How do I apply to this program?

You can apply to this program by clicking the "Apply Now" button.

Is housing provided for this program?

Yes, the program includes housing. Participants stay in apartments or with a host family.

Where is this program located?

This program is located in Madrid, Spain.

Spain: Madrid - Spanish Language, Art, and Spanish & European Studies

Community Choice Award Winner

Study

Spain: Madrid - Spanish Language, Art, and Spanish & European Studies

Hosted by

USAC

4.95 (38 reviews)

Good for

Students

Solo Travelers

Adventure travelers

Spain: Madrid - Spanish Language, Art, and Spanish & European Studies

USAC

4.95 · 38 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

Spain
- Madrid

Term

Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer

Subject Areas

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Housing

Apartment Host Family

Language

English

Last Reviewed: Mar 30, 2026

Wish List

16 travelers are looking at this program

Frequently asked questions

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About Program

Study abroad at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain with USAC! Students interested in pursuing studies in Spanish language or Spanish and European studies will have ample course options to do so. Students will have the exciting opportunity to practice their developing language skills with local Spaniards in one of the great capital cities of the world. Explore the city through field trips and free time, visiting museums, viewing magnificent architecture, eating amazing food, and attending cultural events with friendly locals.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

Students praise the program’s supportive staff, immersive Spanish classes, and vibrant Madrid location with rich culture and easy travel.

AI-generated summary from verified community reviews Read reviews →

Program Highlights

Enjoy the benefits of living in one of Europe’s most vibrant (and comparatively affordable) capital cities: visit Madrid´s world-famous museums (must-sees for Art History students), experience its fabulous nightlife, explore its unique neighborhoods
Join field trips to see the famous windmills of La Mancha, the stunning medieval cities of Toledo and Segovia, the imposing monastery of El Escorial
Immerse yourself in Spanish culture: visit newly refurbished food markets and sample its delicious cuisine, join the language partner exchange program at the university, or volunteer at a local school
Take advantage of Madrid´s “Río”—an area where you can play sports or go for a walk

Video and Photos

USAC Study Abroad Programs in Madrid, Spain

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

LGBTQIA+ Support

There are LGBTQIA+ friends, colleagues, and allies throughout the world. However, cultural understanding of gender identity and sexuality does vary from country to country. USAC has compiled a lot of resources to help you through that learning process.

usac.edu

Accessibility Support

USAC is dedicated to working closely with students with disabilities to ensure the best study abroad experience possible. You may request reasonable accommodations after your initial application is complete. We routinely receive requests for scheduling, material, and environmental accommodations for the classroom setting, which may include assistive technology, scribes and readers, printed material, and interpretation.

usac.edu

Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Environmentally-conscious students choose USAC because many of our programs are held in some of the most sustainable countries in the world. There are options to take coursework in sustainability and the environment, as well as field trips and studies where students can leave a lasting impact on their host country.

blog.usac.edu

Program Reviews

4.95 Rating

based on 38 reviews

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Rating Spread Study

5 rating 94.74%
4 rating 5.26%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.4
Support 4.8
Fun 4.75
Housing 4.65
Safety 4.85

Good for Students, Solo Travelers, Adventure travelers

Showing 1 - 8 of 38 reviews

Studying abroad was an incredible, life-changing experience. I was fully immersed in a new culture, which helped me grow both academically and personally. I gained confidence, independence, and a broader perspective on the world. From meeting people from different backgrounds to exploring new places and trying new foods, every day felt exciting and meaningful. It pushed me outside my comfort zone in the best way, and I made memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. I highly recommend it!

I had an amazing time in Madrid, Spain. There, I learned Spanish, met locals, made lifelong friends and traveled all across the country and Europe. My academic advisors and professors were so helpful every step of the way with supporting not only my academic but also my personal journey. I loved my housing situation as I lived in a beautiful apartment in the heart of the city with my very own room and amazing roommates! And all my classes were so fun and helpful in learning Spanish and I even got to take a photography class. I would recommend going to Madrid to anyone considering studying abroad!

What was your funniest moment?

My funniest moment was a program trip to El Escorial. It was pouring rain and we all ducked into this little cafe where we got coffee and pastries. We were all soaking wet but it was still so fun!

Pros

Making friends
Learning spanish
Traveling

What other participants should know

Homesickness
Difficulty not speaking the language
Feeling out of place

Me sitting near the canal in Florence, Italy

Sara and Gabriela (the program instructors) were incredible and made my experience exponentially more safe and fulfilling. The professors were great and my Spanish improved significantly! I felt challenged by my coursework without missing out on experiencing the city. I made friends in the program and enjoyed the day trips with the group. I really liked my shared apartment and got very lucky with its location. I'm so glad I chose USAc because their on the ground support felt very secure while I was abroad.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Travel travel travel!

I loved my time there, met with amazing people and spend an amazing time. The courses were super fun and engaging, especially the outdoor options. I felt super safe in Madrud at all times. The public transportation was amazing and walking around was such a good way to be active everyday. Our advisors were super helpful about anything we needed anytime of the day/night. Tge whole program felt more like a family than a group of people. Still seeing most of the people from the program, actually currently staying at one of my friends house in Chicago that I met through the program!

This program was pivotal in engaging me culturally, linguistically, and giving me the opportunity to delve deeper into my personal aspirations. The support, culture, and remarkable everyday experiences were amazing in developing a new and rich perspective of the world and myself. Every day I was able to engage with historical masterpieces in a safe, exciting city. I was able to travel extensively on a budget because of the central location of Madrid on solo trips where I could easily find inspiration and awe. I only have fond memories of my time in Madrid, it was phenomenal.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

Engaging with a culture where I am not fluent in the language. After some time and embarrassing mistakes, it becomes easier to jump in and start speaking.

Pros

Travel Opportunites
Art Immersion
Livlieness

Madrid is such a beautiful city, and Gabriela & Sara (on site administrators) help you get to know the city and get involved in local activities! We had most Fridays free, so I got to travel on the weekends which was great! I love Spain and the spanish people and cant wait to go back. One thing I wish I would've known is that the classes are only with other USAC students, so you don't get much interaction with university students. I hope in the future they provide the opportunity to take actual university classes so that future USAC students can become friends with the local students

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

There is a calamari sandwich shop in Plaza Mayor that USAC took us to on our first day. At first I was unsure about trying calamari, but it was so good and I returned there multiple times during the semester I was there! I also tried eggplant with honey in Sevilla and that was delicious!

Pros

Small class sizes
Didn't have class most Fridays (and I took advantage of this to travel)
Felt very supported by program leaders (shout out to Gabriela & Sara)

What other participants should know

Didn't love my host family, but they now have been removed from the homestay family list.
Only had classes with USAC (mainly american) students.

I had previously done a foreign exchange to Spain in high school and knew that I wanted to study abroad in Madrid in college. I had the absolute best time with the friends I made and the experiences we had together! I loved all of my classes and enjoyed learning about the Spanish culture. The professors and program directors were awesome and super helpful. I only wish there were some STEM related classes to count towards my degree, but it was also nice to learn about topics outside of my major. If I got to do this all over, I would definitely choose the USAC Madrid program again!

What was your funniest moment?

Running around Madrid during a scavenger hunt organized by another student in my program with silly accessories and do funny tasks in front of strangers

Pros

Support
Small program size
Variety in housing

What other participants should know

Campus far from city center
No STEM related classes

Studying abroad in Spain for a year allowed me to grow as a person so much. Being in a new country experiencing new cultures such as soccer clubs, different cuisines, taking cooking classes are all different experiences I’ll never forget. USAC also offered many fun excursions that allowed you to build new relationships with your program. One of my favorite parts about studying abroad was how easy and convenient it was to travel all around Europe. If your debating studying abroad, I heavily recommend studying through USAC as they have an amazing group of teachers and staff and are very helpful and supportive.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Stay in hostels as much as possible as it’s a great way to meet new friends and people at a very affordable rate.

Pros

Experience new cultures
Travel is very convenient
Try new food

What other participants should know

Miss family and friends
Could get homesick
Language barriers

Community Questions

Is it reasonable to study in Madrid with limited Spanish?

Hi, great question! We would answer your question with a yes! To learn more about the experience you will have on this program, we recommend contacting the program provider directly, which you can do here: https://usac.edu/usac/contact-us.

