CIEE College Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

CIEE College Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

Location
  • Spain
    • Barcelona
Term
Fall, J-Term, Spring, Summer
Subject Areas
Accounting Agriculture Anthropology Architecture Art History Classical Studies Communications Creative Writing Criminal Justice Economics Engineering Film Finance Gender Studies History International Business Law Literature Marketing Media Relations Political Science Psychology Social Sciences Sociology Sustainable Development +15
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Apartment Dormitory Host Family
Language
English

Pricing

Price Details
You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE! There are no hidden charges or surprises when you arrive, and scholarships opportunities are available!
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Classes Some Meals Travel Insurance
What's Included (Extra)

Pre-departure advising, airport pick-up, on-site professional staff, and iNext travel protection

Jan 29, 2026
Jun 12, 2026
43 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Barcelona’s art, architecture, and gastronomic reputation alone are enough to command global attention. Add its political, economic, and cultural influence to its respected higher education system and you get an irresistible destination for students from around the world.

CIEE Spain gives you access to homestays; internships; volunteering opportunities; direct enrollment options; and cultural clubs, activities, and excursions that provide a uniquely immersive international experience. Come write your story of Spain with us.

Courses are available in English and Spanish.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers strong academic challenge with supportive staff and immersive Spanish classes at the University of Barcelona.

Program Highlights

  • CIEE Barcelona is located in downtown Barcelona, near the city’s main square. Both ESCI and UVic are just 20 minutes from CIEE.
  • Every CIEE semester program has cultural excursions and study tours uniquely designed to complement the program’s academics and enhance students’ cultural immersion.
  • Depending on their program of study and availability, students may be able to volunteer or participate in an internship.
  • Students can volunteer to help children with homework after school, help kids with special needs during school breaks, or take part in food-drives to help feed people in need.

Video and Photos

Popular Programs

Main entrance to Gaudi's Parc Guell

Spend your summer learning how to succeed in a globalized economy, discovering a new culture, and gaining crucial global perspectives – all while studying business in Barcelona. This program offers challenging coursework, engaging company visits, welcoming homestays, and interesting co-curricular activities designed to offer insight into international business.

CIEE Barcelona

Improve your Spanish language skills and boost your cultural knowledge while studying international business in the capital of Catalonia. Choose from courses in English at CIEE Barcelona and CIEE’s partner schools, Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional (ESCI) or Universitat de Vic (UVic), while immersing yourself in Barcelona’s culture, history, and community.

Excusion to Montserrat

Perfectly situated between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is the ideal city to spend your January term boosting your knowledge of international business or art history. Gain exposure to and develop a deeper understanding of the city’s booming business industry or learn about Catalan and Spanish culture through Spanish masterpieces.

CIEE Barcelona Internship Programs

As a global intern, you’ll have the chance to gain practical, real-world work experience in Barcelona’s startups and other businesses in areas like finance, technology, biomedical sciences, tourism, and more.

CIEE First Year Abroad in Barcelona

As the capitol of Spain’s Catalonia region, Barcelona is a beautiful beach city on the Mediterranean coast with vibrant street life, stunning architecture by Gaudí, and endless cultural activities. Dive into the lively atmosphere of this Spanish city, where tapas, cultural festivals, and the iconic Sagrada Familia create an unforgettable backdrop for your international adventure.

Program Reviews

4.84 Rating
based on 105 reviews
  • 5 rating 83.81%
  • 4 rating 16.19%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.25
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 4.65
  • Safety 4.75
  • Housing 5
  • Support 4
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 49 - 56 of 105 reviews
Ashley
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Loved Every Minute of Barcelona

Studying abroad was the best three months of my life. Traveling on the weekends to cities like Florence, Amsterdam, and Budapest was amazing and being based in Barcelona was a ton of fun on the weekdays. The classes are very manageable, but sometimes they are confusing because of the language barrier. You have to study abroad and Barcelona is an amazing place to do it. CIEE was helpful with classes and provided nice housing as well as day trips on the weekend for those who stayed in town. The hall I was in was insanely covid conscious which led to many inconveniences, but did not ruin the experience. Try not to be placed in Garbi Residence hall.

Pros
  • Amazing nightlife
  • Easy to fly to other countries
  • Vibrant city with great weather
Cons
  • Pickpockets - got my phone stolen
  • Homeless people are unpredictable
  • Spanish girls can be mean
148 people found this review helpful.
Celia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Barcelona Study Abroad

The CIEE Barcelona Study Abroad was the best experience of my time in college. Even though it was just three weeks, I was able to see the whole city and have so much fun. 10/10 recommend. I went completely by myself as well and met so many other people in the same situation. It was so easy to make friends quickly. The professor was very helpful with telling us where to go in the city and how to spend our days. I also went when covid was still an issue and there was no worry about being left in the dark should I test positive.

135 people found this review helpful.
Sophie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CIEE Barcelona Business and Culture Study Abroad

I really enjoyed my time studying abroad through CIEE. The best part was the activities they planned for us, including Montserrat trip, tapas class, and Cava / Sitges trip! Although I got stuck in an apartment very far from the school, I enjoyed learning the transportation in Barcelona. The city of Barcelona is a beautiful city with the most kind people in it. I loved being able to go grocery shopping and getting my coffee at the same cafe every morning. I was able to form connections with people in my living community and that was one of the highlights.

