Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
University in Spanish: Universidad
Universidad · noun · oo-nee-behr-see-DAHD
University in Spanish is universidad, a feminine noun that functions almost identically to its English counterpart. It is often abbreviated as uni in casual speech. Within a universidad, individual departments or schools are called facultades — so the Facultad de Derecho is the Law School.
Say oo-nee-behr-see-DAHD with five syllables and stress on the final one. The v is pronounced like a soft b.
Mi hermana estudia medicina en la universidad.
My sister studies medicine at the university.
University in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for university, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| universidad | university | oo-nee-behr-see-DAHD | Default, widely understood |
| facultad | university | a specific school or department within a university |
How Native Speakers Use Universidad
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Talking about enrollment
Me aceptaron en la universidad que quería desde el principio.
I got accepted to the university I wanted from the start.
La universidad is used with the definite article when referring to a specific institution.
Casual reference
¿Todavía estás en la uni o ya te graduaste?
Are you still at uni or have you graduated already?
Uni is the common informal abbreviation in everyday conversation.
Naming a department
Trabajo en la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional.
I work at the Engineering School of the National University.
Facultad refers to a division within a university, not the teaching staff.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Universidad
Using colegio to mean university
Incorrect: Estudio biología en el colegio.
Correct: Estudio biología en la universidad.
Colegio means high school or secondary school in most Spanish-speaking countries, not college or university. Using colegio for university is a common anglicism.
Masculine article with universidad
Incorrect: El universidad tiene un campus muy grande.
Correct: La universidad tiene un campus muy grande.
Universidad is feminine despite ending in -d. It always takes the article la, not el.
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Common Questions About University in Spanish
- How do you say university in Spanish?
- University is universidad in Spanish, a feminine noun pronounced oo-nee-behr-see-DAHD. It is often shortened to uni in casual speech among students and young people.
- What is the difference between universidad and facultad?
- A universidad is the entire institution, while a facultad is a specific school or department within it — such as Facultad de Medicina (Medical School) or Facultad de Letras (School of Humanities). Facultad does not mean faculty in the sense of teaching staff.
- Does colegio mean college in Spanish?
- In most Spanish-speaking countries, colegio refers to primary or secondary school, not a college or university. The English word 'college' is best translated as universidad or, in some contexts, instituto when referring to a technical or vocational school.