By Go Overseas on July 30, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because it was the one connected to my university's international programs' office, and my study abroad advisor had tons of information about the process of applying to study abroad through USAC and had a plethora of knowledge regarding particular scholarships that would help aid me in affording to go on my program.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program provider/university assisted me with the application process to study abroad through USAC, advising me on what scholarships to apply for, advising me on revisions to send in my best possible scholarship essay, as well as an orientation program before traveling abroad with other students planning to study abroad the same time as you. So I met other program participants of Madrid from UNLV through our orientation. During orientation we went over culture shock before and after our program, safety measures, how to go about securing your visa, and how to secure your travel accommodations with as a group.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My one piece of advice is to not be afraid to explore and travel on your own. Even though I made friends in my program and a few friends with locals, most of the time I spent abroad I went exploring the city on my own and planning excursions to special events and places around town.

It can be scary at first but it is also rewarding because you get to visit the sites that made you decide to study abroad for me that was the Museo de Traje: the Costume Museum of the History of Clothes and Fashion in Madrid, and visiting jazz clubs such as Sala Clamores, Cafe Berlin, or El Plaza where you can enjoy a copa: drink while listening to live music, and could end up seeing a flamingo dance performance like I did in Cafe Berlin.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day/week as a participant of this program is wake up early to use the metro to get to the stop for your host university Universidad de Rey Juan Carlos to have your schedule of classes probably around 3 or 2 each day. Then you'll have a break for snack and after your classes you can catch a lunch in the school cafeteria or travel on your own to a menu del dia at a restaurant of your choosing. Get your homework assignments done then the rest of the day is free to explore your host city and you can either plan to have dinner with your friends or with your host family. Just let your host parents know beforehand so they have time to prepare your dinner.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was living on my own and not knowing the language completely. My host family living arrangements helped me in some of those aspects because my host mom really tried her best those first few weeks to show me the main parts of the cities, suggestions on where to eat, how to use the metro, and obviously she only spoke Spanish to me so I was forced to learn new vocabulary and to converse in Spanish everyday.

What is your favorite aspect of Madrid?

I would have to say the night life there is so much to do like visiting friends for some cafe con leche and churros, nightclubs called disco tecas if those are your thing, and my absolute favorite activity to do was visit different jazz clubs for some live music with a glass of sangria. I also loved visiting the theatre at various sites to see performances like a classical ballet Swan Lake, classical concerts at a student discount, and seeing a Spanish Opera called La Villana as well as seeing the street performers. As well as the fabulous sight seeing at famous spots such as El Templo de Debod.

Lindsey Freitag

2016 Alum

Qundeel Khattak

Brent Kirkland

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Sara East

Program

Spain: Madrid - Spanish Language, Art, and Spanish & European Studies

Job Title

Digital Communications Specialist

Sara graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations and a Spanish minor. She studied abroad in Madrid, Spain in 2007 and now oversees the social media and digital content marketing for USAC.

What is your favorite travel memory?

traveling in Europe

My favorite travel memory is when I was studying abroad in Madrid in 2007 and I took a mini-vacation to Italy over spring break. We were in Rome and looking for the ruins and I will never forget leaving the subway and walking onto the street and looking to my right and seeing the city.

I thought to myself "where are these ruins?!" Then I turned to my left and boom, right in the middle of the city were these beautiful ancient ruins. It was so cool that I could be grabbing a cup of coffee at a modern day cafe and then 1/4 mile away walking through such a magnificent piece of history.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Working for USAC has re-opened my eyes to the importance of traveling and getting to know other cultures. I was a changed person after studying abroad, but 10 years later and I haven't thought of a lot of the lessons I learned while abroad in a long time.

Working with USAC and engaging with students on a daily basis, you're reminded just how big the world is and the importance of staying current on what's happening in other countries.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Accra, Ghana. When I studied abroad I didn't do a ton of research on different places to go, I thought I just wanted to be somewhere in Europe where I could learn Spanish.

Seeing the pictures of Ghana and hearing the experiences from the students I definitely would be a little "braver" in my selection and go to Ghana! It's an incredible program that offers amazing volunteer opportunities and a head-first dive into South African culture.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Passion. Nearly every person in this office not only loves to travel but has studied abroad and personally benefited from the experience. When you can relate to your product on that personal level, you are successful.

About USAC

USAC is a non-profit consortium of U.S. universities that collaborates to offer affordable, academic and authentic study abroad programs. There are abundant opportunities to immerse in the culture, history, and academics of other countries providing an unforgettable experience. Each program is designed to help you grow into an engaged citizen of...