Comillas admission for international applicants: tests, convocatorias, fees and visa

Comillas fills its Grado places through its own admission process, the same for every candidate whatever country or school system you come from: you apply, your documents are validated, you sit the Comillas admission tests and, where the programme asks for it, a personal interview. The admission page already names curso 2027-28: the next test date is 30 January 2027 and your application has to be in before 13 January 2027.

The Comillas admission page says that you must apply within the established period and take admission tests or an interview, and that your previous academic record is always considered. A Spanish cut-off mark from another university therefore tells you nothing about how Comillas will rank you; the ranking rests on the nota final de admisión described below.

ICAI building of Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid

Each Comillas candidate receives a nota final de admisión, calculated from the relative weight of the academic record and the admission tests. That mark sets your position against the other candidates for the same programme, so places go to the strongest combined result rather than to everyone above a fixed line. Comillas also states that your previous academic record is always considered, whether the programme uses admission tests or an interview.

The Comillas process runs in a fixed order. After you submit the solicitud de admisión, the university validates your documents; if the validation is positive, you move on to the admission tests and the personal interviews. The admission tests are held in person, at the venues and on the dates the university sets.

Key dates for curso 2027-2028

The ICADE and ICAI admission pages both name curso 2027-2028 and both list two convocatorias, one in January and one in May. If you miss the January sitting at ICADE or ICAI, the May convocatoria is the second sitting of the same cycle; the exact dates and conditions of each round are in the convocatorias chapter.

The chapters below follow the order of the Comillas process: the Grados and their teaching languages, the legal access requirements for applicants from abroad, the application itself, the SAT or PAA route, the convocatorias, the admission tests of ICADE, ICAI and the health faculties, selection, English, fees, scholarships and life in Madrid.

Comillas teaches a group of Grados only in English, among them ADE E-2 English, Business Analytics E-8, International Relations and Global Communication, while most law and business degrees mix English and Spanish and the engineering, psychology, nursing and physiotherapy degrees are taught in Spanish. Almost every programme page shows a start date of 01/09/2027 (1 September 2027) and lists places from 40 for International Relations to 360 for the industrial engineering Grado GITI.

Each Comillas programme page carries a short data box with the languages of instruction, the duration, the start date and the number of plazas. The Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management (E-2 English) is described as an official four-year programme taught entirely in English in Madrid, and the Bachelor's Degree in Business Analytics (E-8) at Comillas ICADE is also taught entirely in English.

Languages and places by Grado

The Comillas Traducción e Interpretación page is the one exception to the 2027 start: its data box still shows 01/09/2025 as the start date, with 40 places. Treat that page as not yet updated for the next intake and confirm the date with the faculty before you plan around it. The Ingeniería Biomédica page lists Spanish as the language of instruction but no number of places.

English inside every Comillas Grado

A Spanish-taught Comillas Grado is not free of English. Comillas states that every Grado includes compulsory subjects in English or another third language, and that most Grados also have subjects taught in English inside the study plan. If you choose a Spanish-language programme such as Psicología or GITI, you study in Spanish and still take English as part of the degree.

Library building of Comillas Pontifical University

Places matter more at Comillas than at a university with a published cut-off, because every candidate is ranked by the nota final de admisión within one programme. The English-only Grados are among the smallest: 45 places for E-8 and 40 for Global Communication, against 200 for the Derecho y ADE double degree E-3.

Passing the Comillas admission tests is only half of the entry: you must also meet the legal requirements for access to a Spanish university, and they depend on your school-leaving qualification. With the Spanish Bachillerato you must pass the PAU (EvAU) but need no minimum score; with the European or International Baccalaureate, or another EU or agreement system, you need the definitive UNED access credential; with any other system you enrol on a provisional UNED credential and must obtain the definitive one within 6 months of the start of your Grado.

Comillas runs the same admission process for every candidate, whatever the country of origin or school system. The legal check comes after admission: the English FAQ says that if you are admitted, you must be able to prove that you meet the legal requirements for access to the Spanish university, and the Spanish FAQ ties those requirements to the rules of the Spanish Ministry of Education. Being admitted by Comillas and being legally able to enrol are two separate steps.

What each qualification needs

The UNED credential is the route Comillas names for foreign qualifications. Comillas refers to it as the credencial de acceso expedida por la UNED and does not use the name UNEDasiss on its pages; in practice you request the credential from UNED, not from Comillas.

Spanish Bachillerato and the PAU

For holders of the Spanish Bachillerato, Comillas states that passing the EvAU is an essential requirement but that no minimum score is required. The university page for new students lists the same route as Bachillerato + PAU (selectividad). Your PAU mark therefore does not feed a cut-off at Comillas: you only have to pass it, while your position is set by the Comillas final admission mark.

The faculty pages do not all name the same PAU sitting. ICADE asks you to pass 2º de Bachillerato (or equivalent studies) and the PAU in the ordinary sitting of May-June 2027, and ICAI says the same. The INEA page asks for the PAU passed in the ordinary sitting of June-July 2027. The CIHS page still names the convocatoria of 2026, which reads as a page not yet updated for the curso 2027-2028 intake. If you sit the PAU, plan for the ordinary sitting of your faculty and check the CIHS wording with the faculty.

