Top 15 Spanish Schools in Spain

Taking into account all the criteria mentioned above, the best Spanish schools in Spain based on numbers are:

15. International House Valencia

Overall rating: 71/100

Popularity

Course Variety

If you’re looking for a Spanish school, Valencia has some really amazing options. We know we don’t need to twist your arm to learn Spanish in Valencia, but you might need help deciding on the best Spanish School. You’ll find a few of the best Spanish schools in Spain are in Valencia which gives you the perfect opportunity to explore an amazing city.

Just studying at the International House in Valencia itself is a special experience. The Spanish lessons take place in a 153-year-old, renovated property. The 2100-square-meter Spanish school combines historic parts like 11th-century Arab walls with the modern. Every classroom is equipped with interactive whiteboards, natural light and air-conditioning, what more could you want to help you learn Spanish abroad?

You can enjoy your breaks and free time socializing in the student café or on their rooftop with sun loungers and a pool. To be able to handle all the sunshine in Valencia, the Spanish school provides showers so you can cool off and fruit trees that so you can also spend time relaxing in the shade.

All of this is located in the heart of Valencia’s old town, so there is plenty of entertainment even outside of this oasis. If you want to study here it will cost you 670 Euro for a two-week intensive residential Spanish course in Spain. With a Spanish school like that, we have the slight feeling that your host family won’t have you around that much.

14. Hispania Escuela de Español – Valencia

Overall rating: 76/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Just like the last school, Hispania Escuela de Español is a beautiful Spanish school in Valencia. Former students describe studying here as the perfect mix of a sunny city and great quality Spanish lessons with extremely helpful and friendly teachers. They also point out that the Spanish school provides leisure activities making it easy to socialize. You can choose activities from topics like “Discovering Valencia”, “Nature”, “Sports”, “Tastings” and “Workshops and Concerts”.

Their Spanish Plus Program allows you to extend your intensive Spanish course with another theme. You can either top it off with tennis lessons or courses of typical Spanish cuisine. The highlight of the second one is the possibility of attending a “Show cooking” with the Michelín Star winning chef Ricard Camarena.  The best way to learn Spanish, apart from Spanish classes in Spain, is to get involved and really explore Spanish culture!

The two-week intensive residential Spanish course at Hispania Escuela, including your stay at a host family with breakfast, will cost you about 755 Euro.

13. Cervantes Escuela Internacional – Malaga

Overall rating: 77/100

Popularity

Course Variety

The Escuela Cervantes is located in sunny Malaga. It offers Spanish courses for adults (and other age groups) at all language levels.  If you also want to take the DELE exam, they even guarantee you to pass! If you’re looking for a Spanish school in Malaga and you want to pass your DELE exam, then this Spanish school is a good choice.

Other than the standard immersive Spanish courses you can study legal Spanish, the topic of Spanish tourism or Hispanic culture. You also have the option to extend your offer with afternoon flamenco classes. Every day they offer different leisure activities, such as guided walking tours through the city, spa days or hikes. The prices for these range from free to 50 Euros. The basic intensive Spanish course with 20 hours of classes a week and a stay at a host family will cost you 730 Euro at this school.

12. Tia Tula-Spanish School – Salamanca

Overall rating: 78/100

Popularity

Course Variety

The Tia Tula Colegio de Español in Salamanca is a Spanish school with a very international atmosphere. As their website is translated into 14 different languages you will find yourself studying with Spanish students from all over the world. While your classmates are international, the teachers will make sure you have the full cultural Spanish experience during your stay. The Spanish language is not the only thing professors at Tia Tula will teach you. Their goal is it to also make you understand the local way of thinking and living by teaching you all about typical habits and traditions.

The school is located in the pedestrian historical center of Salamanca. This will give you the benefit of views to historical and monumental landmarks during your classes. This is one of the best Spanish immersion programmes in Spain because you really learn about the culture as well as Spanish lessons. A Spanish immersion program like this is one of the best ways to learn Spanish fast.

With 650 Euro for a two-week residential Spanish course, staying at a host family, this school is an economical option for a Spanish course in Spain.

11. Proyecto Español Granada

Overall rating: 80/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Proyecto Español is a Spanish language school chain with locations in Granada, Alicante, Madrid and Barcelona. To learn Spanish in Spain you get a great variety of locations with their Spanish courses. Two of those made our list: Proyecto Español Granada and Alicante. With close results of 78.98 and 79.08 points, they hold the places 11 and 10. 

The Spanish school in Granada will give you a slightly better price of 680 Euros for a two-weeks intensive residential Spanish course, with a host family stay and breakfast included. The school has special offers like Spanish Summer Camps for teenagers and Spanish courses for families.

10. Proyecto Español Alicante

Overall rating: 80/100

Popularity

Course Variety

With a price of 680 Euros for a family homestay and a two-weeks intensive Spanish course, Proyecto Alicante is still one of the more budget Spanish school in Spain, which still offers quality Spanish learning.

Former students highly recommend the school with 4. 8 out of 5 stars on Facebook and 4.9 stars on Google. They especially praise their friendly and competent Spanish teachers. Since the Spanish lessons are limited to a maximum of 8 students you will have the comfort of full support from your tutors. The Spanish school offers a youth Spanish summer program, a teachers training and Spanish online.

9. Tandem Escuela Internacional Madrid

Overall rating: 80/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Tandem Escuela Internacional Madrid offers a wide range of different course types you can choose from. Besides standard Spanish immersion courses for individuals, they offer Spanish summer youth programs, Spanish teacher training and a special program for companies. Through their “Spanish and a Passion” program, you can also choose to combine your studies with a range of set after class activities on a certain topic like art, flamenco or cooking. When you’re choosing a Spanish school, Madrid is a great option if you’re looking for the best nightlife. Of course, as a capital city, there’s always something happening in Madrid.

Since TANDEM also holds schools in Granada and San Sebastian you can choose to book a traveling Spanish course and stay in all three cities during your time of studying the language without switching schools.

A standard intensive 20-hour Spanish course in Madrid with a host family stay would cost you about 720 Euro.

8. Instituto Mediterráneo Sol Inmsol – Granada

Overall rating: 81/100

Popularity

Course Variety

This Spanish school in Granada is one of the top Spanish schools in Spain when it comes to student reviews. Their average rating of 4.9* stars is proof of their client satisfaction. One of the reasons for the great feedback may be that they have a maximum limit of eight students for their Spanish classes. Their website is displayed in 14 languages which means you’ll be studying in a very international environment, perfecting for meeting your future tour guides of other cities around the world.

The Spanish school is located in the center of Granada and provides the students with an IMSOL student card to benefit from discounts around the city. Together with a certified travel agency, they will arrange excursions to close by places like the national park Sierra Nevada where you can ski or the beaches of Costa Tropical. A city tour of Granada, workshops and debates on current events to practice your Spanish are included in the 842 Euro for a two-weeks intensive Spanish course.

7. LAE Madrid

Overall rating: 82/100

Popularity

Course Variety

For about 850 Euro you can stay with a host family in Madrid and participate in Spanish language classes of the best-rated school on Google. With a 4.9 review on Facebook and a 5 stars review on Google My Business the language school LAE Madrid clearly is an outstanding option.

The average Spanish lesson holds six people. They have special kids and a Spanish for families program. With Spanish being the second most important language for international communication, the school also helps businesses to become more competitive through company Spanish course offers. After Spanish lessons the school keeps you entertained through after-school activities in Spanish like sports, excursions, and cultural experiences.

6. Linguaschools Barcelona

Overall rating: 82/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Linguaschools is the place to be when you are looking for a Spanish school in Barcelona. All the cultural opportunities, a vibrant nightlife and being close to the beach make it easy to connect with people in the school and learn Spanish in Barcelona. The Spanish school itself is consists of a precious colonial building with a beautiful small garden.

Even though they did not make it to Instagram yet their Social Media and business ratings can keep up with our number one top school. Their Spanish classes in Barcelona last 55 minutes, which is way above average. You can choose their service out of 9 languages on their website. For a 2-weeks intensive Spanish program, staying with a host family, they will charge you 730 Euros. A double room is available only when booked together. If you want to learn Spanish in Barcelona then this school is a really great choice.

5. Inhispania – Madrid

Overall rating: 83/100

Popularity

Course Variety

With 920 Euro for the set offer, Inhispania is the priciest of our top 15 schools. Losing rating points for the higher costs and still making 5th place in our list means it’s are definitely worth the price!
More than 10 000 people follow Inhispania on their Social Media channels, former students review them with 4. 8* stars and their website is visible in 13 different languages. The Spanish school in Madrid is in one of the best areas, the intersection of Gran Via and Alcala to be specific. They arrange daily activities during the week and excursions to other Spanish cities close by during the weekends.

Find Out More About Inhispania – Madrid

4. FU International Academy Tenerife

Overall rating: 83/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Our FU International Academy is based on the beautiful island of eternal spring; Tenerife. You will be living in a colorful beach city, Puerto de la Cruz. Former students especially value the friendly atmosphere and highly recommend our Spanish school, in a Spanish speaking country, with 4.9 out of 5 stars. 

Of course, the best way to learn Spanish is in Spain but the weather isn’t guaranteed to be sunny all year round. Here in Tenerife, we have sunshine and spring temperatures more than 300 days of the year! So, if you want a Spanish course somewhere sunny you should visit us at our Spanish school in Tenerife.

Our very own FU Café and our sunny terrace make it really easy to socialize and meet new people. You can enjoy your coffee relaxing in the sun loungers or enjoy a game of ping-pong after lunch. For those of you who like to be even more active, you can join the basement gym for 27 Euro a month.

Besides various leisure activities that take place every day during the week, we will arrange trips for you to explore our stunning island during your stay. You can also combine your Spanish course with a surf course to create the perfect island experience. For the offer compared in this ranking, we would charge a price of 783 Euro. Since we are convinced that students have amazing, even life-changing experiences while staying here, we will refund your money if you’re not happy with the course. However, the more common case is students extending their stay and wanting to stay forever in our little paradise.

3. Taronja School – Valencia

Overall rating: 83/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Even though it is the third Spanish school in Valencia we have listed, Valencia’s go-to place for learning Spanish seems to be the Taronja School. They give great importance to the social and cultural integration of their students and have a schedule packed with fun activities in the school and around town. The School calls itself the best-located language school in Valencia – and they might just be right. It is located in the Pedestrian street in the city center of the beach town. 

Compared to the other two Spanish schools in Valencia listed here, it is the most costly option. Spending your time studying Spanish in the halls of their beautiful 19th-century building while staying with a local host family will cost you 789 Euro. However, when it comes to Spanish language immersion programs this is a beautiful location to study Spanish abroad.

2. Spanish Courses Unamuno – Salamanca

Overall rating: 84/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Unamuno is a great place to learn Spanish. Their two-week intensive Spanish course offer, with half board in a host family’s single room for 600 Euro, makes this Salamanca based Spanish school a really good deal. It’s one of the best cheap Spanish schools which also delivers on quality Spanish lessons.

However, it’s not just their prices which are attractive. With a 4.9* average review it got excellent recommendations by former students, which are mostly written in Spanish. Since Unamuno is aware of its high-quality classes and satisfied students they even promise a money-back-guarantee in case you feel their Spanish course doesn’t hold what they promise on their website.

1. Ail Madrid

Overall rating: 86/100

Popularity

Course Variety

Numbers don’t lie – and when it comes to numbers the Ail Madrid Spanish language school beats all the other Spanish schools. With a price of 810 Euro, this is not a low budget school. But quality has its price and the Ail Madrid Spanish school can easily prove why it is worth it!

Their follower base of more than 40k Social Media fans rank them with an average of 4.8 (out of 5) stars. The Spanish school in Spain offers 24 Spanish courses and takes care that their classes have a maximum of 8 students.
Their services are displayed in 19 languages on their website. Besides more than 60 afternoon activities that vary during your stay, you can combine your Spanish study course with another hobby and collect a double course such as Spanish and dance, Spanish and art or Spanish and cooking.  All of this in the heart of the young, vibrant and modern metropolis of Madrid. 

The only thing we are missing for perfection is a youth program for the young ones to enjoy all the benefits of this great school early on.

Congratulations to the well deserved first place on our list of best Spanish schools in Spain.

After all, every school is unique in its own way and has its reasons why studying there could be the right choice for you. Even though we couldn’t cover every amazing Spanish school in Spain, we hope to have helped you in your process of finding your perfect place to learn Spanish abroad.

This article is based on the numbers in December 2018 and the results are all rounded to the nearest number. 

*out of 5; as a rating, we took the average of the Facebook and Google my Business reviews

​​Would you like to take your Spanish to the next level?

Whether you’re a complete beginner or you’re an advanced student, with us you’ll reach the next level of Spanish quickly and easily. With 24 Levels to Spanish fluency, the next level is always close by, so you will never lose motivation.

You can choose between:

 

In both cases, you’ll learn Spanish using our successful 24 Level System to Spanish Fluency® and our unique Spanish teaching methods.

Top 5 budget Spanish language schools for long-term studies

Many of our students are interested in the question of how to move to Spain on a budget and legally for a long term of more than 6 months. After all, a Schengen visa, even issued for 1-2-3 years, gives the right to stay in the EU for no more than 90 days in half a year. While a long-term student visa allows you not to leave the country for up to 1 year. After one year of study, the study visa can be extended directly in Spain.

