Talking about school and studies is one of the first things that comes up when you meet new people: where you studied, what you are studying now, how the exams went. Spanish education vocabulary is rich and, in a few places, sneaky, because several words look like English but mean something quite different.

This guide covers the stages of school, the people involved, the whole study process, and a set of false friends that trip up almost every English speaker.

The stages of education

  • la guardería: Mi hija va a la guardería. — nursery / daycare; "My daughter goes to nursery."
  • el colegio: Estudié en un colegio público. — school (primary/secondary); "I studied at a public school."
  • el instituto: Terminé el instituto a los dieciocho. — high school (secondary in Spain); "I finished high school at eighteen."
  • la universidad: Voy a la universidad en Madrid. — university; "I go to university in Madrid."

The people

  • el alumno / la alumna: Hay treinta alumnos en clase. — pupil / student; "There are thirty students in class."
  • el estudiante: Soy estudiante de Derecho. — student; "I'm a law student."
  • el profesor / la profesora: La profesora explica muy bien. — teacher; "The teacher explains very well."
  • el compañero / la compañera: Estudio con mis compañeros. — classmate; "I study with my classmates."

The study process

  • la asignatura: Mi asignatura favorita es Historia. — subject; "My favorite subject is History."
  • los deberes: Tengo muchos deberes hoy. — homework; "I have a lot of homework today."
  • el examen: El examen es el lunes. — exam; "The exam is on Monday."
  • aprobar: He aprobado el examen. — to pass; "I passed the exam."
  • suspender: Suspendí las matemáticas. — to fail; "I failed maths."
  • la nota: Saqué una buena nota. — grade / mark; "I got a good grade."
  • matricularse: Me matriculé en septiembre. — to enroll; "I enrolled in September."
  • la carrera: Estudio la carrera de Medicina. — degree / major; "I'm doing a Medicine degree."
  • el título: Ya tengo el título. — diploma / degree certificate; "I already have the diploma."
  • la beca: Conseguí una beca. — scholarship; "I got a scholarship."

Useful phrases

  • Name your field: Estudio Medicina. — "I'm studying Medicine."
  • Report a result: He aprobado el examen. — "I passed the exam."
  • Talk deadlines: Tengo que entregar el trabajo. — "I have to hand in the paper."
  • Ask about someone: ¿Qué estudias? — "What are you studying?"

How the Spanish system differs

In Spain, children go from el colegio (primary and often lower secondary) to el instituto for the final secondary years, then to la universidad. University grades run on a scale from 0 to 10, where 5 is the pass mark (aprobado), and higher marks are called notable, sobresaliente and the top matrícula de honor. Instead of picking many separate classes, students usually enroll in one carrera — a fixed degree program with a set list of subjects.

False friends and common mistakes

  • la carrera: means a university degree or major, NOT your professional "career" (that's la trayectoria profesional).
  • el colegio: usually means primary/secondary school, NOT "college" in the American sense — for that, say la universidad.
  • suspender: means to fail an exam, not "to suspend" a person; and note aprobar = to pass, which looks like "approve".
  • los deberes: is homework in Spain; in Latin America you'll often hear la tarea instead.

👉 Read also: 100 most common Spanish words and Spanish question words.

Frequently asked questions

Does "carrera" mean career in Spanish?

No — that's the classic false friend. La carrera means a university degree or major, as in la carrera de Medicina. Your professional career is la trayectoria profesional or simply la profesión.

How do I say "I passed" or "I failed" the exam?

Use He aprobado el examen for "I passed the exam" and He suspendido el examen for "I failed it." Remember that aprobar is to pass and suspender is to fail, despite how they look in English.

What's the difference between colegio, instituto and universidad?

In Spain, el colegio is school (primary and often lower secondary), el instituto is the upper secondary school (high school), and la universidad is university. "College" in English does not translate as colegio.