European and International Baccalaureate, EU and agreement systems

The European Baccalaureate, the International Baccalaureate and other school systems of the EU or of countries with which Spain has international agreements fall under the reciprocity rule. For the recognition of the Bachiller title in régimen de reciprocidad, Comillas states that you must obtain the definitive access credential issued by the UNED. Comillas also lists the Selectividad para extranjeros as a requirement, except for students who studied in an EU system or in a third country with an agreement with Spain on this point, so IB and EU students do not sit it.

Other school systems: provisional credential and homologación

If your school system is not in the groups above, Comillas sets a two-stage route. First you obtain the provisional UNED access credential, which lets you complete the enrolment. Then, before 6 months have passed since the start of your Grado, you must obtain the definitive UNED credential, and for that you need the homologación of your studies to the Spanish Bachiller title through the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

Start the homologación as soon as you have your final school documents, because the definitive credential depends on it. Comillas admits you on its own process, but without the definitive credential within the deadline your enrolment does not meet the legal access requirements.

Recognition of your qualification: what the pages state

• Spanish Bachillerato: the Comillas FAQ (as of October 2026) says it is essential to pass the EvAU, but no minimum score is required.
• European Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate and other EU or agreement systems: the FAQ (as of October 2026) says the definitive UNED access credential must be obtained.
• The same FAQ adds a note (as of October 2026) that the United Kingdom is still part of the European Higher Education Area after Brexit.
• Any other school system: the FAQ (as of October 2026) says that the definitive UNED credential must be obtained before 6 months have passed since the start of the Grado.
• ICADE: you must pass 2º de Bachillerato (or equivalent) and the PAU in the ordinary May-June 2027 sitting, or meet the other requirements for bachiller modalities that are not Spanish.
• ICAI: you must pass 2º de Bachillerato (or equivalent) and the PAU in the ordinary May-June 2027 sitting.
• CIHS: the page asks for the PAU in the convocatoria of 2026 or the other requirements for non-Spanish bachiller, a wording that differs from the 2027 sittings named by ICADE and ICAI.
• English FAQ (as of October 2026): the admission process is the same for all candidates, and you must be able to prove that you meet the legal requirements for access to the Spanish university required by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training if you are admitted.

Comillas runs one admission process for every candidate, whatever your country or school system: you apply within the set period, Comillas validates your application, then you sit the admission tests and personal interviews, and the final decision admits you to one programme only. Your marks from 2º de Bachillerato are not an admission criterion; Comillas combines the admission tests with your academic record from the last three completed school years.

The Comillas FAQ states that the admission process is the same for all candidates, independent of the country of origin and of the school system. Spanish and international applicants apply through the same portal, sit the same type of tests and are ranked on the same final admission mark. The legal access check for your school-leaving qualification is a separate step that comes after admission.

The steps from application to admission

The Comillas page for new students adds that, in every case, the previous academic record of the applicant is always considered. The tests and the interview are therefore never the only input: your school marks travel with every application.

Applicants who study abroad have a choice of format. The Comillas application page says that if you study abroad and will not use the SAT or PAA, you can sit the university admission tests in person or online through the admission process. The SAT and PAA route for students abroad has its own chapter in this report.

Order of preference: one admission only

The order in which you list programmes matters. Comillas starts by evaluating admission to the first option you requested and continues in the order of preferences you indicated, and the final resolution communicates admission to one programme only. Put the programme you want most first, because an admission to your first option ends the evaluation of the others.

Which school years Comillas evaluates

The Comillas FAQ is explicit that the marks of 2º de Bachillerato are not part of the admission criteria. Comillas selects its students on the assessment of the admission tests combined with the academic record of the last three completed school years. For a Spanish student applying during the final year, those are 3º and 4º ESO and 1º de Bachillerato.

The ICAI engineering school shows how that record is weighted. ICAI takes a weighted average of 2/9 of the 3º ESO mark, 3/9 of the 4º ESO mark and 4/9 of the 1º Bachillerato mark, and that record counts for 35% of the ICAI admission mark, next to the psychometric test at 10% and the English test at 5%. The other faculties publish their own weights, covered in the chapters on each school.

Does your Bachillerato option matter?

Comillas does not require a specific Bachillerato option for any of its degrees. The FAQ adds that for the programmes with a written entrance exam, some options prepare you better than others, so choose subjects that match the exam of your programme.

One subject choice earns points directly. Having taken Biology in 2º de Bachillerato adds 0,5 to the final admission mark for the programmes of the Psychology area. That bonus is specific to Psychology; it does not apply to the other faculties.

