The danger of elitism: The Balearic Islands enter the era of private universities

PalmIn 1980, just two years after the creation of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Spain had 23 public universities and only 4 private ones. Eighteen years later, with the opening of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (1998), the balance of power had changed radically: 50 public universities and 18 private ones. Today, almost half a century later, the landscape has reversed even further. There are 50 public universities and 42 private ones in Spain, and private initiatives threaten to equal—or even surpass—the public offerings.

Until recently, the Balearic Islands remained largely untouched by the privatization frenzy in higher education. The private university landscape was limited to CESAG and the Felipe Moreno Higher Education Center. This exceptional situation, however, has come to an end. The Balearic Government has opened the door to new private projects, and several initiatives are currently progressing in parallel. The most advanced is that of CEU San Pablo, which plans to establish itself in the Balearic Islands through its affiliated center, the Beato Luis Belda University Center. At the same time, ADEMA—currently affiliated with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB)—seeks independence to become the University of Mallorca, and Felipe Moreno wants to offer Nursing as an affiliated center of the Antonio de Nebrija University. And there are still more developments underway, such as that of the Eserp business school, which aims to establish a presence in the Balearic Islands through its affiliation with the University of Vic, a public institution with mixed management.

"Private universities are businesses, and the proof is the influx of investment funds," warns Jaume Sureda, professor emeritus who served as vice-rector of the UIB for eight years. "Ultimately, a model will prevail with a private university for wealthy, white people and a public university with a diverse student body. There will be freedom of choice—as the Balearic Government advocates—but only for those who can afford it." Sureda warns that the path already taken is leading the Balearic Islands toward a "terribly unequal" university system. "New generations will be frustrated: if they want to study, they will have to go into debt," he states, pointing to the increase in bank loans to pay for studies alongside the growth of private universities.

Few university students

The interest of private universities in establishing themselves in the Balearic Islands may be surprising, especially considering that it is the autonomous community with the fewest students entering university, well below the national average. Is there a market? In certain degree programs, yes. The Beato Luis Belda University plans to open in the 2026-2027 academic year in the former Riskal building in Palma, with an investment of 40 million euros, including the acquisition—finalized last June—and the adaptation of the space. Construction will begin in early 2026. The center will have capacity for approximately 2,000 students and will initially offer four degrees: Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Psychology. Pharmacy and Dentistry will be added the following year. The first year is expected to enroll between 200 and 300 students and hire around 30 professors. Adding new degree programs in the medium to long term is not ruled out. "In the Balearic Islands, there is a very insufficient number of public places offered for Nursing and Medicine," explains Rosa Visiedo, rector of CEU San Pablo. "It is the second region with the fewest Nursing places per capita and the one with the fewest places to study Medicine. This was one of the reasons that motivated us to move forward with the project." Another key factor was the alliance with the Juaneda hospital group, with whom CEU has signed an agreement for it to act as a reference center for clinical placements and to provide faculty.

This last point is precisely what worries those within the public university system. Despite significant improvements in the conditions for adjunct professors, these positions remain uncompetitive. Private universities could capitalize on this situation. "When there are more players in the market, it's understood that there are more career options," admits Visiedo, although he rules out "a mass exodus" of faculty from the UIB to the CEU. Another key element is cost. "Tuition fees at private universities are unaffordable for most families," notes David Abril, a professor at the UIB and a sociologist. Beato Luis Belda University charges €22,355 annually for Medicine and €12,895 for Nursing. At the UIB, both degrees cost €1,245. "Fifty percent of salaried workers in the Balearic Islands earn less than €18,000 a year," Abril points out. "There's no market among the residents. Private universities are much more likely to target students from outside the area, because most of us here are poor," he concludes.

Abril also points to the appeal of healthcare careers: "In the Balearic Islands, there's a very powerful healthcare lobby, with influential employers, many potential users, and especially clients." Beato Luis Belda, for his part, says he wants to prioritize resident students and is confident of filling the places with local students, although he's already working on alternative accommodations for those coming from elsewhere. Regarding language, the center doesn't plan, as a general rule, to teach classes in Catalan. They will be held in Spanish and English. "In Barcelona and Valencia, we teach in Catalan and Spanish. Language is a treasure that must be protected. If students want classes in Catalan and there are qualified teachers, there won't be any problem," Visiedo assures. Another point to consider: CEU defines itself as a Catholic institution and will not address issues such as abortion or euthanasia with its students, despite these being legal practices. "Not everything has to be negative," says Visiedo, "we promote freedom of expression, the protection of the family, and we have a strong scholarship system."

Research Root

The differences in research between public and private universities are another major point of contention. "Public universities have three missions: teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. In private universities, research is a marginal aspect," say sources close to the UIB's administration. At the public university, 51% of faculty workload is dedicated to research. "It's an obligation," they add. Visiedo counters that CEU "meets all the requirements" and defines itself as a research-oriented university, although he admitted that the public university allocates more resources. According to him, CEU San Pablo is non-profit, and all its income—from tuition fees and private donations from its patrons—is reinvested.

Alongside the private sector's expansion, the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) has announced an expansion of its academic offerings with four single degrees and two double degrees. Next year will see the launch of Marine Sciences and the double degree in Mathematics and Physics. Later additions will include the double degree in Catalan and English Philology, as well as Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, and a new STEM degree (degrees related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The UIB is no longer the university with the fewest programs offered by the G9, the group of public institutions that are the only ones in their respective territories. Even so, Sureda attributes the UIB's structural shortcomings to the "historical lack of interest from governments" in providing it with resources. "The arrival of private universities is happening against the backdrop of the public sector's failure to meet the needs of the Valencian Community. And that's not solely the UIB's fault: funding has never been sufficient." He cites the example of 2006, when the combined budgets of IB3 and Televisió de Mallorca exceeded the government's transfer to the UIB (54 million euros). For now, he warns, "private institutions are sponsored while public institutions are funded." "We'll see what happens when a crisis hits. They'll cut off the funding," he says. "And if we reach the point where the government says, 'We won't provide that level of funding to public institutions because private ones already do it,' then what?" he asks.

If ADEMA's project is ultimately established as an independent university, it will offer up to 11 degrees not currently offered by the public university. It has also recently signed an agreement with the College of Architects to promote training and research. Otherwise, it reserves the option of affiliating with Isabel I University. Its president, Diego González, emphasizes the center's research work and its connection to Mallorca: "We already have more than 180 scientific publications, four international patents, and projects in artificial intelligence and 3D simulation applied to health and biomedicine. We are directly focused on the local community." “We are not an elite center,” he adds.

The Government's record-time declaration of the CEU project as strategic and the PP's proposed law in Parliament to create the University of Mallorca (ADEMA) demonstrate the Administration's orientation. In this context, the UIB faces a crossroads it must confront. “Competition can be positive if there is a level playing field, but there isn't: not in prices, not in contracts, not in deadlines,” lament sources at the public university. “We have been waiting for years to renovate the Mateu Orfila building, while the CEU will have its facilities in less than a year.”

Sureda sums it up with a final piece of advice: “The UIB has much more prestige and quality and must leverage it. It needs to market itself better, respond to the country's educational needs. Otherwise, it will be the citizens who end up paying for this gamble,” he concludes.