Spanish Study Abroad Programs in Barcelona, Spain

My experience studying abroad with CEA CAPA in Barcelona was truly amazing. I had high expectations going into the program, and they were completely exceeded. My apartment was in a great neighborhood that felt extremely safe while still giving me an authentic, local experience. It was also close to everything, which made it so easy to walk around and explore the city every day. I also had a great experience with my classes. My professors were extremely understanding and supportive, which made balancing academics with everything else that comes with studying abroad much easier. The CEA CAPA staff was incredibly welcoming and played such a big role in making my experience as great as it was. They offered so many activities, events, and opportunities that helped me meet people, experience Barcelona, and feel comfortable living in a city so far from home. Overall, studying abroad in Barcelona was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and I’m so grateful I chose to do it through CEA CAPA. I would absolutely recommend the program to anyone considering studying abroad!

Leaving to study abroad in Barcelona was my first time ever leaving the country and exploring a new culture. I could not be more grateful for choosing CIS Abroad for such an amazing experience. From the very beginning, the CIS Abroad staff helped me prepare for the experience of a lifetime with genuine care, guidance, and support. That support continued throughout my time abroad. CIS Abroad made me feel safe by providing comprehensive resources for students, including access to therapy, medical care, and additional support whenever we were sick or needed assistance. Barcelona quickly became my second home, and studying abroad was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I grew personally and professionally, and created memories that I will carry with me forever.

Living and studying in Barcelona for four months was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The city itself is beautiful and full of live. I love how everywhere is walkable and you can get anywhere using the metro. There's so so much to do whether it's going to the beach, out for tapas, hiking in the surrounding mountains, shopping, or having a night out, Barcelona really is for everyone. CEA CAPA made my experience so smooth from start to finish.

My time in Barcelona is extremely special to me, and the experiences and friends I made will last a lifetime. I was able to emserse into a new culture which felt so foreign in the beginning but towards the end felt like home. The people in barcelona were extremely friendly and helpful if there were any questions we had as tourists.

My time in Barcelona was unbelievable and unforgettable. I did a semester at UAB in the spring 2026 semester and had the best experience. I met so many amazing people and went so many amazing places. There was something for everyone in Barcelona, it was the perfect city. And it was a great hub to explore more of Europe. I was able to visit 12 countries and 16 cities in an 18 week program. WorldStrides staff in Barcelona were so amazing, they were so helpful and friendly. The living accommodations that they set up for us were perfect as well. I was living very comfortably and all the friends I made in the program agreed that they loved their setups. The WorldStrides excursions were amazing as well, they were so fun and I met even more friends. Truly could not recommend it enough to anyone looking to go abroad.

Really enjoyed my time here, wish I could have stayed longer. The only caveat is that the crowd tends to be either rather young (think 16-19) or older (40+) so if you are in the middle of that (I was 22) befriending people may be a bit more awkward, especially with the constantly changing crowd. However, that was not a big problem as I was able to make many great friends outside the program (and some within as well!). Staff were all incredibly informed, helpful, and outgoing and really made the time a blast. The events they offered were plentiful and diverse as well, which was very handy and good for meeting various people. Additionally, the spanish lessons were taught fully in spanish (although staff knows english and helped answer questions in english when people truly didn’t know how to communicate in spanish) which was very good and helped rapidly increase my spanish comprehension and skills.

Expanish responded to this reviewAugust 23, 2026

¡Hola, Abigail! Thank you so much for such a thoughtful review! :) We're so glad you had a wonderful time and even wished you could stay longer — that's the best compliment! We really appreciate you sharing the note about the age gap in the group; it's great feedback for us, and we're glad you still found your people, both in and outside the program. It's also fantastic to hear our staff made things fun while being so helpful, and that the fully immersive Spanish lessons helped your skills grow so quickly — that immersion really pays off! Thanks for choosing Expanish and we hope to see you again soon! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

I studied abroad with Worldstrides in Barcelona during the spring semester of 2026, and it was genuinely life-changing! I was able to connect with professors at my university and my peers and create lifelong friendships. It was easy to make meaningful connections because the academic curriculum revolves around group work. I was able to work with students from all around the world and grow my international interpersonal skills. I can not recommend going with WorldStrides enough! They eased any potential worries I had before and during my time abroad. The team is there to help you and make your experience incredible!

I had such a great time, the program leaders were super helpful with living situations adjusting to the different aspects here and all my professors were awesome. They all cared a lot about the courses and wanted me to succeed and do better! They excursions that they provide are also super fun and you should go on as many as possible.

I graduated from high school a semester early, and the only way I wanted to spend my semester was by being abroad. I've known about Semester at Sea for around 6 years and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I searched up the requirements to be accepted and luckily fit all the requirements most importantly being 18, so immediately I applied. I then got an email back the next morning saying I got accepted into the program and that email brought me to tears in the middle of one of my classes. I couldn't wait to board the MV World Odyssey and embark on this journey of a lifetime. On the ship, I gained so much knowledge about different cultures and I was able to be fully immersed in them, not just sticking to the touristy things offered. Semester at Sea does an amazing job keeping the students' safety in country as a priority with having mandatory “Pre-Port meetings” the night before arriving in a country, and offering field programs which are ship run excursions with ship faculty leading them. The community on the ship was nothing I have ever experienced before. We were so close knit and it felt like I was truly in a connected, caring, and welcoming environment. I met the people I never imagined I'd connect with, and they ended up becoming the best connections I've ever made with people. Semester at Sea also helped me get out of my comfort zone which led me to have experiences I would have never imagined I'd have, best example being running a half marathon in Vigo, Spain even though I'm not a runner and have never been a runner. Semester at Sea has given me the world and the opportunity to appreciate it to its fullest. I left the ship with my passport full, but my heart is even fuller with people, memories, and connections I will forever cherish. Semester at Sea was truly the best experience I have ever had and would recommend it to anyone as it was life changing.