Record and subjects: what the pages state

• The Comillas FAQ (as of October 2026) says that the marks of 2º de Bachillerato do NOT form part of the admission criteria.
• Each candidate obtains a nota final de admisión calculated from the relative weight of the academic record and the admission tests.
• The FAQ (as of October 2026) adds that a specific Bachillerato option is not necessary for its degrees, although some options suit the written exam better.
• Psychology-area programmes: Biology in 2º de Bachillerato adds 0,5 to the final admission mark.
• Primary Education programmes: access is conditional on passing the Lengua test of the PAU.
• Mathematical Engineering and AI (IMAT): the English page (as of October 2026) recommends the Science and Technology stream, having studied mathematics and physics.
• Business Analytics (E-8): the English page (as of October 2026) says the degree is open to the Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Bio-health Sciences entry streams.

If you study abroad, Comillas lets you apply with an SAT or PAA score sent through College Board with DI code 12802, and decides within 20 days of receiving both your application and the score. If you do not take the SAT or PAA, you can sit the Comillas admission tests in person or online in the January and May convocatorias.

Comillas offers students outside the Spanish system two ways in. The Spanish admission page says that candidates studying segundo de Bachillerato outside Spain can either present the international tests Comillas accepts, the SAT or PAA, or sit the Comillas tests online on the set dates. Both routes lead to the same Comillas admission decision.

Who can use the SAT/PAA route

The Spanish and English Comillas pages word the eligibility rule differently, and both are quoted here. The Spanish admission page addresses the SAT/PAA route to candidates from international school systems who are studying segundo de Bachillerato abroad, and the Spanish FAQ says that if you live outside Spain and will take the SAT or PAA, you can apply for international admission.

The English Comillas pages set a longer condition: you must have studied at least the last two years in a foreign education system outside Spain. If you moved abroad only for your final year, the English rule may not cover you, so confirm your case with Comillas admissions before you rely on the SAT/PAA route.

What you send on the SAT/PAA route

The SAT or PAA replaces the general Comillas admission tests, not everything else. Comillas still asks for the academic record and for the specific tests that each degree requires, such as interviews and essays. The two English pages describe the record slightly differently: one names the equivalent of the 3rd and 4th year of E.S.O. and the 1st year of Bachillerato, the other the 3rd, 4th and 1st year of Bachillerato. Read both as the last three completed school years, which is how the Spanish pages state it.

Comillas resolves the admission of an international candidate within 20 days from the receipt of the application through the admission portal and of the SAT or PAA score through College Board. Send the score early: the clock starts only when both have arrived.

Online admission tests from abroad

Comillas holds online admission tests in the January and May convocatorias, and only for candidates doing the school year outside Spain. The ICADE and ICAI pages for the first convocatoria, on 30 January, list the test centres in Spain and add that the online format is enabled for candidates who live outside Spain.

The English application page states the same choice: if you are studying abroad and are not taking the SAT or PAA, you can take the university admission tests in person or online through the admission process. Choose the online tests if a trip to Madrid for the test day is not practical; choose the SAT or PAA if you already have a score and want the faster decision.

SAT/PAA route and online tests: what the pages state

• Send your SAT or PAA result through College Board with the DI code 12802.
• The admission of an international candidate is resolved within 20 days of receiving the application and the score.
• On this route you still submit the academic record, the College Board result and the specific tests required by each degree (interviews, essays).
• The English admission page (as of October 2026) lists for international admission (SAT/PAA) an academic record equivalent to the 3rd and 4th year of E.S.O. and the 1st year of Bachillerato, and the SAT or PAA test.
• The English international-student page (as of October 2026) says you must have studied at least the last two years in a foreign educational system outside Spain.
• Online admission tests are held in the January and May convocatorias, only for candidates doing the school year outside Spain.

For curso 2027-2028, the next Comillas admission test date is 30 January 2027, and you must apply before 13 January 2027 to take part; ICAI holds two convocatorias, January and May, and ICADE and ICAI accept applications for the second until 14 April 2027. CIHS adds later convocatorias up to 14 July, and the nursing and physiotherapy degrees of the EUEF run their own windows, which opened on 13 October 2026.

Comillas organises undergraduate entry in convocatorias: fixed test days, each with its own application deadline. You apply on the portal before the deadline of the convocatoria you choose, then sit the tests on that day at a Comillas test site, or online if you live outside Spain.

ICADE and ICAI: January and May

ICADE and ICAI publish the same calendar. The ICAI page names the first convocatoria on 30 January with applications until 13 January 2027, and the second with applications until 14 April 2027. The January list of test sites includes Oviedo, Málaga, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca.

The general Comillas admission page lists the January test sites as Madrid, Valladolid, Oviedo, Málaga, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca. If you live outside Spain, both ICADE and ICAI enable the online format, so you do not need to travel for the tests.

CIHS: later convocatorias until July

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (CIHS) lists its own convocatorias for curso 2027-2028 and keeps its application window open longer. The CIHS window runs from 1 October to 14 April for the Psychology programmes and to 11 July for the programmes in International Relations and Global Communication. Its second convocatoria for all CIHS programmes is on 8 May.

The CIHS window for Psychology closes on 14 April, before the application deadlines of the June and July convocatorias, while International Relations and Global Communication stay open until 11 July. If you apply for Psychology, aim for a convocatoria up to April.

