Madrid's Assembly has approved elevating the IE center to a full university, making it the region's 14th private institution. This step expands IE's academic offerings, which previously operated as an affiliated center. Spain now has 48 private universities compared to 50 public ones.
The Community of Madrid has greenlit the transformation of the IE Higher Studies Center into IE University Madrid, upgrading it from an affiliated center to an independent university. Backed by PP and Vox, with PSOE abstaining and Más Madrid opposing, the process was fast-tracked: the Government Council approved it on November 12, and after a single reading requested by PP, it was ratified in under a month.
The new status requires IE to meet minimum standards, including at least ten degree programs, six master's degrees, and three doctorates across three knowledge branches. Originally focused on business administration and law, the center plans to diversify into architecture, design, sciences, technology, and international relations, emphasizing STEM fields. It also intends to develop a plan to boost research in entrepreneurship, finance, economics, public policy, and international relations.
Madrid leads Spain with 14 private universities against six public ones, and this marks the third recent approval in the region, following the affiliation of the Madrid Bar Association to Complutense and a University of Murcia Catholic center in Torrejón. Nationally, private institutions now outnumber public ones in master's students, with more creations pending in areas like Extremadura. Meanwhile, no new public university has opened since 1998, when the Cartagena Polytechnic was established.
The General Conference on University Policy issued a favorable but conditional report, which was non-binding since the process began before new rules mandating evaluation by independent quality agencies. This expansion highlights the contrast with underfunding of Madrid's public universities: Rey Juan Carlos receives the least support nationwide, and Complutense has lost 140 million euros over two years, relying on a regional loan to continue operations.
