A shy smile appeared on the face of Princess Leonor as she arrived at Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M). With a handbag in hand, dark blue jeans, sneakers, and a firm gaze, she stepped onto the Getafe campus for the first time. Her father, King Felipe VI, chose Autonomous University in his day, where he studied Law. "The university stage is a turning point in the life of any student," the monarch stated over three years ago during the XXX anniversary event of his faculty, where he holds "a collection of memories from that valuable time."
And now, after 12 years of reign, King Felipe witnesses the new step his daughter, the heir, is taking, who today has covered just over 20 kilometers that separate the Zarzuela Palace from her new campus in Getafe, where the next four years of her university life will unfold as she studies Political Science after successfully completing her military training over the past three years. Princess Leonor will follow the same study plan as her classmates.
The King and Queen announced at the end of April the higher education studies chosen by the heir who, as expected and just like her father did, opted for a Spanish public university after completing the International Baccalaureate in Wales. The decision on the degree was made by the Princess of Asturias herself with the approval of Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
At the university, Leonor was greeted by a crowd of students who, amidst the anticipation and uncertainty of what it will be like to share classes with her, couldn't help but approach and witness her arrival. Everyone wanted to be there, and it seemed that no one minded that it was 9:00 in the morning. They needed to be part of the exact moment when the future queen set foot in her university for the first time.
But within the groups forming among the students who, like the Princess, are starting their university life today, there are different opinions on how that "normality" that Carlos III has wanted to emphasize from the very beginning will be. "I feel sorry for those who are starting. They won't know what normal life is," say Lucía Jiménez and Sara López, fifth-year students in the double degree in Political Science and International Studies. Word of mouth has taken over the campus, and the idea that the university itself restricts the use of mobile phones in the classrooms is considered "a show."
In contrast to this is Inés Garnica, who initially chose the same degree as the Princess but ultimately opted for Economics and Law. "I think I have her in class and I can't focus on my work," she stated, highlighting "the shock" she experienced on her first day of class. "We welcome her with much affection," another student said.
The university's rector, Ángel Arias, welcomed the Princess at the entrance to the facade where Leonor will study, emphasizing the "maximum normality" with which they intend for her to spend her four years of degree and trusting in "the responsibility of the students." "I am convinced that she will have excellent classmates who will be very respectful, as they have always been," he stated, also highlighting the significance of the princess's arrival for a public university "increasingly in demand and valued by society."
In the following days, the Princess of Asturias will start classes at 9 in the morning, finishing the day at two in the afternoon. "Some days earlier, some days later, depending on the scheduling," stated the dean of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences. Additionally, it is not ruled out that the heir's trajectory may include additional training in specific subjects (especially related to Law), which could later be followed by a master's degree abroad, emulating the path of the current monarch. At this point, she will differ from her father, who studied Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and complemented his education with subjects in Economics.
But now, without looking at schedules and with the utmost "normality," Leonor leaves behind her military education of the past three years. The institutional speeches and experiences in the three armed forces are kept in the same handbag she carried today over her shoulder, and with the conviction and weight of being the future queen of Spain, she becomes part of that "turning point in the life of any student" that her father described and experienced in his day.
A DEGREE FOCUSED ON ANALYSIS AND PUBLIC SERVICE
To formalize her admission, the King and Queen's eldest daughter processed her application through the early admission process, a route through which a small percentage of students enter UC3M, where barely two out of ten are Spanish. According to the Zarzuela Palace, her application received the favorable resolution from the Evaluation Committee, which assessed both her previous academic trajectory and grades.
For classmates who entered through the regular route of the EBAU, the cut-off grade set by UC3M for this year in Political Science was 10.728 points, representing an increase of 1.19 points compared to the 9.542 recorded in 2025.
UC3M expressed its "great joy" after the heir's choice was confirmed for "one of the most prestigious public universities" in Spain, ensuring that she approaches this stage "with maximum enthusiasm and a high sense of responsibility."
The degree, established in 2008 with a quota of about 30 new students per year, aims to "train specialists and professionals prepared to understand and analyze politics in all its complexity, with rigor and depth," as detailed by the institution on its website.
The qualification promotes critical thinking and directs its profile towards public administration and political analysis, recording a 94.8% employment rate in related positions during the first year after graduation.
The study plan, structured in four courses of two semesters, combines basic training subjects with mandatory and elective courses.
The latter, including subjects such as Fundamentals of Political Science, Legal Theory, Constitutional Law, Management and Public Administration, or Political and Social History, are mainly concentrated in the first year, with some spread out in the second year.
As for the mandatory subjects, they are mainly taught in the second and third year, although there are also some in the first year, and include disciplines such as Expression Strategies, World Politics, Political Behavior, Administrative Law, or Humanities.
In the final year, students will have to take the 48 elective credits included in the degree, as well as complete and defend the Final Degree Project (TFG). It is then when Princess Leonor, according to her interests, can choose from a wide range of subjects such as Fundamental Rights and their Guarantees, Gender and Politics, Immigration, Multiculturalism and Human Rights, Conflict and Violence, or Climate Change and Social Transformation.
Additionally, students have the option to take several of these subjects in English, including World Politics, European Politics, Principles of Economics, Humanities, or Interpersonal Professional Skills.