Nursing and Physiotherapy at the EUEF

The Grado en Enfermería admits in phases. Its first phase opened on 13 October 2026 and runs until 28 January 2027; the admissions committee meets on 8 February 2027, results come on 10 February 2027, and the place reservation is paid from 10 to 14 February 2027, both days included.

The Grado en Fisioterapia works on a rolling basis. Applications opened on 13 October 2026 and stay open until the available places are filled; the admissions committee meets every Thursday and results come every Thursday. Apply early, because the Fisioterapia window closes when the places run out, not on a fixed date.

The ICADE admission test for the Business and Law degrees has four parts: a mathematics test of 24 items in 45 minutes, a general knowledge test of 45 items in 45 minutes, a psychometric test and an English test that every candidate sits in person. Applicants to E-2 in English, E-4 and E-8 also take an online oral language test, and ICADE sends the results 20 days after the tests.

ICADE is the Comillas name for the Faculty of Economics and Business and the Faculty of Law. Access to the degrees of both faculties consists of the same set of tests, so a Business applicant and a Law applicant sit the same papers. The double degrees, including E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5 and E-8, follow the same ICADE test, with extra language steps for some of them.

What the ICADE test contains

The psychometric part of the ICADE test is made up of three types of questions: abstract reasoning, spatial reasoning and verbal reasoning. ICADE does not set a separate subject exam beyond mathematics and general knowledge, so the reasoning section and your school record carry real weight.

You choose the language of the written tests. ICADE states that the mathematics and knowledge tests can be taken in Spanish or in English, which lets you sit them in English even if you apply to a degree taught in Spanish.

The English test and certificates

Every ICADE candidate sits the English test in person. The ICADE page adds that if you include a TOEFL, Cambridge or IELTS certificate in your application, ICADE takes the better of the two marks, the in-person test or the certificate. A certificate therefore never spares you the written English test at ICADE; it can only raise your English mark.

The Comillas language document describes the certificate more narrowly: it states that the certificate only exempts candidates for E2 in English, the English subprogrammes of E4 and E8 from the oral test. The ICADE page and the language document are both quoted here because they word the role of the certificate differently; in both, you still sit the written English test.

Oral language test for E-2 in English, E-4 and E-8

Candidates for programmes such as E-2 in English, E-4 or E-8 must take an online oral test in the language of the programme, and ICADE says these sessions start from November. For the French and German subprogrammes of E-4, Comillas accepts no certificates: those candidates sit written and oral tests in French or German.

The English page for E-4, International Business Administration, sums up the bar: a rigorous admissions process with the ICADE entrance examination, a personal interview and proof of an advanced level of English. The English page for E-8, Business Analytics, says the degree is open to students from the Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Bio-health Sciences entry streams, and recommends an aptitude for numerical, logical and abstract reasoning.

Legal access after an ICADE admission

An ICADE admission is conditional on legal access. Admitted candidates must pass 2º de Bachillerato or equivalent studies and the PAU in the ordinary sitting of May-June 2027, or meet one of the other requirements for school systems other than the Spanish Bachillerato. The chapter on legal access sets out those other requirements by qualification.

ICADE communicates the result of the admission tests to each candidate in writing and in the personal area of the admission portal, 20 days after the tests.

ICADE tests: what the page states

• Mathematics test: made up of 24 items, lasting 45 minutes.
• General knowledge test: made up of 45 items, lasting 45 minutes.
• Psychometric test: abstract reasoning, spatial reasoning and verbal reasoning.
• For curso 2027-2028, ICADE enables the online format for candidates who live outside Spain.
• E-4, International Business Administration: the English page (as of October 2026) names ICADE’s own entrance examination, a personal interview as part of admission.

ICAI sets one admission test for all its engineering degrees: mathematics with 30 items in 1 hour, physics with 18 items in 45 minutes of which you answer 15, a psychometric test and an in-person English test, with mathematics and physics in Spanish. Your school record counts for 35% of the ICAI mark, and the minimum English level is B1 for Industrial and Telecommunication Engineering and B2 for Mathematical Engineering and AI.

ICAI is the Comillas School of Engineering. Its admission test is common to all ICAI degrees, so you sit the same papers whether you apply for Industrial Technologies, Telecommunication Technologies or Mathematical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence (IMAT). What changes between the degrees is the weight of mathematics and physics, and the minimum English level.

What the ICAI test contains

The ICAI mathematics test has 30 items and lasts 1 hour. The physics test has 18 items and lasts 45 minutes, and you answer only 15 of the 18 items in the booklet, so you can leave out the items you are least sure of. ICAI states that the mathematics and physics tests are taken in Spanish, which matters if your school taught science in another language.

All ICAI candidates also sit the English test in person. If you include a TOEFL, Cambridge or IELTS certificate in your application, ICAI takes the better of the in-person test mark and the certificate mark. The certificate can raise your English mark, but it does not replace the written English test.

