Foreign Language Study Abroad Programs in Madrid, Spain

Before Expanish, I struggled to feel confident/comfortable in Spain due to my lack of knowledge in Spanish. Expanish not only allowed me to finally feel comfortable in Madrid, but helped me to really thrive in Madrid. By being able to learn Spanish I felt so much more connected in my Madrid community by being able to build relationships with my gym instructors, the clerks at my regular grocery store, waiters at my favorite restaurant. That changed everything. I also learned and saw so much of Spain and Madrid through the cultural immersion events. It had the most positive impact on my experience and I’m forever indebted to Expanish. The classes themselves were great! My instructor was Aurora. She was very kind and patient which is so necessary when learning a new language. She was also great at explaining new concepts and will repeat it as many times as you need. Everyone on staff is absolutely incredible. Everyone was more than willing to offer help if I needed something. I was having issues with my apartment agency and one of the staff was more happy to call the agency to speak with them in Spanish on my behalf (I didn’t stay in housing that was part of Expanish). It just goes to show how much they care. They all ask questions about you and want to get to know you personally. You’re not just a number at Expanish. If anyone’s considering signing up, I promise you won’t regret it!

Expanish responded to this reviewJuly 25, 2026

Alexa, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a nice review! :) Reading this genuinely made our day, especially the part about feeling connected to your Madrid community, building those everyday relationships that really make a place feel like home. That's exactly what we hope for, so knowing you got to experience that means the world to us. We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Aurora, she'll be so happy to read this. And to our team, thank you for noticing and appreciating that extra effort. You're not just a number to us, you're part of the Expanish family, and we love being able to support you even beyond the classroom. Thank you for recommending us and for being such a wonderful part of this journey. It was truly a pleasure having you with us!

I absolutely loved Expanish and wouldn’t trade my time there for anything! I hope to return sometime and take classes again, due to the fact that I feel I learned SO much in those 6 weeks! The staff was the sweetest and most supportive, shout out Javier!!

Expanish responded to this reviewJuly 11, 2026

¡Hola, Liberty! Thank you so much for these kind words, you truly made our day! We love hearing that you felt like you learned SO much in those 6 weeks, that's exactly what we strive for with every student who comes through Expanish. We'll be sure to pass along your shout out to Javier, he'll be so happy to know the impact he had on your experience — the whole team is going to love reading this. Expanish's doors are always open for you! Whenever you're ready to come back and take more classes, we'll be right here. Thank you for choosing us and for being part of this family. ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

My study abroad in Cordoba helped me grow, pushed my boundaries, and highlighted the parts of my life that I deeply value. I was able to view the world through different perspectives and challenge my ideas of what normal was. Finding new ways in which I fit into communities that looked different from the ones I grew up around helped me find different parts of myself. The global variety of people I was able to meet, talk with, and form deep relationships with, helped me understand myself in brand new ways. Additionally, Spain has so many different places with their own distinct cultures, histories, and communities. Being able to explore the different parts of Spain enriched my study abroad beyond my experiences in Cordoba. Studying abroad completely transformed how I will approach new people and situations in the future and fueled my desire to learn more about the cultures, languages, and people that form the world.

I studied abroad in Madrid through USAC in the Summer of 2023. The coordinators at URJC Vicálvaro and the pre-program preparations were fantastic. Group excursions covered so much, and they offered a variety of living options. The language immersion helped me earn by Global Seal of Biliteracy and I made lifelong friends.

Studying abroad was an incredible experience—immersive, eye-opening, and unforgettable. I grew academically and personally while exploring new cultures, making lifelong friends, and gaining confidence. Highly recommend!

Being able to have lessons in the morning that helped me develop my grammar, then doing activities and Spanish in the city courses in the afternoon my days we filled with different experiences allowing me to make the most of my one week in Madrid.

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 21, 2026

Thank you so much for your feedback, Arianna! We’re really happy to hear that you enjoyed the combination of morning classes and afternoon activities. It’s great that this structure allowed you to strengthen your grammar while also experiencing Spanish in real-life situations around the city—Madrid is the perfect place for that! Hope we get to welcome you again in the future! ¡Un abrazo!

I studied with USAC in July of 2025. I learned Spanish on URJC’s campus. The location was 20 minutes from downtown Madrid via metro or car. It was quiet, and there is a small grocery store near the dorms. I stayed on the university campus so I luckily had A/C! The USAC staff was very helpful and kind. They even offered to help me with my language skills when I wasn’t in class and needed extra tutoring. The field trips were fun, especially to Segovia. My cohort was very friendly, and I enjoyed going on trips with them around Spain. We had weekends off which was super nice. The cafeteria food was okay, and you could only get one meal from there a day. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this study abroad program!

I would recommend CIEE to a friend because of how streamlined the process is and how affordable the program is compared to other ones at my university. I also appreciate how there are a lot of opportunities within CIEE to grow, like internships and ambassador programs.

