Top Trumps (Study Abroad Version): Spain vs Italy

Not so long ago, in the Euro 2012 football tournament, it was Spain vs. Italy battling it out on the pitch.

I can’t say I was particularly interested at the time (football isn’t exactly a passion of mine), but nonetheless the event has gradually seeped into my consciousness. I found myself wondering: if the two countries competed in a study abroad-themed game of Spain vs. Italy, who would win?

(For those who somehow missed the news, Spain won the football, 4-0.)

In the study abroad arena, it’s not passing and penalty-taking skills that count, but top universities, student cities and career prospects. So, let the Spain vs. Italy match commence…

Spain vs. Italy Round 1: Top universities

Italy has 15 universities in the top 500 of the 2011/12 QS World University Rankings. Highest ranked is the Università di Bologna (UNIBO) at 183, followed by Sapienza – Università di Roma (210) and Università degli Studi di Padova (263).

Spain has 13 universities in the top 500 of the 2011/12 QS World University Rankings. Highest ranked is the Universitat de Barcelona (176), followed by Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (194) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (222).

Winner: This is really too close to call. Italy has two more top-500 places, but Spain’s top three are slightly higher in the ranking. Let’s call it a draw.

• See which country wins for your specific subject >

Spain vs. Italy Round 2: Best study abroad cities

For this Spain vs. Italy round, I’m using data from the QS Best Student Cities – which takes into account quality and cost of living, size and diversity of the student community, and employment prospects.

Spain has two entries in the Best Student Cities for 2012: Barcelona (11th) and capital city Madrid (16th). Italy has just one entry: Milan at 21st.

However, an honourable mention should be given to Italian capital Rome, and also Pisa, both of which are fantastic cities and home to top-500 institutions.

Winner: Spain

• Find out which other cities make the top 50 Best Student Cities >

Spain vs. Italy Round 3: Language

One of the key factors to consider when you study abroad is the language. Will it be a barrier? If you invest in learning it, will it be useful to you in the future?

In both of these countries, the majority of undergraduate degrees are taught in the national language – Spanish and Italian respectively.

Both are beautiful languages, and they have quite a lot in common. If you’re familiar with another language in the Romance group (such as French, Portuguese or Romanian), learning either Spanish or Italian shouldn’t be too hard.

However, when it comes to international usefulness, Spanish wins hands down. After Mandarin, it’s the world’s second largest language by number of speakers. It’s widely used in international communication, and will of course be extremely useful for anyone wishing to travel or work in Latin America.

Winner: Spain

• More about the world’s most important modern languages >

Spain vs. Italy Round 4: Cuisine (now we’re getting to the important stuff)

Spain has chorizo; Italy has Parma ham.

Italy has pasta, pizza and risotto; Spain has paella, tortilla and tapas.

Italian gelato (ice cream) is pretty much unbeatable. But then, Spain has churros (strips of fried dough, eaten dipped in hot chocolate: yum yum yum).

Winner: This has to be a draw; both countries have amazing food. That said, if you’re obsessed with coffee, Italy’s your winner.

Spain vs. Italy Round 5: Random

So far, Spain’s the study abroad winner, but here’s a final selection of categories – pick the ones which are most important to you! *

Fashion: Italy wins

Fiesta (parties): Spain wins

Number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Italy wins (just)

Number of Nobel Prize winners: Italy wins

Country’s resemblance to an item of footwear: Italy wins

• More about studying abroad in Spain >
• More about studying abroad in Italy >

*Disclaimer: Intended for humourous purposes only. Good for a laugh, but probably shouldn’t be used as the basis for a major life decision.