How ICAI weights the record and the tests

The record is a weighted average of your last three completed school years: 2/9 of the 3º ESO mark, 3/9 of the 4º ESO mark and 4/9 of the 1º Bachillerato mark. Your most recent completed year counts most, and the final year of school does not count at all.

IMAT puts more weight on mathematics. For the Grado en Ingeniería Matemática e Inteligencia Artificial, the physics test weighs 20% and the mathematics test 30%; for any other ICAI degree, both weigh 25%. If mathematics is your strongest subject, IMAT rewards it most.

Minimum English level and interview

ICAI sets a minimum English level per degree. The minimum for the Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriales and the Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías de Telecomunicación is B1, and for the Grado en Ingeniería Matemática e Inteligencia Artificial it is B2. The English IMAT page states the same bar as English language proficiency at B2 level or above.

The English IMAT page also recommends the Science and Technology stream with mathematics and physics. That page uses the word A-levels for the Spanish Bachillerato; it describes the Spanish school stream, not a UK A-level requirement.

In case of doubt about a candidate, the ICAI admissions committee reserves the right to call that candidate to a personal interview on a date after the entrance exam. An interview is therefore not part of every ICAI application.

Legal access after an ICAI admission

ICAI requires admitted candidates to meet the legal requirements for access to a Spanish university, to pass 2º de Bachillerato or equivalent studies and to pass the PAU in the ordinary sitting of May-June 2027. Students from other school systems follow the access route for their qualification, set out in the chapter on legal access.

ICAI tests: what the page states

• The ICAI admission test is common to all ICAI degrees.
• Mathematics test: made up of 30 items, lasting 1 hour.
• Physics test: made up of 18 items, lasting 45 minutes, of which you answer 15 of the 18 items.
• Psychometric test: abstract reasoning, spatial reasoning and verbal reasoning.
• Mathematical Engineering and AI: physics 20%, mathematics 30% of the mark.
• Every other ICAI degree: physics 25%, mathematics 25% of the mark.
• In case of doubt about a candidate, the ICAI admissions committee reserves the right to call the candidate to a personal interview.

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (CIHS) admits on a mix of tests chosen per programme: a motivation essay of 30 minutes and about 250 words, online interviews of about 20 minutes, a psychometric test only for Psychology and a mathematics test only for Psychology with Business Administration. Nursing admits in phases, with the first running from 13 October 2026 to 28 January 2027, Physiotherapy decides every Thursday, and INEA weighs your record at 40% and an interview at 60%.

Outside ICADE and ICAI, Comillas does not use one common test. CIHS, the nursing and physiotherapy school (EUEF) and INEA each set their own admission criteria, and within CIHS the tests depend on the programme you apply for.

CIHS: essay, interview and programme tests

The CIHS motivation essay asks why you chose your studies; it lasts 30 minutes and runs to about 250 words. Candidates for programmes in the International Relations and Global Communication area write it in English.

CIHS interviews are held with lecturers of the programmes you applied to, in the three weeks before the written test dates, online and in the afternoon from 17 horas. Each lasts about 20 minutes and explores your motivation and your aptitude for the profession.

Candidates for International Relations and for the Grado en Comunicación Internacional, the Bachelor's Degree in Global Communication, take the CIHS knowledge and international current affairs test in English. The Psychology-area programmes add a psychometric test, and the double degree in Psychology and Business Administration adds a mathematics test of 24 questions in 45 minutes, taken without a calculator. Having taken Biology in 2º de Bachillerato adds 0,5 to the final admission mark for the Psychology programmes.

Nursing: phases and first option

In the Enfermería assessment, only your first option counts. If nursing is your goal, list it first; the EUEF does not consider candidates who put it lower in their preferences. Comillas does not describe the content of the EUEF admission tests on its admission page.

Physiotherapy: weekly decisions

The Grado en Fisioterapia admits on a rolling basis. Applications opened on 13 October 2026 and stay open until the available places are filled; the admissions committee meets every Thursday and results come out every Thursday. An early application gives you more places to compete for.

INEA: record and interview

INEA bases its assessment on 40% academic record and 60% personal interview, so the interview weighs more than your marks. For legal access, INEA asks for the PAU passed in the ordinary sitting of June-July 2027, a different wording from the May-June sitting named by ICADE and ICAI.

CIHS and INEA: what the pages state

• Motivation essay, for the Education, Sports Science, Philosophy, PPE, Social Work, Social Work and Criminology, International Relations, Global Communication and Language Technologies and AI programmes: its duration is 30 minutes and its length about 250 words.
• Personal interview for the same programmes: held in the three weeks before the written test dates, online, from 17 horas, lasting about 20 minutes.
• Knowledge and international current affairs test, taken by candidates to any programme of the university: 45 closed questions, 45 minutes.
• Mathematics test, for the double degree in Psychology and Business Administration only: 24 questions, 45 minutes, without a calculator.
• Psychometric test: the list of common tests describes abstract, spatial and verbal reasoning questions, 60 minutes for candidates to any programme of the university, while the entry for the test itself says only candidates to the Psychology-area programmes sit it.
• INEA: the assessment is based on 40% academic record + 60% personal interview.

