CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Madrid, Spain

CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Madrid, Spain

Location
  • Spain
    • Madrid
Term
Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Subject Areas
Art History Biology Business Communications Computer Science Cultural Studies Design Digital Media Economics Engineering European Studies Film Finance Global Studies Health Sciences History Humanities Information Technology International Business International Relations Journalism Language Studies Law Linguistics Literature Marketing Mathematics Media Relations Philosophy Physics Political Science Pre-Med Social Sciences Sociology Statistics +25
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, Work study, LGBTQIA+ funding, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
High School Diploma Associates Bachelors
Housing
Apartment Host Family
Language
English

Pricing

Price Details
Included: Personalized Pre-departure Advising; Tuition & Registration; Travel Medical Insurance; On-site Orientation; Housing; Volunteer Opportunities; On-site Staff Support; Excursions and Cultural Engagement; Host Institution Services & Amenities and more. Scholarships available.
What's Included
Some Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Classes
Sep 29, 2025
May 11, 2026
25 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Home to roughly 3.5 million inhabitants, Madrid is Spain’s primary political, financial, art and cultural center. Madrid boasts many historical and cultural landmarks, such as the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace, as well as world-class cuisine and a lively nightlife.

Study liberal arts, business, or engineering at CEA CAPA’s centrally-located Study Center or take courses with locals at one of our partners, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Antonio de Nebrija University. Both universities offer small class sizes, courses taught in English, and an immersive experience.

Interested? Click the “Visit Site” button to learn what’s waiting for you!

COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

Students praise the program’s supportive staff, well-organized excursions, and safe, central housing in Madrid. Academics are engaging, with opportunities to immerse in local culture and build lasting friendships.

Program Highlights

  • Hands-on learning experiences that transform the world abroad into a classroom
  • Personalized Pre-Departure Advising, including visa and immigration support
  • Courses offered in English that fulfill major and general graduation requirements
  • Comprehensive on-site support, including 24/7 emergency phone
  • Career workshops, Internships Abroad, and Alumni Ambassador positions

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

CEA CAPA provides, in conjunction with Diversity Abroad, Destination Guides which provide resources and tips for Black/African-American students, Latinx students, Asian American students, and all other students of color.
Through our personalized advising, CEA CAPA takes steps to understand the needs of a diversity of student identities like the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to diversity and identity training, CEA CAPA leadership engage in continuous department level project work to identify and revise policies and practices using the appropriate Justice, Equity, Diversity or Inclusion lens as a frame to reduce bias and barriers that impact students, faculty, and staff. CEA CAPA is intentional in elevating diverse student voices and providing a platform for a broad array of identities to share their experiences abroad. The CEA CAPA World Blog promotes stories and personal experiences from the perspectives of diverse student bloggers and vloggers.
CEA CAPA is willing and able to assist students with learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Students are requested to disclose disabilities through the application health forms as part of their application and in discussion with their application advisor or program manager. The earlier CEA CAPA is made aware of learning or physical disabilities the better we can work with the student, institution, and overseas team to tailor an Individualized Education Program if necessary to support the student.

Impact 🌎

CEA CAPA makes a conscious effort to create study abroad experiences that leave a positive impact on host communities. Each location implements a variety of strategies to support the local community and promote sustainability. Examples include:

Use of recycling bins in Study Center locations and in CEA CAPA housing

Signage in CEA CAPA housing urging students to limit water and electricity usage

Students are often given reusable bags and water bottles upon arrival to limit single plastic use

Students are provided with instructions for acquiring transportation passes to promote use of public transportation rather than taxis

Program Reviews

4.95 Rating
based on 76 reviews
  • 5 rating 94.74%
  • 4 rating 5.26%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.3
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.6
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 33 - 40 of 76 reviews
Ana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Beautiful Time in Madrid

Madrid is such a BEAUTIFUL city with so many fun things to do, museums to visit, history to learn about, and surrounded by so many other great cities. I would recommend this trip to college students looking to have a fun time and learn about a different culture. Madrid is a centralized city and for future students, I recommend you visit all around Spain to Segovia, Toledo, Seville, Barcelona, and more. I also recommend you reach out to other students in your classes to hear different perspectives from students from different countries and have friends to explore the city with.

100 people found this review helpful.
Devin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Love Madrid

Going abroad with CEA CAPA is very easy and a great decision for all. The staff supports you all the way from the time you start your application until you check out of your apartment and fly back home. There’s always someone you can talk to for help and any issue I’ve had has been resolved quickly. The location and quality of our apartment was great; we could walk outside and go to many nice restaurants, and a main train station was only 5 minutes away by walk. The university was a long nearly 1 hour commute, but going to the center of the city only took about 10-15 minutes. Madrid is large and there’s many places to explore, and it’s a easy place to travel from to other cities or countries.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I did a 3 country trip in the span of a week, flying from Spain to Malta, then to Thessaloniki Greece, then finally took a bus to Sofia Bulgaria. I ended up in Bulgaria at 5 AM instead of 8AM as advertised. I was not planning on sitting in a Bulgarian train station for a few hours, but I guess it adds to my many travel stories
Pros
  • Great support
  • Group activities
  • High quality apartment
112 people found this review helpful.
Antoniesha
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Decision Ever!!!