Pros
  • Friendly people and culture
  • Transportation system
  • Language
Cons
  • Pick pocketing
  • Apartment / living situations was not ideal
132 people found this review helpful.
Savannah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CIEE Barcelona Business & Culture

My experience with CIEE in Barcelona was unforgettable and invaluable! I lived in an apartment just a 15-minute walk away from the class building and a metro stop away from La Sagrada Familia. I had 4 other roommates, and even though the living spaces are generally smaller in Europe than in the U.S., we had plenty of space and loved our apartment. We attended classes four days a week. The classes were so interesting, and it was great to be able to take so many that counted towards my major. In this specific program, all of the teachers, although native Spanish-speakers, taught the classes in English. The classes were challenging but not so difficult that I had to spend all of my time on work. All of my professors were really knowledgeable and passionate about the topics they taught, and they were so supportive and welcoming. CIEE also has other support staff available for questions and help unrelated to classes, and they are all so helpful and kind as well. They are always willing to help students, whether it’s an issue with their apartment, or health-related, or even just wanting something as simple as restaurant recommendations. They also put together so many events that allowed students to meet each other, to meet locals, and to get to see parts of the city that they hadn’t before. Having a three-day weekend was so exciting. Every weekend, I took advantage of the time that I had and explored Barcelona, other cities in Spain, and even made a few trips out of the country. I loved getting to explore the places that I had never been before and getting to learn about the different parts of Barcelona, some of which I did on my own and some of which I actually did through class field trips. Overall, I absolutely loved my study abroad experience with CIEE! I had such a blast getting to practice my Spanish, live on my own in another country for a few months, learn from my professors and the locals, meet so many people, and get to experience so many incredible places.

Pros
  • Full immersion in the culture
  • Adventuring and exploring new places
  • Meeting so many people from the U.S. and from other countries
Cons
  • General risk of living in a big city
  • Can be difficult for those who do not speak Spanish or Catalan
123 people found this review helpful.
Caroline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CIEE Language + Culture

My time in Barcelona with the Language + Culture program through CIEE was an experience that I will be forever grateful to have had. There were organized trips multiple times a week and 24/7 resources in order to feel comfortable in a possibly uncomfortable change. I was quickly emerged into both the Spanish and European Culture(s), to the point where I did not want to leave- and to this day want to return back. My amazing time in Barcelona is largely owed to benefits of traveling with CIEE, the amazing people I met, and the beautiful places I was able to see along the way.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Give yourself a gracious adjustment period! There is no need to deny the fact that moving to a different country is a scary and big acclimation, but with time and letting yourself experience all that the program has to offer will benefit your time and involvements.
Pros
  • Amazing organized trips
  • Group trips around the City
  • Helpful Resources
137 people found this review helpful.
Sydni
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Barcelona CIEE Language and Culture

My experience in Barcelona through CIEE was incredible! I had the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture, meet amazing friends, and go on numerous adventures. I lived in an apartment of 6 people and we all loved the experience. The guidance and information provided to us allowed us to quickly adapt to the new city.

The CIEE programming was organized and the staff was very friendly. The courses were all exciting and allowed me to learn a lot, while still leaving time to explore the amazing city. I was able to travel to several new locations and CIEE offered programming events that made it easy to meet people. I appreciated how I could quickly reach CIEE staff for any questions and concerns.

I made so many amazing memories and would definitely recommend the experience. I loved the independence of being in an incredible, new city, while also feeling very supported and comfortable.

Pros
  • Learn a new culture
  • Meet new people
  • Explore
129 people found this review helpful.
Anna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

International Marketing in Barcelona, Spain for January Term with CIEE

During my experience traveling on the CIEE program: International Marketing in Barcelona, Spain, I felt like it was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, experiences abroad. When leaving for my trip, my flight was canceled many times which caused me to feel anxious about future problems that might occur once getting to Spain. I do not speak any Spanish, but was relieved when arriving to Spain, because there were many people, who spoke some English, willing to help me find where I needed to go. I was living in a homestay, which I was excited to learn about the different aspects of the culture in Spain, as well as sharing my personal experiences back at home. Once I finally arrived to Spain, I felt a wave of happiness come across my body when I was driving in the taxi on the way to meet my host mother. The views were beautiful, and as someone who loves to travel, I was ready to begin my journey. This trip was a unique learning experience for me because I met many different types of people, learned the importance of understanding different cultures, and became extremely close with my roommate and host mother, which is never something I would have experienced without taking the opportunity to study abroad with CIEE. My unique experiences included: touring Sagrada Familia, which is the largest unfinished Roman Catholic Church, becoming friendly with, and getting to know the workers in the cafe where I would get my morning coffee, and the weekend trips to places in Spain, such as Menorca, provided by CIEE. I was able to come away from my abroad experience with a new set of life skills, an understanding of cultures that differ from my own, and create close connections to different people, which I still stay in contact with today.

Pros
  • I was able to become more independent and confident in my abilities.
  • I created close connections with people who spoke a different language from myself.
  • I faced challenges that are important to help one build their character.
Cons
  • I had a hard time communicating with specific individuals due to the language barrier.
  • I had a very hard time finding my way around the city, but got used to it overtime.
  • Covid had an effect on the way that the city was run making it hard to know their specific rules.
129 people found this review helpful.
Henry
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CIEE Business + Culture: Barcelona, Spain Review

The CIEE Business + Culture Program in Barcelona, Spain was absolutely outstanding all around. The program provided a fantastic mix of meaningful classes, fulfilling explorations of the surrounding area, and freedom to create your own experience. CIEE allowed me to learn more about not only different areas of Spain and Barcelona, but the history of several landmarks and places. The process of class selection was an independent process, yet easy to navigate. I found several opportunities to learn more about Barcelona as well as the whole continent of Europe through traveling and having positive in-person experiences. The location of our school was in a very convenient spot, as it was very close to the magnificent city of Barcelona.

Pros
  • Engaging professors
  • Excursions and opportunities to travel
  • Location of school
119 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers