19 June 2026
Bilbao
The University of Deusto is ranked among the top 10 universities in Spain in the Forbes 2026 ranking. This recognition from the international platform places the non-profit private institution at the highest level in terms of educational quality and its links with the socio-economic fabric.
At institutional level, the criteria analysed by Forbes assess Deusto’s academic model. This system prioritises practical training across all undergraduate degree programmes and includes facilities such as DeustoBio (the virtual hospital and Rosalind Franklin biochemistry laboratory), the Deusto FabLab industrial manufacturing laboratory, and multimedia spaces.
The university has more than 11,000 students enrolled on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, which are delivered through face-to-face, online and blended learning formats. Deusto reports a 99% undergraduate employability rate. Its current academic offer comprises 47 undergraduate degrees, 16 double degrees, 38 official master’s degrees, 7 double master’s degrees, 25 institutional degrees and 8 continuing education programmes.
Research and internationalisation
In the areas of scientific research and international outreach, the institution has 34 research teams and 365 active projects. Its student community comes from 76 countries and benefits from a global cooperation network with more than 560 bilateral agreements signed with institutions across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
The University of Deusto campuses have produced leading figures in politics, economics, culture and society. Notable alumni include the current Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales; former Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu; ministers and political leaders such as Joaquín Almunia and Isabel Celaá; the Mayor of Bilbao, Juan María Aburto; senior financial executives such as José Ignacio Goirigolzarri (Chair of CaixaBank) and Emilio Botín (Banco Santander); the former Director of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Juan Ignacio Vidarte; filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia; writer Espido Freire; and international footballer Mikel Oyarzabal.
For the Rector of the University of Deusto, this position in the Forbes ranking “confirms the strength of our educational model and endorses the daily work carried out in areas such as teaching, internationalisation and socio-economic engagement.” The Rector notes that these milestones serve as a strategic foundation for promoting knowledge transfer, innovation and impact within the university system.
