Engineering enrollments in Spain drop by 33% over two decades

Young people fleeing engineering: why enrollments have dropped 33% in 20 years

It is not a trend; it is a structural decline. Engineering enrollments have plummeted by 33% over two decades, yet entry requirements at the most prestigious polytechnic universities remain at record highs. The contradiction is only apparent: the few who do enroll are the best, but fewer and fewer people want to try. The question is why.

Salaries and expectations: the rational calculation

A newly graduated engineer may start with 1,400 euros per month after five years of study. Meanwhile, a nurse, at just 22 years old and working double shifts, earns 4,000 euros. The difference is staggering. And it is not just that: civil liability and long hours of study find no compensation in the Spanish labor market. Furthermore, the cost of studying engineering at a public university is around 10,000 euros, an investment that is rarely recovered with the salaries being offered.

A country without industry, a future without engineers

Spain is a service-based economy. 75% of employment is concentrated in SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), and in a typical workshop, there is hardly an engineer. According to some estimates, 70% of engineers end up in management tasks rather than design. Structural demand is limited, and industry has either been outsourced or has disappeared. In countries like Germany, the engineer is central to the economy; here, they are often just administrators with a technical license.

The contradiction: high grades and falling enrollments

Some argue that the 33% figure is misleading. They point out that entry requirements at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid are at historic highs, which would suggest that demand still exists. However, the explanation is demographic: there are fewer young people of university age, and those who are present are choosing other options. Engineering remains a demanding career, but it is no longer the social elevator it once was. The proof lies in the fact that many students prefer a more "colorful" degree over facing advanced mathematics.

Emigration as an alternative and the impact of AI

Faced with this, some engineers choose to emigrate. In Germany or France, salaries are double. Artificial intelligence also adds uncertainty: if a machine can do the work, why study? But skeptics remind us that AI does not replace creativity or complex problem-solving. Nevertheless, the allure of vocational training (FP, or *Formación Profesional*) and civil service exams continues to gain ground. Public administration, medicine, nursing, and, as one comment noted, "OnlyFans," are the preferred paths.

In China and India, engineering is a coveted goal; here, it is seen as a hardship. The difference is not genetic; it is economic. The degradation of the university system, with three-year degrees and less theoretical depth, has also reduced its prestige.

What is clear is that this trend will not reverse itself. If the economy does not reindustrialize, if salaries do not rise, and if technical careers continue to lack social recognition, the drop in enrollments will continue. And then, when there are no homegrown engineers, they will have to be imported, as is already being done with other professional profiles. The decision is political, but also cultural. The question is whether Spain wants to be a country of engineers or a country of waiters.