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Universidad de Málaga

Universidad de Málaga

Quick facts

City
Málaga
Country
Spain
Type
Public
Founded
1972
Students
36,000
Tuition (local students)
€757
Guide score
7.8/10

Official website: www.uma.es

Overview

Universidad de Málaga (UMA), founded in 1972, is Andalucía's large public university in the Costa del Sol capital. QS places it in the 1001–1200 band (QS 2027); it does not have a single overall world position. Enrolment is just over 36,000 students in 2026-27. It is not a global elite brand — the pitch for international students is climate, cost, Erasmus social life, and applied strengths in engineering, telecoms, tourism and business, plus the city's "Silicon Coast" / Málaga TechPark internships.

Andalusian public tuition is among Spain's lowest: first enrolment on a bachelor's is on the order of €12–13 per ECTS (~€750/year at 60 ECTS). Non-EU degree fees can be higher depending on the year and programa, but remain far below Madrid private universities. Erasmus students pay home-university fees. UMA does not publish a single international-student share in the sources we checked; ask its international office for current figures.

Academic programs

Two main campuses: Teatinos (west of the centre, metro-connected) holds most faculties — engineering, computer science, telecoms, tourism, law, medicine, psychology, education, sciences, communication. El Ejido (closer to the centre) hosts economics/business and fine arts, among others. Some teaching also happens in Ronda and Antequera.

UMA is practically oriented: tourism and telecoms have a local industry story; computer engineering feeds the tech park. Medicine is competitive via EvAU. English-taught bachelor's subjects are sparse; some master's advertise English tracks. Incoming Erasmus students should assume a Spanish-taught timetable unless their Learning Agreement lists specific English modules.

Campus life

Teatinos is a genuine campus city: faculties, green space, sports, libraries, and a dense student-bar strip. The metro links it to the historic centre and the sea. El Ejido students live more "city centre" lives. Beach (La Malagueta, El Palo, Pedregalejo) is part of the week, not a weekend trip. ESN Málaga is one of Spain's more active Erasmus organisations. Weather is the hidden curriculum: 300 days of sun, mild winters, hot Septembers.

Exchange programs

Erasmus code EMALAGA01. Faculty-to-faculty agreements matter — engineering at Teatinos is not interchangeable with business at El Ejido. Spanish B1 is the realistic recommendation even when no certificate is strictly required. Popular faculties fill English options quickly; have Spanish-taught backups. Welcome week and ESN trips are the social on-ramp.

Admissions

Spanish undergraduates: EvAU / distrito único andaluz. Cut-offs: Medicine is high; many other degrees are accessible. International degree-seekers: UNED accreditation + Distrito Único Andaluz (or UMA international admission for specific programmes). Exchange: home nomination, then UMA faculty. There is no spring intake for bachelor's degrees. In 2026 the ordinary Distrito Único Andaluz phase ran from 11 to 22 June and the extraordinary phase from 9 to 14 July; 2027 dates are not yet published, so check the official calendar. Applicants with foreign qualifications go through a separate foreign-students phase and pay a €400 reservation, which is deducted from the final tuition. UMA does not publish a bachelor's acceptance rate.

Student housing

More affordable than Madrid or Barcelona, but Málaga is no longer cheap. Shared-flat rooms often €350–500/month; closer to the beach or the old town can exceed that in high season. Practical student areas: Teatinos (next to campus), El Ejido / Centro, El Palo and Pedregalejo (east, beach, longer commute). University residences exist but fill early. Watch tourist-apartment scams at semester start.

Career services

UMA's career and internship offices plus Málaga TechPark (Google, Vodafone and a long tail of startups) are the local advantage for STEM and business students. Tourism and hospitality internships are plentiful. Spanish is expected for most local contracts; English-only roles exist in the tech park but are not the default. Many Erasmus students treat the semester as language + lifestyle rather than a recruiting springboard — those who want internships should start in month one.

Academic programs

Application deadlines

Exchange

Erasmus+ code EMALAGA01. One of Spain's most popular coastal Erasmus destinations. Teaching is mainly in Spanish (B1 recommended); English-taught subjects exist but are limited and not guaranteed. Incoming students apply via their faculty agreement.

Next steps

Sources