My name is Niesha, I'm studying social and behavioral sciences I studied abroad with CEA CAPA for my first ever semester during Fall 2024!! As you may imagine studying abroad is a big step to take but I'm so glad I took it. Honestly, I had some difficulties adjusting but the CEA CAPA team was extremely accommodating as they helped overcome challenges academically, culturally, mentally and socially. I loved my experience and I would definitely go again so I recommend everyone to study abroad at least once.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
Although I had the chance to explore, indulge in the culture, and try new things, three months go by fast! So if I had the chance to do it all over again I would make a schedule for all the things I want to see and do instead of constantly being spontaneous.
92 people found this review helpful.
Zena
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best semester in Madrid

I loves my experience studying abroad in Madrid. I felt that I had amazing support from my professors and CEACAPA staff. I love how safe and clean Madrid is and how welcoming the community is. Our residence hall was also really great compared to dorms in the US (except for the food). I highly recommend students to choose Madrid as their study abroad destination since they will have so much fun. Although there may be a language barrier you can survive knowing no Spanish. I was really excited to learn the customs of Madrid.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Don't be afraid to go out and explore. Talk to new people and make connections.
80 people found this review helpful.
Abigail
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing time!

My experience in Madrid was so incredibly special. CEA CAPA made me feel so at home and supported throughout the entire process. I even made friends from all across the world and it opened my eyes.

The experience, also, further enhanced my ability to navigate cultural differences, as I immersed myself in a local community in Northern Madrid and overcame language barriers by continuing my education in Spanish at the international university, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid with Spanish students.

What was your funniest moment?
Navigating the metro was always so fun with my roommates. We always had a hard time, but had a good time doing it.
Pros
  • Social
  • Immersive
  • Supportive staff
Cons
  • Long distance to university
  • Language barrier
78 people found this review helpful.
Maya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

This experience changed my life.

Studying abroad in Madrid forever changed my life and will be something I NEVER stop talking about. I experienced so much growth personally and professionally as I navigated a completely new city, country, and continent. CEA CAPA had such fun classes - Fundamental Aspects of Spanish Art left me with knowledge of hundreds of classic paintings and art techniques. My graffiti class allowed me to be artistic and explore the city! I also learned Spanish from scratch after having only studied Japanese in high school. I felt so well supported in my academics, housing, health, and social life with CEA!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I could do it all over again, I'd start making friends with locals and immersing myself in local culture from day one. I think I was hesitant to make friends with other students who lived in Spain because of the language and cultural barrier. However, once I did so in the later half of my program, I realized that both international and local students had so much to learn from each other and there was nothing to be nervous about!
Pros
  • Diversity in class options
  • Ease of academic/transportation coordination (transferring credits to college, setting up metro cards for me!)
  • Excursions + cultural activities (Tapas tasting, trip to Sevilla, flamenco dancing + show)
68 people found this review helpful.
Hey, it's Aeryn!
Aeryn
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Studying Abroad in Madrid!

My study abroad experience in Madrid with CEA CAPA was nothing short of extraordinary. It's a bold choice–to leave behind the culture, familiarity, and support of your home university. Since CEA CAPA took care of almost all the logistics of getting me to Madrid and helping me enroll in classes, I was able to focus on adjusting to my surroundings and meeting new people. There was a thorough and engaging orientation process, which was extremely helpful at the beginning of the program. Unlike other programs, CEA CAPA had students there a whole week before classes started, which was great for adjusting to the time zone and exploring the city! CEA CAPA held many fun excursions and activities throughout the course of the program, such as attending a flamenco performance, eating a traditional tapas dining experience, and taking a weekend trip to Seville! After talking with other students, I learned that many other study abroad programs didn't include the perks that I experienced with CEA CAPA. Not to mention, the staff on-site were extremely kind and helpful. I'd highly recommend this program to any students looking to study abroad in Spain.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My best piece of advice is to utilize the resources given to you! While I'd recommend doing research of your own, keeping an open mind and leaving flexibility in your schedule is key—some of the best recommendations I received were from people involved in the program. Furthermore, I constantly learned about Madrid as I continued living there. Meet new people and hear about their experiences as well, you never know what good things will come from it!
Pros
  • Nice/friendly staff
  • Fun excursions/activities included
Cons
  • Housing locations are randomized
  • Campus is far from the center of the city
68 people found this review helpful.
Karen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Awesome Semester in Madrid

I highly recommend studying abroad with CEA CAPA. Many activities are planned for students to explore the country and meet others in the program. They do an excellent job transitioning students to live abroad in Madrid through orientation and provide ongoing support with regular check-ins to ensure everything goes smoothly. The housing and living arrangements were great—they placed us close to the city center, making transportation and getting around very easy. I had an amazing time in Madrid and recommend it to anyone looking to grow and experience life abroad.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I recommend exploring the city as much as possible. Madrid has an incredible coffee and tapas culture. Be sure to attend a flamenco night, visit the museums, and spend time at Retiro Park. For food lovers, the city offers countless amazing spots to explore. Additionally, Madrid hosts many events, such as El Rastro, a flea market held on Sunday mornings. Madrid also has an amazing thrift culture, with unique vintage shops, and its fashion scene is truly inspiring. It’s a city full of charm, culture, and energy. Social media is a great way to stay updated on what's happening in the city.
Pros
  • Easy Transportation
  • Safe City
Cons
  • Challenging Education System
  • UC3M is a 40 minute commute
62 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers