AI visibility ranking of Spanish universities

Search has changed hands

For twenty years, getting informed meant searching on Google: you typed, ten blue links appeared and you chose. Today, more and more people don’t search, they ask — they talk to ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity the way you’d consult an expert — and the AI doesn’t return ten options: it returns one answer with three or four names.

For institutions it’s a seismic shift. On Google you could sit in eighth place and still get clicks; in an AI answer, if you’re not in that shortlist, you simply don’t exist for whoever is asking. Optimizing to show up there has a name: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), the successor to SEO. But before you optimize you have to measure: this analyzes 51 institutions across 4 AI models, and it’s updated every month.

AI Visibility Index

One number per university: the AI Visibility Index — how much the AI recommends it today. The columns on the right break that visibility down model by model, from a broad study across student topics — degrees, master's, MBA, online, bootcamps — with 200 real queries to the models. Nobody reaches 100 — not even the leader, so you can see how much room there still is, and how steeply it drops right after the top.

#	University	AI Index	ChatGPT	Gemini	Claude	Perplexity
1=	Universitat de Barcelonapresencial	84	87	75	90	82
2=	Complutense de Madridpresencial	78	74	76	88	74
3=	Universidad Europeapresencial	63	47	77	56	73
4▲1	Universidad de Navarrapresencial	62	53	58	64	72
5▲3	Universidad Carlos IIIpresencial	62	61	52	66	69
6=	Universidad de Granadapresencial	61	60	63	58	62
7▼3	UNIRonline	59	57	68	43	69
8▲5	Universidad de Salamancapresencial	57	60	66	41	61
9▲2	Universidad de Sevillapresencial	57	68	55	43	60
10▼3	Universitat Autònoma de Barcelonapresencial	57	63	52	51	62
11▼1	Universitat de Valènciapresencial	56	62	59	39	64
12▼3	Politécnica de Madridpresencial	56	59	55	41	67
13▲2	Universidad Autónoma de Madridpresencial	56	60	45	58	61
14▲4	Universitat Politècnica de Valènciapresencial	54	64	52	39	61
15▼3	Universidad de Málagapresencial	51	62	50	41	52
16=	Universitat Pompeu Fabrapresencial	51	51	50	45	57
17▼3	IE Universitynegocio	50	44	64	43	47
18▲1	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunyapresencial	48	60	44	28	58
19▼2	UOConline	47	53	47	26	62
20▲4	CEUpresencial	46	47	53	36	48
21=	UNEDonline	44	53	43	26	55
22▲1	Universidad de Zaragozapresencial	44	58	41	15	60
23▼3	Universidad Pontificia Comillaspresencial	44	52	35	39	50
24▲5	Universidad Alfonso Xpresencial	43	37	47	36	50
25▲2	Universidad de Murciapresencial	41	39	44	21	58
26▲4	Universidad Francisco de Vitoriapresencial	41	29	46	24	66
27▲1	Universidad del País Vasco (EHU)presencial	40	43	33	36	48
28▲4	Universidad de Valladolidpresencial	39	53	34	15	52
29▼4	ESIC Business Schoolnegocio	38	42	48	9	51
30▼4	ESADEnegocio	38	34	40	26	51
31▼9	VIU (Internacional de Valencia)online	37	38	44	19	45
32▼1	IESE Business Schoolnegocio	35	44	43	13	41
33=	Universidad Isabel Ionline	31	21	38	17	48
34▲1	Universidad de Deustopresencial	31	26	30	24	42
35▼1	EAE Business Schoolnegocio	29	29	33	13	39
36▲4	UCAMpresencial	29	34	34	6	40
37=	Universidad Camilo José Celapresencial	28	23	32	13	44
38▲6	Universitat Ramon Llullpresencial	27	28	11	34	33
39=	Universidad Nebrijapresencial	26	22	30	15	37
40▼4	OBS Business Schoolnegocio	23	24	31	2	34
41=	UNIE Universidadpresencial	23	17	35	9	30
42▼4	UDIMAonline	22	22	25	9	31
43▼1	UTAMEDonline	20	21	23	0	35
44▲2	EOInegocio	19	21	19	4	32
45▼2	Universidad Loyolapresencial	19	13	24	6	31
46▲1	Universidad Villanuevapresencial	16	14	20	2	26
47▼2	TECH Universidadonline	16	17	17	0	29
48=	Mondragon Unibertsitateapresencial	16	19	22	2	22
49=	CUNEF Universidadnegocio	12	19	9	2	16
50▲1	EADA Business Schoolnegocio	9	14	6	9	8
51▼1	U. Intercontinental de la Empresapresencial	8	1	13	0	19

