The UPC is ranked among Spain’s top universities for Engineering and Architecture in the 2026 U-Ranking
The UPC has once again positioned itself among the highest-performing institutions in the Spanish university system, scoring 94 out of 100 in the 2026 U-Ranking. By area of study, it is ranked in the top tier for Engineering and Architecture, achieving the maximum score in overall activity, in teaching, and in research and innovation.
Jun 16, 2026
The 2026 U-Ranking, a joint initiative by the BBVA Foundation and the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (Ivie), analyses 71 Spanish universities—48 public and 23 private—based on 23 indicators related to teaching, research and innovation, and labour market insertion. The ranking offers two perspectives: one based on institutional performance or productivity, and another focused on the overall volume of results.
Out of the top 15 universities leading both the performance and volume rankings, eight appear on both lists, including the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC).
At an institutional level, the UPC maintains its place in the top tier of highest-performing universities in the Spanish university system. Scoring 94 out of 100, it ranks as the second-best university in Spain, forming part of the U-Ranking’s excellence group, just behind Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).
By area of study, the UPC is also in the top tier for Engineering and Architecture, securing the maximum score (100 points) in the volume ranking across the overall classification, and in teaching, and research and innovation dimensions. In the performance ranking for this same area, the UPC also ranks globally within the top tier of universities, scoring 91 out of 100.
The University also excels in Science, achieving 100 points in teaching, a score that once again places it in the top tier of Spanish universities.
A leader in patents and European funding
The UPC has also cemented its position across several indicators linked to knowledge transfer and research internationalisation. In the 2026 edition, it once again achieved the maximum score for patents per PhD faculty member and for European research funds per PhD faculty member. These two indicators demonstrate the University’s capacity to generate innovation and successfully compete in international calls.
Furthermore, the UPC scores above the national average in practically all research and innovation indicators, including scientific output, publication impact, securing competitive funding and international collaboration.
Student loyalty and international reach
In teaching, the UPC achieved the maximum 100 points in the loyalty indicator, which measures the percentage of graduates who choose to pursue a master’s degree at the same university.
Internationalisation remains another of the institution’s strengths, particularly regarding scientific collaboration with institutions worldwide.
UPC degrees among the best in Spain
The subject-specific classification within the Elige Universidad tool identifies several UPC degrees as the best in Spain in their respective fields. This is the case for the bachelor’s degree in Optics and Optometry, the bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology Engineering and several double degrees: Mathematics and Engineering Physics; Architectural Technology and Building Construction, and Civil Engineering; and Biosystems Engineering and Food Engineering.
These results reinforce the UPC’s position as a leading university in STEM fields and as one of the institutions with the greatest capacity to generate knowledge, innovation and talent at the service of society.