One of the most underrated aspect of semester at sea is the ship campus itself. Being able to live so close to your friends and just walking a few flight of stairs to your classroom and being able to sit down with your professors for lunch is such an amazing experience. It's eternal sunsets, it's endless travel stories from your friends, it's lifetime of memories. Highly recommend. One of the best decisions I made. And still day dream about this experience, still talk and travel to meet my SAS friends 4 years later.

I have not experienced anything like semester at sea before, therefore giving me a whole lot of different lenses to look at the world with. I completely enjoyed my experience and understand the importance of understanding others concerns, communication, communities, and countries. A overall wonderful experience that has changed my views as well as the way I live and who I am as a person.

I loved working with you all. Emma was so Kind and devoted - my students loved her too. My housing was perfect. Student housing was excellent notwithstanding no air conditioning but they survived. Tours were great- we all learned a lot.

Expanish responded to this reviewJuly 06, 2026

Jessica, ¡muchísimas gracias por tus palabras! Nos alegra mucho saber que tu y el grupo tuvieron una experiencia tan linda con nosotros. Emma va a estar encantada de leer esto — ella se entrega por completo con cada grupo y se nota que esa dedicación llegó a tus estudiantes también. Nos encanta saber que los tours fueron un espacio de aprendizaje real para todos. ¡Esperamos volver a recibirlos pronto! Un fuerte abrazo.

I had such a good experience at Blau Language Academy. Sara made the classes feel very welcoming from day one, and Xavi always brought great energy to the lessons. The small groups really helped me feel comfortable speaking Spanish.

I had a wonderful experience with Barcelona SAE! They have been a huge help in every step of my study abroad experience, from coordinating my housing, providing an academic mentor to turn to with any questions, their curated website full of resources and recommendations, and hosting various social events throughout the semester to connect with fellow students. They made my transition to and time in Barcelona so much easier. I also can’t recommend the UB track enough. I felt like it was the perfect balance between rigorous language instruction and accommodation for non-native speakers, and all the professors were so enthusiastic and responsive to any questions or confusion. I can confidently say that my Spanish skills grew this semester largely due to my classes at UB, so if you’re looking for a great opportunity to improve your language skills, I would highly recommend!

This program truly exceeded my expectations. From the program staff to the professors themselves, everyone is so excited about assisting us students and making our experience so special. My housing was amazing and other students felt the same, especially with the apartments and home stays.

This program is for students who want to strike a balance between cultural immersion and familiarity. The program is very well organized with cultural activities and excursions every week to help students explore Barcelona and its surrounding areas with fellow students from the US. I especially enjoyed the “dinner with a local host family” event where I got to dine with a local family and learned more about Barcelona from the local perspective. Besides organizing these events, the program also sends out a weekly newsletter about what’s happening in Barcelona so students can explore on their own. The staff members are all very friendly and helpful; extremely responsive with any needs.

Bin aus Berlin gekommen, um rauszukommen und trotzdem weiterzuarbeiten. Bei Blau funktioniert das gut: Unterricht, Unterkunft und Alltag sind an einem Ort. Viel Sprechen im Kurs und auch bei Aktivitäten bleibt man automatisch im Spanischen. Man trifft schnell Leute, wenn man will. Gute Mischung aus Struktur und Freiheit.

I originally came just to improve my Spanish for a few weeks, nothing too deep. But it ended up being way better than I thought. Having everything in one place (classes + my own studio) made things super easy, especially since it was my first time staying abroad alone. The room was honestly really comfortable — I liked having my own kitchen and space to just chill when I didn’t feel like being social. But at the same time, it wasn’t hard to meet people either. You kind of naturally start talking to others after class or around the building. Classes were more focused on speaking than I expected, which helped a lot. I was kinda shy at first but you get used to it fast cause everyone is in the same situation. Not everything was perfect ofc, sometimes I felt tired or didn’t join activities, but that’s also why I liked it — no pressure. You do your own thing but still feel part of something. Overall it just felt… balanced? idk how to explain it better but yeah, I’d def recomend it if you want something structured but still chill.

I’ve had an amazing time here at Expanish. The teachers are great and I really like the small class size so you get to connect with each individually. I like how community driven the program is to. The seating area out of the classrooms feels like a great hub for students to socialize. I like how the program is set to travel as well. Teachers are encouraging us to travel on the weekends and see Europe. I also enjoy the study/travel balance and having a pretty strict attendance policy forced us to attend each class.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 21, 2026

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback, Ben! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing experience at Expanish. It’s great that you enjoyed the small class sizes and were able to build strong connections with both your teachers and classmates. Creating a welcoming, community-driven environment is something we really value, so it’s wonderful to know that came through during your time with us. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un abrazo!

Doing study abroad is a MUST for character development and the opportunity to travel at a young age. Expanish made the program super easy and convenient. The predeparture preparation, VISA application process, and onboarding was so smooth.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 21, 2026

Thank you for your great feedback, Sean! We couldn’t agree more—studying abroad is such a valuable experience, both personally and culturally. We’re really glad to hear that our team was able to make the whole process smooth and stress-free for you, from pre-departure to arrival. It’s wonderful to know you felt supported every step of the way and could focus on enjoying your experience abroad. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!