Applications for first choice are approaching 7,000. A notable increase is the 73% rise in international students from outside the EU, Latin America, and China.
Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M)
continues to see a significant and growing upward trend in student enrollment for its master’s programs for the 2026/2027 academic year. Following the close of the second admissions period, UC3M received a total of
6,854 first-choice applications , representing a
22% increase compared to the same period last year. This figure confirms the strong interest in the institution’s postgraduate programs, which, after the growth seen in the first admissions period, has consolidated the upward trend with record numbers of applications in this second phase.
Regarding international students, the increase in applications continues to rise, with a 29% increase compared to 2025. The surge in students from other geographical areas (outside the European Union, Latin America, and China) is particularly noteworthy, rising by 73% compared to the previous year. This group, comprised of students from 72 countries, mainly includes students from the United States, Turkey, India, and Morocco. Students from Europe and Latin America have also grown significantly, with increases of 26% and 17%, respectively. Likewise, there has been a significant increase in applications received from domestic students, with a rise of 16%.
In the analysis by country, those that have registered the highest number of applications after Spain have been, in this order, Italy, China, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, the United States, Germany, Ecuador, France and Turkey.
Breaking down the figures by graduate school, the most notable growth in enrollments is at the Business School, which increased by 40%, and at the School of Engineering and Basic Sciences, with a 28% increase. The Schools of Economics and Political Science (19%) and Law (9%) also saw increases.
The increase in applications from domestic students has been concentrated primarily in the Schools of Engineering and Basic Sciences, and Business. In these two areas, along with Law, there has also been an increase in the number of applicants from within UC3M’s own degree programs.
The results obtained are a product of UC3M’s commitment to offering innovative, highly specialized postgraduate academic programs that are closely aligned with the needs of today’s job market. The University offers a wide range of official master’s degrees tailored to different purposes: those designed to launch a research career or those focused on acquiring technical and professional knowledge and skills that facilitate graduates’ entry into the workforce.
