Study Abroad
Spain, Italy or Germany: Three European Routes to an English-Taught Degree
For a generation of internationally minded students, the appeal of European higher education used to come with one obvious catch: you had to learn the local language first. That is changing fast. Spain, Italy, and Germany have each, in their own way, opened up a meaningful catalogue of degrees taught entirely or predominantly in English. The three routes are genuinely different, however, not just in geography and culture but in how admission works, what subjects are available, and what kind of student tends to thrive there. If you are weighing up these three countries, this guide is designed to give you an honest map of the territory before you dig into the official details.
Why These Three Countries, and Why Now?
Europe's push to attract international talent has accelerated considerably. Universities across the continent are responding partly to competition with UK and US institutions, partly to research internationalisation goals, and partly to the straightforward economic logic of a larger applicant pool. Spain, Italy, and Germany represent three distinct models within that broader trend: a romance-language country where English programmes cluster in certain prestigious and private institutions; a country where public universities have built structured international tracks with their own entry assessments; and a country where the tradition of tuition-free or low-cost public education is being extended, selectively, to English-medium study.
None of the three is a simple or uniform system. Each country's universities operate with considerable autonomy, and the experience at one institution can differ sharply from another in the same country. The comparisons below are patterns, not rules.
Spain: Selective English Programmes, Competitive by Design
How Admission Usually Works
Spain's public university system is built around a national university entrance assessment known as the EBAU (or EvAU in some regions). Spanish domestic students earn a place through their EBAU score combined with their secondary school grades. International students applying to Spanish public universities typically need to have their qualifications evaluated through a process called the credencial, administered by the UNED (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia). This evaluation converts your home-country grades into a comparable Spanish score.
Private universities and a number of internationally oriented institutions operate differently. They tend to assess applicants through their own processes, which might include direct evaluation of A-level or IB results, personal statements, English proficiency tests, and sometimes interviews or aptitude assessments. Some of the most prominent private universities with substantial English-language offerings are genuinely competitive and selective in their own right.
For English language proof, most programmes will ask for IELTS or TOEFL scores, though some accept Cambridge certificates. Check each institution's current requirements directly, as thresholds vary and change.
What You Can Study in English
The range of English-taught programmes in Spain is weighted heavily toward business, management, international relations, economics, and law. Engineering programmes in English do exist, particularly at institutions with strong ties to multinational employers, but the selection is narrower. Architecture, design, and some social science programmes also appear. Postgraduate offerings in English are considerably broader than undergraduate ones, and a number of Spanish research universities have strong English-medium master's and doctoral programmes even where their bachelor's provision is mostly in Spanish.
Student Life
Spain's student culture is famously sociable, and most international students find integration into daily life relatively comfortable. Major university cities -- Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville -- are large, cosmopolitan, and well connected. The cost of living varies significantly between cities; Barcelona in particular is one of the more expensive destinations. Social life tends to spill well beyond campus, and for students who enjoy cities that genuinely come alive after dark, Spain delivers consistently. Learning Spanish alongside your English-medium degree is not obligatory, but almost every long-term student wishes they had started earlier.
Who Suits This Route?
The student who does well in Spain tends to be outgoing, adaptable, and genuinely interested in the country beyond the campus. If you are looking for a strong business or international relations degree with European credibility, a lively social environment, and a setting where English is enough to get started but Spanish will enrich your time considerably, Spain is worth serious attention. Students who need a very structured academic environment or who are drawn to deep technical research programmes may find the options more limited.
Italy: Structured International Tracks, With Their Own Entry Logic
How Admission Usually Works
Italy is distinctive in that several of its top public universities, most famously the Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino, Bocconi, and the University of Bologna, have built fully fledged English-taught degree programmes that are internationally recognised and genuinely competitive. Admission to these programmes often involves specific entry assessments rather than a simple grade-based selection.
The CEnT-S is one test used for admission to certain English-taught programmes in Italy. It is worth understanding what it involves and whether the programmes you are targeting require it -- you can find a full guide to the CEnT-S on this site here. Beyond the CEnT-S, individual universities may use their own aptitude tests, subject-specific assessments, or portfolio reviews depending on the degree. Bocconi, for example, uses its own admissions process including a test component. Engineering programmes at the Politecnico institutions have their own entry assessment requirements.
For English proof, IELTS and TOEFL are the most widely accepted, but again, check each university's current requirements at source. Some Italian programmes are willing to accept strong secondary school English qualifications as evidence of proficiency.
It is worth noting that Italy's public university system does not operate on a single centralised application platform in the way the UK's UCAS does. You apply to each institution separately, and the processes can differ considerably. Starting your research early and going directly to each university's international admissions office is genuinely important here.
What You Can Study in English
Italy's English-taught catalogue has grown substantially over the past decade. The Politecnico universities have made engineering and design the flagship offering, and their international reputation in those fields is strong enough to matter on a graduate CV. Management and finance programmes, particularly at Bocconi, are internationally recognised and attract a highly competitive applicant pool. The University of Bologna and others offer English tracks in areas including political science, humanities, and sciences.
At postgraduate level the range is wider still. Many Italian research universities have English-medium master's programmes across a broad spectrum of disciplines, and the country's cultural and artistic heritage makes it a particularly logical base for postgraduate study in architecture, design, conservation, and the arts.
Student Life
Italy delivers one of the most distinctive student experiences in Europe, though it comes with some practical complexities. Bureaucracy around residence permits, housing registration, and administrative processes is a recurring theme for international students. Most who go through it describe it as manageable with preparation and patience, but it is not something to underestimate. Housing in Milan in particular can be tight and competitive. Other university cities -- Bologna, Turin, Florence, Rome -- each have their own character, and some offer a better balance of cost and quality of life.
