POMPEU FABRA UNIVERSITY
The Dipòsit de les Aigües building, designed by architect Josep Fontserè in 1874, hosts the main library on the Ciutadella campus
QUESTIONING, ADVANCING, TRANSFORMING
Founded in 1990, UPF is a public university based in Barcelona that is highly competitive in research and aims to transform education to respond to future challenges.
In a context of major global challenges, UPF has undertaken an imperative commitment as a university institution: to help find solutions for the main challenges facing humanity and the planet, which are set out in the Planetary Wellbeing initiative.
WHO WAS POMPEU FABRA?
Our university is called after Pompeu Fabra i Poch (1868-1948), as a tribute to the engineer and linguist who arranged, refined, systematized and standardized the modern-day Catalan language
Pompeu Fabra was president of the Philological Section of the Institute for Catalan Studies (IEC), which was founded in 1907. He coordinated the work involved in drawing up the Normes ortogràfiques (Spelling Rules) (1913), which provided Catalan with a genuine, modern, standardized orthography, and later published the Gramàtica catalana (Catalan Grammar) (1918), which was adopted as the language’s official grammar. His great endeavour to disseminate and consolidate a refined, modern language culminated in the publication of the Diccionari general de la llengua catalana (General Dictionary of the Catalan Language) (1931), which became Catalan’s prescriptive dictionary.
TO IMPROVE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN…
The Planetary Wellbeing initiative, fully aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, encompasses all the actions UPF has launched to respond to a set of urgent, complex, interdisciplinary and global challenges. As a public university, UPF fulfils its commitment to tackling the major challenges of the 21st century by creating, transmitting and transferring new multidisciplinary knowledge to guide the implementation of discerning policies and inspiring leadership.
The University carries out this activity in eight disciplines spread across three campuses in Barcelona:
— Medicine and life sciences
— Political and social sciences
— Communication
— Law
— Economics and business
— Engineering
— Humanities
— Translation and language sciences
Facts and figures (2024-2025):
— Undergraduate studies: 10,140 students in 27 programmes
— Official master’s studies: 1,180 students in 31 programmes
— UPF master’s studies: 419 students in 23 programmes
— Doctoral studies: 1,347 students in 9 programmes
— Full-time equivalent teaching and research staff: 1,015 (permanent teaching staff: 340)
— Administrative and service staff: 726
— 2025 Budget: €184 M
A renovated textile factory houses all studies related to communication (technologies and contents) in the heart of the new technological district in Barcelona
…TRAINING AND SHAPING OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALS AND RESPONSIVE, RESPONSIBLE AND COMMITTED PEOPLE
UPF’s education model (EDvolution) prepares students to thrive in a global, changing and highly competitive job market.
Competency-based training (communication skills, digital literacy, autonomy, etc.), student support and tutoring, the use of new learning methodologies and a cross-disciplinary approach to programmes and degrees are part of a model that aims to produce well-educated people, good professionals and committed citizens.
Key figures:
— Two applicants per available place (2024-2025 academic year)
— 14% of new students left secondary school with honours (2024-2025 academic year)
— First Spanish public university with the highest performance rate (Ministry of Universities, 2024)
— 100% of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies positively assessed (AQU Catalunya, 2024) Innovative degrees: Open Bachelor’s Degree Programme, Global Studies, Bioinformatics, Double Degree in Law with King’s College London Internship agreements with more than 1,180 companies (2023-2024 academic year)
— 92% graduate employment rate (AQU Catalunya, 2023)
— 89% of UPF students find jobs in the first year after graduation (AQU Catalunya, 2023)
Alumni satisfaction: 90% of graduates would choose UPF again (AQU Catalunya, 2023)
The UPF education model offers students a global vision for them to get prepared for their future professions autonomously and proactively
As an institution committed to its students, above and beyond academic life, UPF promotes their participation in associations, volunteer programmes and sports and cultural activities
The Jaume I building was originally built and used as a military barracks. Its renovation won the 1996 Ciutat de Barcelona prize in the architecture and town planning category
…LEVERAGING ITS RESEARCH CAPABILITIES
TO MEET GLOBAL CHALLENGES
The research culture at UPF, based on responsible research and innovation principles, emphasizes the transfer of results and their social impact. Through open, collaborative, crossdisciplinary research, UPF strives to deliver solutions to the main global challenges, contributing to the wellbeing of people and the planet.
This model is made possible by the quality of the University’s teaching and research staff, as witnessed by UPF’s excellent research indicators with regard to both research funding secured, especially in Europe, and scientific output.
Key figures:
— Horizon Europe programme (preliminar results as of January 2024): 83 projects and €61.7 million, including:
— 31 ERC Grants (€39.9 million)
— 25 Marie Curie actions (€5.9 million)
— EU Horizon 2020 programme (2014-2020): 176 projects and more than €85.6 million:
— This amount accounts for 6.5% of the total obtained by all Spanish universities, even though UPF has just 1% of the Spanish university system’s teaching staff.
— UPF was the 4th Spanish university in European funding secured in absolute terms despite its size.
