Best Student Districts in Barcelona

Many students come to Barcelona for (a part of) their higher education. What attracts most young people to the city is its cosmopolitan character, tourist attractions, good climate and beaches, excellent quality universities and varied gastronomic and leisure offer.

Barcelona is, without any doubt, the perfect city to live in if you are a student, ready to (almost) start your working life. Barcelona is also one of the cities with the largest number of startups in Europe.

Today, this article by ShBarcelona will share information on the best districts in the Catalan capital for students.

Table of Contents

Discover where to live in Barcelona as a student

Les Corts

laptop on lap student with notebook on the side

Photo via Pixabay

This is a district that is closest to the main campuses of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), and it is therefore the perfect location if you want to live next to the university, without having to take public transport to go to class. It is also a very well connected with other districts, and full of shops and services for students.

Les Corts is a lively district on weekdays, but it can be very quiet at night and on weekends. Although it is well connected, it is a bit far from the city centre. In this district you will be able to find spacious apartments, making it the ideal area if you want to share an apartment. Prices are not cheap though.

Vila Olímpica

In the past, Vila Olímpica was an industrial and fishing district, but thanks to the Olympics in 1992, it underwent major transformations, and it is now one of the most modern parts of the city.

Just at the end of Calle Marina you will see one of the most important architectural constructions in this area: the twin towers (Hotel Arts and Torre Mapfre). There is also the Peix d’Or, a bronze sculpture that changes colour with the position of the sun and one of Barcelona’s most famous sculptures.

The district has a lot to offer, like all kinds of services, such as supermarkets, gyms, municipal libraries, public transport, beauty salons and shopping centres… You can also enjoy the beach, the promenade, the district’s leisure venues and nightclubs, and the spectacular UPF library.

Gràcia

male and female sitting outside of cafe with a drink

Photo via Pixabay

Gràcia is a very popular district among students due to its terraces, bars and gastronomic offer, and it is the ideal location if you want to go out with friends.

This district has a village atmosphere, and it is perfect for any student, as it is a vibrant part of the city with good connections to the rest of Barcelona. It is also close to the city centre.

The negative, however, is that there are often traffic jams, and this results in Gracia being a noisy neighbourhood with lots of difficulties to find a space to park your car.

Sants

The district of Sants is an important commercial zone with more than 500 shops. Sants is also an excellent area for its various bars and restaurants, and it is a good place to take your friends out for a drink.

What attracts a lot of students to this district is the central bus station, Sants-Estació, being at only a stone’s throw. The high-speed train (AVE) arrives and leaves from here, but there are also several metro stations and bus lines close by. Most importantly, Sants is the district where the major Catalan universities are located.

Are you a student and living in Barcelona? Which district or neighbourhood do you prefer?