← swipe to see every model →

AI Index — how much it recommends you todaymore lava = more visible in that model▲▼ — places up or down in the ranking vs the previous edition

How to read it. The Index (0–100) blends two things into one number: recommendation — whether the AI recommends the university when a student asks a real decision question (e.g. “which universities offer online psychology degrees in Spain?”), from our study of 200 queries across the 4 models — and presence, how much the university is mentioned across AI overall. We weight presence a little more, and each per-model column already blends both for that model.

Compare two universities

Pick two institutions and pit them against each other in detail, model by model.

Winner

Universitat de BarcelonaComplutense de MadridUniversidad EuropeaUniversidad de NavarraUniversidad Carlos IIIUniversidad de GranadaUNIRUniversidad de SalamancaUniversidad de SevillaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaUniversitat de ValènciaPolitécnica de MadridUniversidad Autónoma de MadridUniversitat Politècnica de ValènciaUniversidad de MálagaUniversitat Pompeu FabraIE UniversityUniversitat Politècnica de CatalunyaUOCCEUUNEDUniversidad de ZaragozaUniversidad Pontificia ComillasUniversidad Alfonso XUniversidad de MurciaUniversidad Francisco de VitoriaUniversidad del País Vasco (EHU)Universidad de ValladolidESIC Business SchoolESADEVIU (Internacional de Valencia)IESE Business SchoolUniversidad Isabel IUniversidad de DeustoEAE Business SchoolUCAMUniversidad Camilo José CelaUniversitat Ramon LlullUniversidad NebrijaOBS Business SchoolUNIE UniversidadUDIMAUTAMEDEOIUniversidad LoyolaUniversidad VillanuevaTECH UniversidadMondragon UnibertsitateaCUNEF UniversidadEADA Business SchoolU. Intercontinental de la Empresa

84AI Index

VS

Universitat de BarcelonaComplutense de MadridUniversidad EuropeaUniversidad de NavarraUniversidad Carlos IIIUniversidad de GranadaUNIRUniversidad de SalamancaUniversidad de SevillaUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaUniversitat de ValènciaPolitécnica de MadridUniversidad Autónoma de MadridUniversitat Politècnica de ValènciaUniversidad de MálagaUniversitat Pompeu FabraIE UniversityUniversitat Politècnica de CatalunyaUOCCEUUNEDUniversidad de ZaragozaUniversidad Pontificia ComillasUniversidad Alfonso XUniversidad de MurciaUniversidad Francisco de VitoriaUniversidad del País Vasco (EHU)Universidad de ValladolidESIC Business SchoolESADEVIU (Internacional de Valencia)IESE Business SchoolUniversidad Isabel IUniversidad de DeustoEAE Business SchoolUCAMUniversidad Camilo José CelaUniversitat Ramon LlullUniversidad NebrijaOBS Business SchoolUNIE UniversidadUDIMAUTAMEDEOIUniversidad LoyolaUniversidad VillanuevaTECH UniversidadMondragon UnibertsitateaCUNEF UniversidadEADA Business SchoolU. Intercontinental de la Empresa

78AI Index

87

ChatGPT

74

75

Gemini

76

90

Claude

88

82

Perplexity

74

Universitat de Barcelona wins by 6 AI Index points.