Socially, Italian student life is warm and rich, though integration with Italian domestic students can take more deliberate effort than in some other countries. International student communities at the major English-programme universities tend to be large, close-knit, and global in composition. The food, the culture, and the sheer physical beauty of the country are not trivial factors either.
Who Suits This Route?
The student who thrives in Italy is typically academically focused, drawn to specific fields where Italian institutions have genuine prestige, and willing to navigate some administrative complexity in exchange for an exceptional environment. If you are targeting engineering, design, or management and want a European degree with real international weight, Italy's top institutions belong on your list. Students who find open-ended or ambiguous processes stressful should factor in the bureaucratic dimension honestly.
Germany: Low-Cost Public Education, Expanding Into English
How Admission Usually Works
Germany's public university system is largely based on academic grades from secondary school, particularly the results equivalent to the German Abitur. International applicants typically need to have their qualifications assessed through uni-assist, a centralised service that evaluates foreign credentials and determines equivalency. Some universities accept applications directly, but many route international applicants through uni-assist, so it is worth understanding how that process works from the outset.
For English-taught programmes specifically, admissions are generally grade-based rather than test-based in the traditional sense, though individual programmes may have their own additional requirements. English proficiency proof is expected and usually takes the form of IELTS or TOEFL scores, sometimes with specific minimum band requirements by programme. Check the current requirements at each institution or through uni-assist directly, as they vary.
Germany does not have a single national university entrance exam in the way France or (historically) the UK does. The Abitur serves that function for domestic students, and the credibility of your equivalent qualification is what matters for international applicants. Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) are a distinct and practically oriented track alongside the research universities, and some of these also offer English-medium programmes.
What You Can Study in English
Germany's English-taught programmes at undergraduate level are still more limited in number than at postgraduate level, though the catalogue is growing. Engineering, computer science, and natural sciences are well represented, reflecting Germany's industrial and research strengths. Business and management programmes in English are offered at a number of institutions. Some humanities and social science programmes appear, though with less depth than in the technical disciplines.
At master's level, the English-medium offering is considerably broader. Many of Germany's research universities now offer English-taught master's programmes across engineering, science, business, and increasingly the social sciences. For students whose primary goal is postgraduate study, Germany's public universities offer a combination of academic quality and accessible cost that is hard to match anywhere in the world. Confirm current fee arrangements directly with institutions and relevant official sources, as the landscape can shift.
Student Life
Germany offers a student experience that rewards independence and a certain appetite for structure. German university culture places more emphasis on self-directed study than the contact-hour-intensive models of the UK or the US, and some international students find the transition to that expectation challenging at first. Cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Cologne each have vibrant international student communities and considerable cultural life. Berlin in particular has a magnetic quality for young people from around the world.
Learning German is not strictly required for an English-medium programme, but everyday life -- housing contracts, local bureaucracy, social settings outside the international student bubble -- is considerably easier with at least basic German. The investment repays itself quickly. German courses are widely available, often free or low-cost through universities, and most international students recommend starting before arrival.
Who Suits This Route?
The student who does best in Germany is typically academically strong in technical or scientific disciplines, comfortable with self-directed learning, and genuinely motivated by the quality and reputation of German engineering and research institutions. If you are interested in staying in Europe for your career, a German degree carries substantial weight with employers across the continent. Students who need a lot of structured pastoral support or who find administrative processes frustrating may find the German university culture a significant adjustment.
Putting the Three Routes Side by Side
| | Spain | Italy | Germany | |---|---|---|---| | Admission logic | Grade-based (EBAU/credencial) or institution-specific; some private-university assessments | Entrance tests (including CEnT-S for some programmes), institution-specific assessments, grade review | Grade-based via uni-assist equivalency review; institution-specific for some programmes | | English undergraduate range | Business, management, law, some engineering | Engineering, design, management, political science | Engineering, computer science, business, natural sciences | | Strongest English postgrad range | Business, social sciences, research across disciplines | Engineering, design, management, arts, humanities | Engineering, science, business, social sciences | | Student life character | Sociable, urban, Spanish-flavoured | Rich and warm, some administrative complexity | Independent, structured, internationally open | | Best-suited student | Outgoing, business/social-science focused, adaptable | Academically focused, specific-field motivated, patient with process | Technical/scientific, self-directed, career-minded in Europe |
Before You Apply: What Every Prospective Student Should Do
First, go directly to the official sources. For Spain, the UNED credencial process and each institution's international admissions page are your primary references. For Italy, each university's admissions portal and, where relevant, the CEnT-S guide on this site. For Germany, uni-assist and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) website are the most reliable starting points for understanding equivalency and programme availability.
Second, be honest with yourself about what matters most -- not just the degree title and the country's reputation, but the daily reality of living and studying there. The gap between imagining a city and actually navigating its housing market, administrative offices, and social scene is real. Talk to current students where you can.
Third, remember that the English-taught programme landscape is evolving. New programmes are launched, existing ones change their structure or entry requirements, and the competitive landscape shifts year on year. What was true when a friend applied may not reflect current conditions. Always check the official source for current figures, requirements, and availability.
If you are trying to work out which of these three routes fits your profile, qualifications, and ambitions, the advisors at AxoPrep and our partner service Atlas are available to help you think it through at no charge. Whether you are at the early exploration stage or already comparing specific programmes, a conversation can save you considerable time and help you focus your energy where it is most likely to lead somewhere real. Reach out through axoprep.com whenever you are ready.