— Spanish National R&D and Innovation Plan:1 35 projects and €5.2 million
— International teaching staff:2 30%
— 2 María de Maeztu3 accreditations
— 3 Severo Ochoa4 accreditations Theses defended in English: 70% (2023-2024)
68 Industrial PhD programmes funded by the Catalan government (2013-2024)
1 Data refer to the 2023 call.
2 Data as of December 2024.
3 Both the María de Maeztu and the Severo Ochoa programmes are funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Their aim is to accredit public research centres and units in any field in which they demonstrate scientific leadership and can have a global impact whilst at the same time actively collaborating in their social and business environment. Data includes affiliated centres.
4 Id.
The Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) hosts one of the largest hubs of biomedical research in southern Europe
Mobility programmes, through an extensive and selective network of exchange agreements with universities worldwide, enrich the campus and enable a high percentage of graduates to undertake stays abroad
…NETWORKING AND COLLABORATING IN INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO DESIGN A GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
Internationalization is one of UPF’s founding goals, with regard to both the composition of its community and in the orientation of its training and research. The ability to attract international talent at all levels is one of its trademarks features.
The campus exudes diversity, creating unique opportunities for internationalization at home and in the classroom to supplement the wide range of mobility options in Europe and the rest of the world.
Beyond cooperation programs and a vast network of exchange agreements, UPF reaffirms its global ambition through participation in strategic alliances that promote a new university model. Integration into academic excellence networks such as The Guild, EUTOPIA, A4U, and EUROPAEUM, among other international initiatives, strengthens its leading position in higher education and research. Being part of these alliances not only enhances collaboration among top-level institutions but also expands UPF’s international reach and influence, positioning it at the center of global debates on the future of universities while establishing it as a prime destination for European and international student mobility.
Key figures:
— 52% of master’s and doctoral students are international (2024-2025 academic year)
— 50% of graduates have studied abroad (2023-2024 academic year)
— First Spanish university for international outlook (Times Higher Education ranking, 2024)
— Agreements with 25 of the Top 50 universities in the world (Times Higher Education ranking, 2025)
— Alliances and networks: The Guild, EUTOPIA, European University Association, A4U and Europaeum
— Public Policy Center with Johns Hopkins University (since 2013)
— Barcelona Centre for European Studies (BACES), with the Jean Monnet seal
— 1 Erasmus Mundus joint master’s degree programme in AI (coordinator)
— 5 Erasmus Mundus joint master’s degree programmes (partner), 9 double master’s degree programmes and 2 double degree programmes (King’s College London and Toulouse 1 Capitole University) — International programmes: Barcelona International Summer School (BISS), Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS) and International Business Program (IBP)
Mar campus is physically connected to Hospital del Mar, thus providing an excellent insight into the clinical reality
At UPF, the new types of education and the inclusion of ICTs have led to new ways of relating with and acquiring knowledge. Systems like flipped learning, video classes, MOOCs and the cloud effectively complement face-to-face education
…FROM A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE, IN WHICH CULTURE PERMEATES TEACHING AND RESEARCH
The university is, in essence, a place for debate, discussion and reflection, an ‘idea factory’ that must provide us with tools to decipher the world and interact with it. UPF is an institution where scientific knowledge and humanistic culture advance together in search of answers and solutions to the challenges we face as a society.
Based on the conviction that culture should facilitate social transformation, UPF has implemented a cultural participation programme for the university community. In addition to encouraging this participation with initiatives such as the Theatre Workshop, Choir, and Chamber Orchestra, it also promotes new forms of cultural production, stemming from research, experimentation and action, as well as the University’s role in showcasing this artistic and cultural content.
The University also uses its rich artistic and cultural heritage, fed by a wide variety of initiatives, to foster cooperation between art and science, like UPF Art Track, a tour of the University’s artistic, architectural and cultural heritage, or Techno Track, a permanent exhibition on technological solutions resulting from research in the fields of engineering and ICT.
Rankings
— 18th best young university in the world (Times Higher Education ranking, 2023)
— 1st university in Spain 2024 (1st since 2013) (U-Ranking, produced by the BBVA Foundation and Ivie, 2024)
— 1st Spanish university in percentage of papers published in collaboration with other Spanish institutions (Leiden, 2023)
As a public university, UPF fulfils its commitment to tackling the major challenges of the 21st century by creating, transmitting and transferring new multidisciplinary knowledge
1. Balmes building Balmes, 132
08008 Barcelona
Tel. +34 93 542 18 00
2. Mercè building Pl. de la Mercè, 10–12
08002 Barcelona
Tel. +34 93 542 20 00
3. Born building Pg. Pujades, 1
08003 Barcelona
Tel. +34 93 295 47 10
4. Mar campus Doctor Aiguader, 80
08003 Barcelona
Tel. +34 93 542 20 00
5. Ciutadella campus Ramon Trias Fargas, 25–27
08005 Barcelona
Tel. +34 93 542 20 00
6. Poblenou campus Roc Boronat, 138 08018 Barcelona Tel. +34 93 542 20 00