Summer Study Abroad Programs in Barcelona, Spain

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 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 had a really good experience with Forum-Nexus overall. The program gave me the chance to travel a lot, meet great people, and learn more about different countries in a way that felt interesting and personal. I liked that the staff was friendly and helpful, and the hotels were some of the best I’ve stayed in. Some visits were better than others, but the overall balance of academics, free time, and cultural experiences made the program worth it. I’d recommend it to other students, especially if they want to make friends and grow through travel.

This summer abroad program was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as an undergraduate.” “It was thoughtfully organized, with a great balance of academics, cultural exploration, professional visits, and enough independence to grow on my own.” “The instructors were engaging, knowledgeable, and encouraged real discussion, which made classes feel useful beyond the classroom.” “I especially liked being able to connect what we learned to our travels.” “The staff was welcoming and supportive throughout, and I’d absolutely recommend the program to other students.

Even though I was only there for 3 weeks there was a camaraderie with the teacher and the classes. The best elements were each Wenedsday there was an outdoor component of the class. I also signed up for the Spanish in the CIty sessions, which were Tuesdays and Thursdays-- those were so interesteing and a great way to learn about the city. All the teachers are so friendly and they have activities literally every day of the week so students from different levels also get to mingle.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 04, 2026

¡Hola, Nandita! Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad to hear that you felt a sense of camaraderie with your teacher and classmates, even during your three weeks with us. It’s great that you enjoyed the Wednesday outdoor classes and the Spanish in the City sessions—those activities are such a fun way to practice Spanish while discovering more about Buenos Aires. We’re also happy to hear your kind words about our teachers and the daily activities, as we love creating opportunities for students from different levels to connect and learn together. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

I had wanted to study abroad since high school, and SAI made that happen. It was as fun as I imagined, and I would do it again in a heartbeat if my degree allowed. I love to travel, and immersing myself in the city culture was the best thing I have done. I loved the Viva Experiences that SAI had as well, allowing me to take many day trips, as well as take pottery and dance classes, among other things. I loved the on-site staff as well, getting to know them through various excursions. One ran the program's soccer team in the study abroad league, which I got out of my comfort zone and joined. If you told me I would go and play soccer abroad beforehand, I would have laughed, but looking back I am so glad I took the leap and did so. I may not have been great, but I made friends and had a lot of fun.

My experience with Erasmus mobility in Barcelona was very lovely and formative: the staff was always very nuce and helpful. The Spanish course very interesting. Barcelona is a welcoming and wonderful town.People was really open and avaible!

Expanish responded to this reviewFebruary 08, 2026

¡Hola, Angela! Thank you so much for sharing your experience! :) We’re really happy to hear that your Erasmus mobility in Barcelona was such a lovely and formative time. It’s great to know our team was supportive and that you found the Spanish course interesting and engaging. And yes — Barcelona truly is a welcoming and wonderful city, with amazing people to match! Hope we get to welcome you again in the future, whether in Barcelona or at any of our other schools. ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

Instituto Hemingway offers long-term Spanish courses that truly work. Teachers are skilled and supportive, lessons are engaging, and the immersive environment in Bilbao helps you progress quickly. I improved my fluency and confidence every week. Highly recommended!

When I decided I wanted to go abroad, I was nervous about a lot of things. First off, I was scared that when I went abroad I would have to settle for a location I did not want to be in because I needed my credits to transfer over. Luckily AIFS had a program in a wonderful city with a bunch of classes that would transfer back to my home university super well. When I chose this program, I was overjoyed but nervous about living in a homestay. When I got there I was happily surprised to find that my host family was amazing and provided me with an experience I would not have been able to have if I had been in a dorm/apt. The people that I met in the program were some of the coolest people I have ever known and am happy to call them my friends to this day. If you are looking for a great program in Paris where you have the freedom to meet new people, travel, and find yourself in a new place, I would 100% recommend this to you!

My time with SAI was amazing. The entire team was extremely caring and responsive to any issue that we had abroad. Everyone was knowledgable and had many resources as to how to be successful abroad. The only thing I will say is that the housing situations were hit or miss location and size wise. It would have been nice to have more information on housing options and assignments. Other than that, great program with different options for volunteering, host families, and events!

I was only able to take a one week course and enjoyed it very much. I had the opportunity to practice with other students. I appreciated the class size of only 5 students. I appreciated that I was in a class with more mature (over 30) students.