Where to study abroad??

All of these places have their pros and cons (I've never been to Alicante though).

Some will be very hot in summer..esp.Seville and also Madrid,for example.Is that a problem for you?From your list of interests,most of these have some of those but not all.Barcelona probably has more of what you list.

Safety is not a major problem in any of them,if you use common sense you should be fine.

BTW,don't know if you have considered it,but it would cost you a LOT less to study Spanish in a place like Guatemala.

Cheaper to get to from the US,cheaper to live in and a hell of a lot cheaper school fees...

For me it would be Bilbao the others are either too hot or too full of tourists and can become extremely busy in the summer. However for pure Spanish then it would be Madrid, the majority of the other places Spanish isn't the first language. Seville and Alicante it is more of dialect but I would not want to be in either through the summer.

Barcelona or Madrid would be my preference, Seville maybe as well. If you have never lived abroad, it will be nice to explore a bit more of Spain from where you´ll be studying. This is easy to do from Madrid and Barcelona.

If you chose Barcelona, do inform yourself about the language of the classes you´ll be taking. While the Catalan region is using mostly Catalan as a primary language (though they are bilingual), in Barcelona usually people speak in Spanish. But the classes may be in Catalan. Therefore, Madrid, though lacking beaches, may be a better choice. It is also a pretty easy place to get to know locals, something it has in common with Seville, and absolutely not in common with Barcelona.

I concur with Peejee with regard to the friendliness Madrilenos are much more open and friendly than their Barcelonan cousins. Even staying just a couple of nights in Madrid i have ended with a group of locals touring the bars.

First things first, what exactly are you looking to study? Spanish? Or something else?

I would personally vote for Seville. A lot of the highlights of Spain (Granada, Cordoba, Ronda, etc) are a very short distance from it. It is a large city with lots of attractions, but it is smaller and more manageable than Madrid or Barcelona. Not to mention quite a fair bit cheaper.

Its also really hot in summer... and I love it :D

The other destinations you mentioned aren't really on par with Madrid, Barcelona and Seville when you compare sights, tourist attractions, things to do, etc

...the corn fields of Iowa...

Then be very aware of the Broadway classic with the evergreen: The grain in Spain stays mainly in the rain...

BTW,don't know if you have considered it,but it would cost you a LOT less to study Spanish in a place like Guatemala.

Cheaper to get to from the US,cheaper to live in and a hell of a lot cheaper school fees...

Agree

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