Comillas ranks you on a final admission mark built from the relative weight of your academic record and your admission tests, and it sets no minimum grade: places are shared out in each convocatoria, and the nota de corte is simply the mark of the last admitted candidate, so it changes every year. ICADE sends test results 20 days after the tests, a place reservation secures your seat, and some degrees keep a waiting list that is not resolved until June.

Each Comillas candidate receives a final admission mark calculated from the relative weight of the academic record and the admission tests. That mark sets your position against the other candidates for the same programme. The weights differ by faculty; the ICADE, ICAI and CIHS chapters of this report give them.

No minimum grade, no fixed cut-off

The English Comillas FAQ answers the minimum-grade question with a plain no: to access Comillas, the academic record of the last three completed years and the admission test are assessed, and in some cases a personal interview is required. Comillas does not publish a minimum mark for any foreign school-leaving qualification either; every credential enters through the same final admission mark.

The CIHS page defines the nota de corte as the mark of the last position on each list of admitted students, which is why it varies from year to year. A cut-off from a past year tells you how competitive a programme was, not the mark you need for curso 2027-2028.

How places are shared across convocatorias

Comillas states that all candidates have the same opportunities. In each convocatoria it distributes places based on the estimated number of applicants and on the history of notas de corte in recent years, so applying in May does not mean that the places have run out in January.

Your order of preferences decides where the evaluation stops. Comillas evaluates your first option first, then follows the order you gave, and the final resolution admits you to one programme only.

Results, place reservation and waiting list

ICADE communicates the result of the admission tests to each candidate in writing and in the personal area of the admission portal, 20 days after the tests. Once admitted, the place reservation guarantees that you have a secured place; if you do not complete the enrolment within the established period, Comillas releases the place.

Some Comillas degrees keep a waiting list that is not resolved until June. If you are on a waiting list for your first option, keep a confirmed place elsewhere until the list closes.

Every Comillas candidate sits the written English test, whether or not you send a certificate; a TOEFL, Cambridge or IELTS certificate is optional and Comillas converts it to a mark on its own scale, for example IELTS 7 o 7,5 to a mark of 8. ICAI sets a minimum English level of B1 or B2 depending on the engineering degree.

The Comillas admission page states that all candidates must take the written English test, independent of whether they have presented a language certificate. The Comillas language document says the same: the written English test is taken by all candidates. A certificate never replaces that test.

How Comillas converts a certificate

Students who wish can attach an English certificate. Comillas accepts the certificates listed in its table and translates the score into a Comillas mark using the scheme below; the IELTS cells are quoted exactly as Comillas prints them.

ICADE and ICAI describe what the converted mark does: if your application includes a TOEFL, Cambridge or IELTS certificate, the school takes the better of your in-person English test mark and your certificate mark. CIHS adds a validity window: it counts certificates issued in 2025, 2026 and up to 31 March 2027.

The language document gives the certificate a narrower role for some programmes: it states that the certificate only exempts candidates for E2 in English, E4 (English subprogrammes) and E8 from the oral test. Both statements are quoted because the Comillas pages word them differently; in neither does the certificate exempt you from the written English test.

English-taught degrees

Comillas lists English as the language of several degrees, with a certification field on the programme pages: the Business Administration and Management degree E-2 in English, Business Analytics (E-8), International Relations, Global Communication and the double degree in International Relations and Global Communication. Your English is assessed through the Comillas test, the converted certificate and the programme tests.

• E-2 in English, E-4 and E-8: an online oral test in the language of the programme, with sessions from November.
• E-4, International Business Administration: proof of an advanced level of English, next to the ICADE entrance examination and a personal interview.
• E-4 in the French or German subprogramme: no certificates are accepted; you sit written and oral tests in French or German.
• International Relations and Global Communication: the CIHS essay and the knowledge test are taken in English, and the Global Communication page says the ideal candidate has a good command of English.
• ICAI: minimum B1 for Industrial and Telecommunication Engineering, B2 for Mathematical Engineering and AI; the English IMAT page says B2 level or above.

Comillas does not state a Spanish language requirement, such as DELE or SIELE, on its admission pages. If you apply for a degree taught in Spanish, remember that the ICAI mathematics and physics tests are in Spanish, while ICADE lets you take its written tests in Spanish or English.

English by school and programme: what the pages state

• ICADE: if the application includes a TOEFL, Cambridge or IELTS certificate, the better mark between the in-person test and the certificate is taken into account.
• ICAI: the same rule, the better mark between the in-person test and the certificate is taken into account.
• ICAI minimum English level: B1 for GITI and GITT, B2 for Mathematical Engineering and AI.
• E-2 in English, E-4 or E-8: an online oral test in the language of the programme.
• ICADE mathematics and knowledge tests can be taken in Spanish or English, and the choice is indicated in the application.
• CIHS English test: a standardised test of use of English, reading comprehension and written expression, lasting 60 minutes, taken in person by all candidates.
• CIHS counts a TOEFL, Cambridge or IELTS certificate issued in 2025, 2026 and up to 31 March 2027.
• CIHS programmes in International Relations and Global Communication: the motivation essay is written in English (la hacen en inglés), the knowledge test is taken in English (hacen esta prueba en inglés), and for International Relations the interview is held in English (la hacen en inglés).
• Language of instruction on the programme pages: Grado en Relaciones Internacionales taught 100% in English; ADE E-2 English, English; Business Analytics E-8, English (as of October 2026); Grado en Comunicación Internacional, English; double degree in International Relations and Communication, English.