Who leads each field

The first thing every institution wants to know: how it’s doing in its own field.

How the Index is calculated

The Index combines two signals, both measured with real data on how AI responds: how much you show up in AI answers and how much it recommends you. The result is a single 0–100 number that sums up both.

Each AI recommends differently

There isn’t one AI: there are four, each with its own sources and biases. Being on top in Gemini doesn’t guarantee showing up in ChatGPT. Knowing which model your problem is in is what separates a headline from a useful diagnosis.

ChatGPT

Research-focused public and prestige private universities

Its favorites in the study: Universitat de Barcelona, Complutense, Autònoma de Barcelona and Autónoma de Madrid.

Official websites · education portals

Gemini

Those that are strong on Google

Closely tied to classic SEO. Its top picks: UB, Complutense, Universidad Europea and Navarra.

Google's search index

Claude

Historic, prestigious institutions

More conservative; leans on track record. Its top picks: UB, Complutense, Carlos III and Navarra.

Prestige sources and rankings

Perplexity

Those that appear in citable rankings

Rewards verifiable data. Its top picks: UB, Carlos III, Navarra and Francisco de Vitoria.

Cites explicit sources in the answer

How students search

Depending on what the student is looking for, the AI spreads names wider or concentrates them more — and what makes you win changes.

How the AI treats you

It’s not the same for the AI to mention you in passing as to recommend you, and each institution carries certain attributes in the model’s «mind». We show a selection of institutions.

Mention or recommend?

Out of every time the AI names it: how many times does it truly recommend it, and how many does it just mention it in passing?

RecommendsOnly mentions

Complutense de Madrid

80%20%

Universidad Carlos III

77%23%

IE University

72%28%

UNED

69%31%

Universidad de Navarra

67%33%

Universitat de Barcelona

63%37%

ESADE

61%39%

UOC

60%40%

UNIR

47%53%

Universidad Europea

39%61%

Attributes the AI assigns it

The words the AI uses to describe each institution. Green = in favor · red = against.

UNIR

100% onlineeducational innovationpersonal tutorsfee-paying (private)

Universidad Europea

internationalhands-onemployabilityfee-paying (private)

Complutense de Madrid

historicacademic prestigebroad cataloghigh entry cutoff

Universidad de Navarra

prestigiousresearchinternationalhigh cost

IE University

international prestigeemployabilityinnovativeexpensive (~€26k/yr)

ESADE

international prestigeleadershipnetworkingexpensive

Where the AI gets its information

The most actionable GEO metric: which sources the AI cites when it talks about universities. First comes each university's own website; behind it, education portals and comparison sites (uniscopio, educaweb, mastermania…) and rankings such as CYD. That's where you need to be, as well as on your own site.

Tthe university's own websiteOfficial

48%

uniscopio.comEducation portal

5%

educaweb.comEducation portal

4%

mastermania.comMaster's portal

4%

gradomania.comEducation portal

3%

mundoposgrado.comPostgraduate portal

3%

dondeestudiar.euEducation portal

2%

fundacioncyd.org (CYD ranking)University ranking

2%

OOther sources (portals & media)Long tail

29%

% of the sector’s citations each source captures.

What people ask the AI

The sector’s highest-volume queries on Google (Spain). When the AI answers these, the question is whether you show up.

Gaps with no clear winner

“online master's in sustainability”“best university for a second degree”“cheap distance psychology degree”“recognized online higher vocational training”

Strong on Google, weak in AI

ESIC Business SchoolESADEVIUUNED

How to improve your AI visibility

AI visibility responds to concrete signals. These are the ones that weigh most:

AI visibility will be decided over the next two academic years

Traditional search engines took years to lock in their winners; the AI is doing it in months, and positions are still moving. Whoever understands now how that visibility is won will hold an advantage that’s hard to claw back once the market matures. There’s room for everyone — and the first step is always the same, knowing where you stand.