Editorial: El País

• The number of private universities in Spain is growing, threatening to surpass public ones.
• Although most undergraduate students still choose public universities, private ones surpass in master's enrolments.
• Some new private university projects are being approved despite having negative technical reports from the Ministry of Education.
• There's concern about the quality of education in some of these private universities.
• Universities are not only teaching institutions, but also knowledge production ones, which some of these private universities might fail to fulfill.
• Many private universities are linked to the Catholic Church or investment funds.
• Private postgraduate education can be costly, but often offers paid internships.
• There's a risk of student segregation by family's purchasing power instead of merit.
• It should be a priority that public university education has the necessary resources to meet demand.

Conclusion: A robust public system and clear standards are needed to guarantee equitable access to higher education and to fulfill its role as a social elevator.

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