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February 1, 2021 by Mariana Gómez Our Top Picks 0 comments

8 of the Best Universities in Latin America

The best universities in Latin America have amazed people around the world, and I’m sure you’ll be impressed by them, too! 

Today, we’ll go through 8 of the most recognized and best universities in Latin America, their locations, what they have to offer, and why they are so great. Let’s get started! 

Why the Best Universities in Latin America?

You might be wondering how I compiled a list of the best universities in Latin America. How do I know they’re the absolute best?

Well, every year the QS World University Rankings publishes a list evaluating more than 1,000 institutions worldwide on 6 factors:

  1. Academic reputation
  2. Reputation as an employer
  3. Student-teacher ratio
  4. Citations in articles by teachers
  5. International teacher ratio 
  6. International student ratio

So, to sum it up, the best universities in Latin America you’ll see on this post are based on:

  1. The list of the QS World University Rankings
  2. The six factors that evaluate the excellence of universities worldwide
best universities in Latin America

Now, why is this useful for you?

First, by studying at one of these higher education institutions, you’ll become fluent in one of the most spoken languages around the globe. You’ll join the gigantic community of Spanish speakers in the world, which will open tons of doors for you.  

Second, several of the following universities are public, meaning they’re free (or extremely inexpensive). At the same time, they are academically excellent. The best of both worlds! And regarding the private universities, they have scholarship programs for you to apply if needed. There’s always a chance!

Last but not least, Latin America is full of cultural wealth, a variety of climates and landscapes to enjoy, warm and friendly people, delicious foods, and a relatively affordable cost of living. 

If you come to study to Latin America, keep in mind that although your main purpose will be college, you’ll be coming for the whole Latin experience. The weather, food, people, and beautiful landscapes will make you fall in love with this beautiful part of the world. 

Top 8 Universities in Latin America

Check out our curated list of 8 of the best universities in Latin America, their locations, official websites, rankings, and descriptions.

1. Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)

With more than 320,000 undergraduate students, the University of Buenos Aires is one of the best universities in Latin America. With 97 undergraduate courses, 448 postgraduate courses, and 6 interdisciplinary programs, this public university is a great option to study a wide range of careers. 

This option is also superb because as a public university, undergraduate studies are completely free for both national and international students. Foreigners must submit documentation to the Argentine Consulate in their home country that is authenticated by an Apostille (a process you should dig a little deeper into their website). 

Regarding international candidates, they offer transfers for a whole semester guided by mobility programs and cooperation agreements with universities around the world. 

Last but not least, they offer Spanish courses for foreigners, since Spanish is the language of instruction at UBA. So, there are no excuses!

2. Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM)

One of the best universities in Latin America, UNAM is a public, autonomous, and lay institution whose fundamental tasks are teaching, research, and culture dissemination. In the academic world, it’s acknowledged as an excellent university. 

In fact, with 129 degrees and more than 349,500 enrolled students (high school, bachelor’s degree, postgraduate, and faculty of music), it’s the institution with the most educational options in Mexico. 

This university claims to be a space where respect, tolerance, and dialogue are practiced on a daily basis. Ideas and thought plurality are appreciated as a sign of its richness. As a foreigner, your opinion is valued.

Also, this university offers international transfers, which include semester degree stays, professional experiences, intensive courses, and research stays. In fact, UNAM has an Office for International Cooperation in charge of making agreements with institutions of higher education in other countries. I’m sure they’d be pleased to have you! 

And of course, they offer Spanish courses for those who don’t speak Spanish as a native language, so language barriers wouldn’t be a problem here either.

3. Universidad de Sao Paulo

The public University of Sao Paulo is maintained by the State of Sao Paulo and affiliated with the State Secretariat of Economic, Scientific, and Technological Development. This university is free for students! They have 9 campuses (or units) to teach different subjects, these include:

  • Sao Pablo Campus (schools of education, arts, nursing, law, and economics, among others)
  • Bauru Campus (school of dentistry)
  • Lorena Campus (school of engineering)
  • Ribeirao Preto Campus (schools of pharmaceutical sciences, philosophy, and literature, among others)
  • Piracicaba Campus (center of nuclear energy and school of agriculture)
  • Pirassununga Campus (schools of animal husbandry and food engineering)
  • Santos Campus (polytechnic school department)
  • Sao Carlos Campus (school of engineering, architecture, mathematical and computer science)
  • Other units: in Sao Sebastiao (center of marine biology)

According to their statistical yearbook, the university has 88 units and more than 97,000 enrolled students. Their International Cooperation Office has forged 1,000 international agreements with institutions around the world. A multicultural environment with people of different cultural backgrounds is super important at this university.  

4. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

This is the most prestigious university in Chile and one of the best universities in Latin America. Its history begins with the archbishop of Santiago Mariano Casanova, who founded the University in 1888. 

As an institution, it aspires to achieve excellence in the creation and transfer of knowledge and in the formation of individuals. Although it’s a Catholic university, you don’t need to practice this religion to get in.

Currently, they have 25 faculties and more than 60 degrees. They have agreements with 350 universities all around the world, which opens the door to make exchanges abroad or go to Chile for a semester or longer! So, if you’re looking for an extraordinary cultural and academic exchange, this one’s for you!

In addition, their scholarship programs and internships have a great reputation. Although this is not a public university (which means it isn’t free), the academic excellence they offer can turn your life around while giving you an authentic Latin American experience.

5. Tecnológico de Monterrey

The mission of Tecnológio de Monterrey is to educate people with a humanistic and internationally competitive vision in their professional field, who are committed to the development of their community and the sustainable use of natural resources. If you’re into innovation, technological and sustainable development, market competitiveness, and business generation, this university is for you.

They currently offer 60 professional degrees and continually update their academic programs so they can respond to social, economic, work-related, scientific, and technological changes. Their educational philosophy is to challenge students to pose and solve problems in diverse environments.

Regarding internationalization, Tecnológico de Monterrey offers diverse international programs and has entered into more than 450 agreements with universities in over 50 countries. And of course, English speaking countries are part of these agreements! You could study here for years or choose to experience an exchange for a semester.

6. Universidad de Chile

With 14 faculties, 4 institutes, about 75 undergraduate and 251 postgraduate degrees and specializations, the Universidad de Chile is also positioned as one of the best universities in Latin America. 

The university has more than 42,600 undergraduate and graduate students from all around the world. They also have agreements with different universities around the world. If you study at one of these universities already, you just have to send your application through them. If not, you can apply as an independent student.

Founded in 1842, this university is the oldest public institution of higher education in Chile. Although it’s public, it’s not completely free. They do offer free online courses and remote programs.

7. Universidad Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)

Universidad Estadual de Campinas is a public university focused on high-quality teaching and research. In fact, has been ranked first and second in the top 10 universities of Latin America. It supports innovation and entrepreneurship, so if you think of yourself as a businessperson, this is your place to be in Latin America! 

This university has more than 40,300 students, 36 technical high school courses, 66 undergraduate courses, 152 graduate courses, and 1,060 foreign students.

As a public university, it offers free education. Also, they have a university exchange program. Alternatively, you can apply to the foreign student admission. Classes are taught in both Portuguese and Spanish, so if you’re in for a true multilingual challenge, this one’s for you!

8. Universidad de los Andes

Universidad de los Andes is an autonomous, independent, and innovative institution that fosters pluralism, tolerance, and respect for ideas. It aims for academic excellence while providing rigorous critical and ethical character development. 

With around 40 degrees and more than 18,700 enrolled students, it’s also positioned as one of the best universities in Latin America.

This university offers semester exchange programs and has agreements with several international universities. They have a scholarship program to make financial contributions to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Take Your Spanish to the Next Level!

Remember that these universities use Spanish as a main teaching language (and Portuguese in the case of Brazil). Want to start learning Spanish before getting into one of the best universities in Latin America? Homeschool Spanish Academy offers personalized, one-on-one Spanish classes online. Sign up for a free trial class to practice your Spanish in real time before you move to Latin America!

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Sign up for your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

Want to learn more about Latin America? Check these out!

Mariana Gómez
Latest posts by Mariana Gómez (see all)

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