Madrid specifically has awesome staff, good schedule for classes with ability to travel and spend time exploring. Liked taking 2 classes at a time to be able to live fully too. Liked the internship seminar a lot.

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!

Special Thanks to my amazing teacher Sisilia and all Expanish staff ,they are all super nice and friendly .im very happy with all expanish experience You are the best and im sure that i will be fluent in spanish soon🥰

Expanish responded to this reviewJanuary 20, 2026

¡Hola, Vida! Thank you so much for your lovely message! :) We’re thrilled to hear how happy you are with your experience at Expanish. Cecilia will be especially happy to read your kind words—she’s truly an amazing teacher, and we’re glad she’s been part of your Spanish journey. It’s wonderful to know you’re feeling confident about becoming fluent in Spanish, and we have no doubt you’re on the right path! Thanks again for being part of our community, and we hope we get to welcome you again in the future. ¡Un abrazo!

**This is a great opportunity for UNR/UNLV students and I would not recommend for students that don't attend these schools.** For clarification, I was on a one month (July) Summer program. Something I didn't realize when applying for USAC is that it is based out of University of Nevada. I was one of maybe 5-8 people from other schools out of a 30 person group, which wasn't very fun when the others were a giant group of people that could see each other after the program, etc. I did make some amazing friends, though, and everyone was generally very kind. My Spanish class was very easy and I did not feel challenged at all, I showed up to class and did my work and forgot it when I left. However, my teach we amazing and I wish I could have her as my teacher again. The two "excursions" were bus rides with some museums that I could have paid less than 100 Euro to do by myself. I had to pay extra to live in the dorms which only included one meal a day. My friends who lived in apartments had 20-60 minute Metro rides to campus (UJRC). Finally, since I was not on the group flight, they didn't allow me to join their provided transportation even though I landed at the same time as the group flight. I also had to provide my own transportation to the airport when I left.

I had the best time in Madrid! The city had so much to offer, I made friends that I’ve traveled to see again since the program and I loved my classes! The staff for my program was lovely and were always there to support us!

My study abroad in Madrid was wonderful. I stayed with a great host family and I found the usac staff to be very helpful. If I had the chance to do it again, I would in a heartbeat. The friends I made in Madrid are something I think about all the time. I miss being there and immersed in the culture.

This month in Madrid was an intense and rewarding experience. The school was truly fantastic, with great teachers and excellent organization. I had an issue with my host family, but it was handled quickly and efficiently. Thanks to the activities, I discovered the city in depth.

Expanish responded to this reviewDecember 20, 2025

¡Hola, Sara! Thank you for your feedback! We’re really happy to hear that your month in Madrid was both intense and rewarding, and that you enjoyed the quality of our teachers and the overall organization of the school. We’re also glad we could resolve the housing issue quickly and efficiently — your comfort is very important to us. It’s great to know that our activities helped you discover Madrid in depth and make the most of your experience. Hope we get to welcome you again in the future for another enriching stay! ¡Un abrazo!

I enjoyed my time at Spanish in Madrid. The staff was very friendly and helpful. What I didn’t like was the group size of 13 (instead of “usually 7, maximum 12”) which didn’t simplify learning and also that I received an email 4-5 days prior the course saying that the first day was a bank holiday and therefore off. If I had known that before I could’ve booked the hotel and flight for one day later.

Expanish responded to this reviewDecember 17, 2025

¡Hola, Patrick! Thank you for sharing your feedback! We truly appreciate your kind words about our staff. Regarding the group size, we aim to maintain a maximum of 12 students per class, but occasionally, due to unforeseen circumstances, we may have to stretch that limit to 13. This is a rare occurrence, and we always ensure there is enough space in the classroom for everyone. We also apologize for the short notice regarding the bank holiday. We understand how important it is to plan ahead, and we'll take your feedback into account to improve communication in the future. Hope we get to welcome you again soon!

I truly appreciated the interaction I had with my teachers, they adapted to my needs and requests. The staff around the school is really welcoming and always available to help. The social activities in Spanish (and a bit of English) are a good addition to the private lessons I had.

I hade a great time learning Spanish here. Met some nice new people and I can now order food or coffee all in Spanish and this after just 1 month. Thinking about doing even another month in january because I liked it so much.

Expanish responded to this reviewDecember 14, 2025

¡Hola, Carlijn! Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re so happy to hear that you had a great time learning Spanish, met wonderful people, and are already confidently ordering food and coffee in Spanish after just one month — that’s fantastic progress! We’d be delighted to have you back if you decide to join us for another month in January! ¡Un abrazo!

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!

I had such an amazing time! I’m actually going back to live in Madrid for 10 months because I enjoyed my time there so much! That staff was amazing and most of the teachers I had were very kind! I would definitely recommend!