Spring Study Abroad Programs in Madrid, Spain

I am so happy that I chose WorldStrides for my study abroad experience in Madrid, Spain. Going into the semester, I was worried about adjusting to a new country, a new school, and new people. The second I met the WorldStrides team at the airport, I immediately felt welcomed and safe with them. Throughout the entire semester, they went out of their way to support us and were there every step of the way. I lived in an apartment with five other girls, and they ended up becoming my best friends. Despite being in a completely new environment, I adjusted quickly because of the amazing support system I had. Madrid was the loveliest city, and I fell in love with it. I'm so glad I took this big leap because it ended up being the best and most formative experience of my life!

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!

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.

we quickly became one big family. We laugh and argue just like every family does, but I’m very thankful for everyone, particularly my roommates; they shaped this experience for me. I feel that every person has taught me a lesson I needed to learn before going home and I appreciate all of them.

Every Thursday in Jon’s class, we would either explore a new district in Madrid or visit a museum. He made our class feel like it wasn’t even a class. We were learning but we weren’t sitting at our desks, reading from textbooks. We were out in the city, seeing for ourselves the history that we were learning about.

Every teacher, friend, and coworker has made this experience for me. I have made unforgettable memories and I know I am going home a much happier and more mature person than I was coming here.

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!

I’ve found the Master’s in Bilingual Education at Nebrija to be a rigorous and intellectually engaging program. Several professors stand out for their clarity, strong grounding in theory, and practical classroom applicability—particularly in CLIL methodology and active learning approaches. The program requires a high level of autonomy and time management, especially for students who are also working. For those combining teaching responsibilities with full-time study, it is important to be prepared for an intensive schedule. However, the academic depth and exposure to bilingual methodology provide meaningful professional growth. One of the strongest aspects of the program is its emphasis on connecting theory to real classroom contexts. When students actively engage with the material and apply it in their teaching practice, the learning becomes especially valuable. Overall, the program offers solid academic preparation for educators seeking to deepen their understanding of bilingual education within a European framework. RVF also provided excellent support throughout the application process. Thank you.

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.

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!

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!

I was planning on minoring in Spanish before I came here, but now I am definitely set on becoming fluent. I have met so many people here who speak 3, 4 even 5 languages and it has really inspired me.

All of the students and I have agreed that we are enjoying Madrid. There is so much to do and see, and we all appreciate the cultural differences here. The food is even better than I expected and the city is always so full of life, even late at night. Every day is a learning experience, and I am so grateful for this opportunity

So far I’ve traveled to Toledo, Barcelona, Seville, Tangier Morocco, and Lagos, Portugal. Next weekend I’m planning a trip to Valencia for one night, and then my classmates and I are going to Ibiza for Halloween.

**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.