Comillas lists each Grado's yearly cost as a matrícula plus a mensualidad paid for 9 months, from a total of 8.174,40€ for Psychology to 19.165,92€ for the double degree in Industrial Technology Engineering and Business Administration. Comillas does not label these fee blocks with a curso, so read them as the current fees on the programme pages, not as a confirmed 2027-2028 price.

Every Comillas programme page shows the same fee structure: a one-off matrícula (registration), then a monthly payment, the mensualidad, over 9 months, and the total for the year. The monthly payments, not the matrícula, make up most of each total, so plan your cash flow across the academic year.

Fees by Grado

The ranking of costs follows the type of degree. Psychology has the lowest yearly total at 8.174,40€, with a mensualidad of 718,80€, and Translation and Interpreting follows at 10.485,92€. The ICAI engineering degrees sit at 16.692,00€ for IMAT, GITT and Biomedical Engineering and 16.694,16€ for GITI. The double degrees cost the most, up to 19.165,92€ for GITI with ADE.

The English programme pages show the same fees

The English Comillas pages list the same fee blocks as the Spanish pages, as Registration, Monthly over 9 months and Total. For E-2 in English, the English page shows a registration of 1.659,42€ and a total of 15.829,56€; for Business Analytics, 15.860,40€; for International Relations and for Global Communication, 14.305,20€.

The English pages for the dual degree in Global Communication and International Relations show 17.088,00€, for the ADE international programme E-4 17.617,92€, and for Mathematical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence 16.692,00€. International students pay the same published fees as Spanish students.

Which year these fees apply to

Comillas does not name a curso on its fee blocks, in Spanish or in English. Budget with the figures above, and confirm the fee for curso 2027-2028 with Comillas when you receive your admission.

Comillas's own scholarships cover part of your monthly fees: the scholarships page gives a range of 20% to 75%, and up to 100% when the situation requires it, while the admission pages say scholarships generally fall between 40% and 75%. Comillas reports 1800 students on a scholarship, and its most common scholarship is 60% of the total study price.

Comillas aims its own aid at the monthly payments, the mensualidades, rather than at the matrícula. The admission page describes all its scholarships as support for the student and the family in paying the monthly fees. Comillas also lists public scholarships and a housing aid for students who move to Madrid.

Comillas's own scholarships

The Comillas pages do not give one range. The scholarships page offers own aid of 20% to 75% of the monthly fees, rising to 100% when needed. The Spanish admission page and the English FAQ both say that, in general, scholarships are between 40% and 75%, and that exceptional situations can reach higher percentages. Treat the lower bound as uncertain and ask Comillas which range applies to your case.

The Comillas figures give a sense of scale: 1800 students hold some scholarship, and the most common scholarship covers 60% of the total price of the studies. Those are figures Comillas publishes about its own scholarship holders, not a promise for a new applicant.

Nursing and Physiotherapy

The nursing and physiotherapy school runs its own aid with a smaller range. It covers between 10% and 30% of the monthly fees, for future and current students of the school.

Public scholarships and housing aid

Comillas lists three public scholarship schemes its students can apply for: the general call of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports; the Excelencia and Excelencia Académico-Deportiva scholarships of the Comunidad de Madrid; and the university scholarship of the Basque Government. Each body sets its own eligibility rules.

For students who move to the city, Comillas offers a housing aid in Madrid of up to 40% of your annual fee. Check whether you can combine it with a fee scholarship before you choose where to live.

Comillas lists three colegios mayores for its students, Berrospe, Santa María del Pino and Vedruna, plus partner residences near its campuses with special conditions for Comillas students. If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you need a student visa from the Spanish consulate where you live, and for a stay of more than six months a foreigner identity card on arrival; the Instituto de Idiomas Modernos has taught Spanish to international students since 1988.

The Comillas programme pages place its degrees in Madrid, and the Comillas housing page gathers two kinds of accommodation: the colegios mayores linked to the university and a selection of residences near the campuses.

Colegios mayores and residences

The Comillas housing page names three colegios mayores: Colegio Mayor Berrospe, Colegio Mayor Universitario Santa María del Pino and Colegio Mayor Vedruna.

Comillas also offers a selection of residences near all its campuses, with special conditions for Comillas students. If you move to Madrid for your studies, Comillas offers a housing aid of up to 40% of your annual fee, covered in the scholarships chapter of this report.