A long-term visa D to Spain can be issued not only for higher education programs: Bachelor’s or Master’s, but also for Spanish language courses.

In which schools and cities in Spain can I take a long-term course inexpensively?

Barcelona, ​​BCN Lip School

Barcelona BCN Lip School has developed a special long-term course, which is the most inexpensive compared to other schools in Spain.

Thus, the cost of a course of 20 hours per week for 1 year is 3396 euros , but you can take a course for 8 months for 2432 euros or for 9 months for 2711 euros . But it should be borne in mind that the student card will be issued by the Consulate of Spain exactly for the period of study.

Accommodation can also be arranged from the school in a student apartment. The cost of a 1-bed room is 490 euros per month plus 200 euros for the registration fee of the school for preparing documents. To increase your chances of getting a visa, we recommend booking accommodation for at least 3 months. The cost of the room in this case will be 450 euros per month, that is, 1350 euros for 3 months and the student receives documents for a visa as a gift. Further, students either extend their residence at the school, or find more profitable rental options and move.

The cost of a year’s Spanish course at BCN Lip School in Barcelona and 3 months’ accommodation would therefore be 4746 euros.

BCN Lip prepares the required application for a D visa and sends the originals to the student’s home address.

Note that this specialized course differs in content from the standard course of 20 lessons per week. The long-term course at BCN Lip consists of 10 hours of general Spanish and 10 hours of seminars on grammar, phonetics and Spanish culture, conversation.

Marbella, school Instituto Internacional de Idiomas (III)

Marbella is considered the most prestigious and fashionable area on the southern coast of Spain, the Costa del Sol. No wonder the name of the city of Marbella is translated as “beautiful sea” – there are about 24 sandy natural beaches.

The language school Instituto Internacional de Idiomas was founded in Marbella in 1982. To this day, the school is very popular among foreign students, successfully operates, develops and offers profitable offers for long-term education. At school III, you can buy an annual certificate for training for 3500 euro . Once a student has received a D visa and arrived in Marbella, they can use the paid certificate at their discretion: take a Spanish course of 20 lessons per week or combine it with another foreign language. The school also teaches English, French, German. But the number of Spanish lessons must be at least 80%.

We recommend booking accommodation in Marbella on your own, as the school will turn out to be quite expensive – from 900 euros for 2 weeks in a residence/host family. Often students unite and rent an apartment for several people in order to save money.

Valencia, Hispania-Valencia School

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and no less popular than Barcelona. There are more than 300 sunny days a year, beautiful beaches, all the necessary infrastructure of the city: shops, cafes, restaurants, parks, museums, universities, etc. At the same time, the cost of living is several times lower than in Barcelona. All these advantages attract more and more international students every year.

In Valencia, the best Spanish course is offered at the Hispania-Valencia language school. The cost of a long-term course (20 lessons per week) for 30 weeks is 3500 euros , for 40 weeks – 4000 euros , for a year = 4500 euros .

Accommodation in a student apartment, 1-bed room will cost 400 euros per month or 1200 for 3 months.

The total cost of a Spanish course for a year at the Hispania school + 3 months of accommodation will be 5700 euros.

This cost must be supplemented by the remaining months of accommodation, food, entertainment and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Alicante, Proyecto Español

In Alicante, the cheapest long-term course can be purchased at Proyecto Español. The school is accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, conveniently located in the historical part of the city, within walking distance from the beach.

Proyecto Espanol in Alicante offers a course of 25 lessons per week. Despite the fact that the course is more intensive than the Spanish Embassy requires, it still turns out to be cheaper than the standard course of 20 lessons in other schools in Alicante.

The price of the long-term course for 36 weeks (9 months) is 4380 euros , for 52 weeks (year) – 6240 euros .

Housing from a school in Alicante in a student apartment, in an individual room costs 360 euros per month / 1080 euros for 3 months.

In total, the cost of studying at the Proyecto Español language school for a year and accommodation for 3 months will be 7320 euros.

Madrid, Sprachcaffe school

Madrid is the capital of Spain and the largest city in terms of population, therefore the most expensive. Among all the language centers in Madrid, we single out the Sprachcaffe school as the most advantageous in terms of price-quality ratio. A long-term course at Sprachcaffe for a year will cost students 7080 euro (52 weeks).

Cost of the course for 24 weeks – 3300 euros .

The cheapest accommodation option at the Sprachcaffe school is a host family, 1-bed room with breakfast. The cost of housing in the low season – 640 euros per month. In high season – 740 euros per month. An additional registration fee of 80 euros is charged.

Adding the annual cost for the course and 3 months of accommodation in the low season, we get 9080 euros.

The best language schools in Spain: how to choose the right one? – Spanish in Spain

Skip to content

  • View Larger Image

If you’ve ever looked for Spanish courses for foreigners in Spain on your own, you’ve probably already realized that we have a million language schools here. For example, only in Salamanca there are about 20 of them (with a city population of 140 thousand!)

Of course, each of these institutions has its own pricing policy, teaching methods, target audience. .. After all, there are objectively very good and objectively bad schools.

There is one thing that any international student should look out for when looking for long-term courses is the Cervantes Institute accreditation. The fact is that only under an accredited course can you get a long-term study visa type D .

The Instituto Cervantes is a public institution that supports the dissemination, learning and use of Spanish throughout the world.

Formally, accreditation always guarantees the high quality of teaching. But, let’s be realistic, if the school is frankly cheap, you should not expect that you will learn Spanish at the level and at the speed determined by the standards.

  • The Institute’s standards aim at teaching 20 hours per week.
  • This workload assumes the development of the A1 level in four weeks, and each subsequent level up to C1 in eight.
  • There are no clear standards for teaching foreigners for C2: this is already the carrier level.

We have compiled for you a selection of language schools with an impeccable reputation, for which Cervantes accreditation is not an empty phrase, but a real indicator of quality.

Don Quijote and Enforex

Don Quijote is a network of schools with a rich history, founded in the 80s by the Dutch. It still stands out for its “old guard” teachers.

DQ was bought out by the owner of another network – Enforex. Now it is a common holding with campuses in 10 cities in Spain: Alicante, Granada, Malaga, Marbella, Seville, Tenerife, Madrid, Salamanca, Valencia and Barcelona. In Cadiz, Enforex, on its own behalf, offers the school K2 International – we also distinguish it from others, it deserves to be included in our selection. In addition, DQ and Enforex have branches in 12 Latin American countries. Taking courses from them is especially interesting for those who want to travel to different cities while studying Spanish at the same time.

If we compare the two networks of the holding, we can say that Enforex is a very high-quality school, but still of the second level. Although not the cheapest for the economy class. Traditionally, there are more young students here.

Don Quijote is a true leader in the world of teaching Spanish as a foreign language. Everything here is at the maximum: both prices and quality. Vitalia, one of the founders of AcademSpain, taught Spanish at DQ in Salamanca in 2005.

This small network has two schools in Alicante and Granada.

What can I say: super team, economical prices, full professionalism.

They also offer Madrid and Barcelona, ​​but these are partner schools – we can’t vouch for them.

TLC Denia

School in the resort town of Denia, which is simply impossible to pass by. The founder and director of TLC Denia, Marie Carmen, has long been the chairman of the Federación de Escuelas de Español como Lengua Extranjera – the Federation of Schools of Spanish as a Foreign Language.

Until now, Marie Carmen is a real expert and always up to date. This is the case when we recommend not just language courses, but an amazing person whom we completely trust.

Ole Languages ​​

Ole Languages ​​is an economy school in Barcelona. For its price category – above all praise. They have a huge number of courses of different intensity and, of course, the high standard of the Instituto Cervantes.

Colegio Delibes

If you are looking for a language course in Salamanca, you should definitely go to Colegio Delibes. It’s a big school with a lot of classes and levels and the students really come from all over the world. Even in Delibes, the amazingly charismatic director Miguel.

What to choose?

There is no universal answer: everything is individual. For the very highest quality of education, it makes sense to go to Don Quijote, but in general, we warmly recommend all the schools from this selection.

You need to start from geographical preferences, budget and, of course, plans for the future. What level of Spanish do you have now? What level do you need to have in a year and, most importantly, for what purposes?

You already know the pace of language acquisition according to Cervantes. The schools are worse – slower. You can be guided by the fact that a confident B2 is enough for a quiet study at the university. You can also apply with B1, but at first it will be difficult. In some cases, you will have to work hard and master C1: translators, teachers, doctors.

In addition, almost all universities in Spain require language certificates – you will have to pass DELE or SIELE , which means you should prepare for them purposefully. Although Spanish is easy to read and pronounce, its grammar is quite complex. If you can communicate on the street, in a shop or a bar, it does not mean that you can study Spanish or work in any Spanish office.

If the main thing for you is to get a study visa D, just choose the cheapest accredited option you can find.