Student visa and residence card

The Comillas FAQ states that if you are not a citizen of an EU state, of the European Economic Area or of Switzerland, you must start the visa application at the Spanish diplomatic mission or consular office for the area where you live. The Comillas page for new students adds that non-EU students need a valid passport and the student visa, while EU students need no visa.

The visa is not the last step. The Comillas FAQ says that if your study stay lasts more than six months, you must complete the formalities for the tarjeta de identidad de extranjero, the foreigner identity card, at the relevant Oficina de Extranjería when you arrive in Spain. Start the visa application as soon as you have your Comillas admission.

Spanish courses at Comillas

The Comillas Instituto de Idiomas Modernos has taught Spanish courses to exchange and international students since 1988. The institute also prepares students for the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE), the official Spanish certificate. Comillas does not ask for a DELE or SIELE certificate on its admission pages, but the ICAI mathematics and physics tests are in Spanish, so your Spanish matters from the admission test onwards.

Comillas suits you if you are ready to sit its own admission tests, or to apply with the SAT or PAA from abroad, and to pay yearly fees from 8.174,40€ to 19.165,92€ before aid. For entry in September 2027, your next step at ICADE or ICAI is to apply by 13 January 2027 for the tests on 30 January 2027.

Who Comillas suits

Comillas runs the same admission process for every candidate, whatever the country or school system, so an international applicant competes on the same final admission mark as a Spanish one. That works in your favour if you have a solid record over your last three completed school years and are ready to prepare for a test: ICADE sets one set of tests for its Business and Law degrees, and ICAI one common test for all its engineering degrees.

Comillas also suits applicants who want to study in English in Madrid. Several degrees in business, analytics, international relations and communication are taught in English, and every candidate sits the written Comillas English test, whatever certificate they hold.

Who should think twice

Comillas is a harder fit if you want admission on school-leaving results alone. Your final-year marks do not count, a test or an interview is always part of the process, and Comillas publishes no minimum score for any foreign credential that would let you predict the outcome. The ICAI mathematics and physics tests are in Spanish, which matters if your science teaching was in another language.

Cost is the other filter. Comillas scholarships generally cover 40% to 75% of the monthly fees, with higher percentages in exceptional situations, but no applicant is guaranteed one; budget for the full fee of your degree.

Next steps for September 2027 entry

If you study abroad and already have an SAT or PAA score, send it through College Board and apply on the portal; Comillas decides on the international route within 20 days. Whatever route you take, start the legal access paperwork for your qualification early, and if you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, apply for your student visa as soon as you are admitted.

Official pages of Universidad Pontificia Comillas, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

Información de admisión grado · Pruebas de admisión ICADE · Pruebas de Admisión CIHS · Grado en Psicología en Madrid | Comillas CIHS · Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management | Comillas ICADE · Grado en Relaciones Internacionales en Madrid | Comillas · Sistema universitario español · Pruebas de Admisión ICAI · Grado en Derecho | Comillas ICADE · Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriales (GITI) | Comillas · Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management [ADE] (E-2 English) · Bachelor's Degree in Business Analytics | Comillas · Grado en ADE en Madrid | Comillas ICADE · Grado en ADE Internacional (E-4) · Doble Titulación | Comillas · Grado en Business Analytics (E-8) en Madrid | Comillas ICADE · Doble Grado en Derecho y ADE | Comillas ICADE · Doble Grado en Derecho y Relaciones Internacionales | Comillas · Doble Grado ADE y Relaciones Internacionales | Comillas ICADE · Doble Grado en ADE y Business Analytics | Comillas ICADE · Grado Comunicación Internacional en inglés (Global Communication) · Doble Grado en Relaciones Internacionales y Comunicación Global · Grado en Traducción e Interpretación · Grado en Ingeniería Matemática e Inteligencia Artificial | Comillas ICAI · Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnologías de Telecomunicación (GITT) | Comillas ICAI · Doble Grado en Ingeniería en Tecnología y ADE (GITI + ADE) | Comillas · Grado en Ingeniería Biomédica en Madrid | Comillas ICAI · Grado en Enfermería en Madrid y Sevilla | Comillas · Grado en Fisioterapia | Presencial en Madrid · Preguntas Frecuentes - Universidad Comillas · Pruebas de admisión INEA · Undergraduate Admissions Information · Bachelor's Degree in Mathematical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence · Apply for admission - International student · Pruebas de Admisión Escuela de Enfermería y Fisioterapia "San Juan de Dios" · Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management [ADE] international program · Idiomas · Bachelor's Degree in International Communication in English (Global Communication) · Bachelor's Degree in International Relations in Madrid | Comillas · Dual Degree in Global Communication and International Relations · Becas y ayudas para grado · Cursos español

Photos: ICADE building of Comillas Pontifical University on Calle de Alberto Aguilera, Madrid: photo Luis García (Zaqarbal), CC BY-SA 3.0 es, Wikimedia Commons · ICAI building of Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid: photo Ilfirin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · Library building of Comillas Pontifical University: photo Biblioteca de la Universidad Pontificia Comillas, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons