Study and find schools in Argentina

Studying in Argentina

Argentina is the largest Spanish-speaking country in South America by area, and its universities have long attracted students from the rest of Latin America and beyond. According to the provisional results of the 2022 census published by INDEC, the country has 46,044,703 inhabitants. Spanish is the language of teaching, and the Rioplatense Spanish of Buenos Aires and the interior is a strong draw for international students who want to learn the language in daily life.

Our directory lists 43 active schools in Argentina: 18 universities, 22 language schools and 2 other centres. Most are in Buenos Aires, with further schools in Córdoba, La Plata, Santa Fe, Mendoza, Bahía Blanca, Bariloche and other cities.

The education system in Argentina

Higher education is overseen by the national Ministry of Human Capital (Ministerio de Capital Humano), through its Undersecretariat for University Policy. Universities can be national (public) or private, and the National Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation (CONEAU) evaluates institutions and accredits programmes. Degrees are organised in three levels, which the ministry's official degree guide lists for every university:

• Pregrado: short programmes, often technical, below the full degree
• Grado: the first full university degree, such as a licenciatura, an engineering degree or a teaching degree (profesorado)
• Posgrado: specialisation, master's degree (maestría) and doctorate

Alongside universities there is non-university higher education (educación superior no universitaria), such as teacher-training and technical institutes run by the provinces.

Before you enrol in any programme, check that its title is official. The ministry's Directorate for the National Validity of Degrees advises students to ask the education authority of the province where the institution is based whether its degrees and certificates are official.

Admission and recognition

There is no national entrance exam. Each university sets its own admission system, which can range from an introductory course to entrance exams or interviews. Foreign school leavers who finished secondary school in a country with an education agreement with Argentina must have their diploma validated (convalidado) before they start higher education. The procedure is free and covers, among others, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela; for other countries there is a separate recognition procedure.

Exchange students apply through their home university. At the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, for example, the home institution nominates the student by e-mail to the international office, and each semester more than 100 international undergraduates come to Santa Fe. In the second half of 2026 the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) welcomed 165 exchange students from 72 universities in 19 countries.

Teaching is in Spanish. Non-native speakers can certify their level with the CELU (Certificado de Español: Lengua y Uso), which its organisers describe as the only exam officially recognised by Argentina's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SIELE is also offered in Argentina; SP Spanish Courses in Mendoza, for example, is an official SIELE examination centre.

Student visa and residence

Citizens of Mercosur member and associated states (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru and Suriname) can enter as tourists without a visa for up to 90 days; other nationalities should check the government's visa finder. For study, the National Migration Directorate (DNM) distinguishes between:

• Students on officially recognised programmes (secondary, tertiary, university or postgraduate), who apply for a temporary residence (residencia temporaria), which gives access to a temporary national identity document (DNI)
• Students on courses outside the official system, such as most language courses, and exchange students, who apply for a transitory residence (residencia transitoria) of up to 365 days

Students who apply from abroad need an entry permit requested by the school, which must be registered in the National Single Register of Requesting Entities (RENURE); once it is approved, the student collects the visa at the Argentine consulate. The permit for official students gives temporary residence for up to one year. Students who already entered the country legally, for example as tourists, can apply for residence in Argentina.

Costs

Undergraduate degrees at national universities have traditionally been free. Since Decree 366/2025 of 28 May 2025, the Higher Education Law guarantees free undergraduate study for Argentine citizens and for foreigners with permanent residence, and allows national universities to charge foreigners without permanent residence for their teaching services. Each university decides whether and how much to charge, and students without permanent residence can still hold scholarships where the university's statutes or agreements allow it. Ask the university about its current rules before you apply.

Private universities set their own fees; some have large scholarship programmes (according to the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, 62% of its students receive some kind of scholarship). Language courses are priced by the school: SP Spanish Courses in Mendoza, for example, lists an intensive course of 20 hours for USD 220.

Where to study

• Buenos Aires: 26 of the schools in our directory, from private universities such as the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, which has exchange agreements with more than 135 universities in over 30 countries, the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA) and the Universidad Católica Argentina, to many Spanish schools such as Expanish, Vamos Spanish Academy and IW Spanish School
• Córdoba: home to the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, known as the Casa de Trejo, which runs a Spanish and Latin American culture programme (PECLA) for international students, and Spanish schools such as COINED Córdoba
• La Plata: the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, founded in August 1905 by Joaquín Víctor González, and the Universidad Católica de La Plata
• Santa Fe: the Universidad Nacional del Litoral and the Universidad Católica de Santa Fe
• Mendoza and Patagonia: the Universidad Champagnat and SP Spanish Courses in Mendoza, and La Montaña Spanish School in Bariloche, for students who want to combine Spanish with the Andes

Culture and practical life

Argentina stretches from the subtropical north to Patagonia, so the climate depends on where you study: Buenos Aires has hot, humid summers and mild winters, while Bariloche and the south are cold and snowy in winter. Remember that seasons are the reverse of Europe's. Public universities are part of city life, with student unions, cultural centres and sports, and many universities organise welcome activities and Spanish courses for international students. Take out health insurance for your whole stay, and keep your residence papers up to date with the DNM.

Frequently asked questions

Is university free for foreign students in Argentina?

Undergraduate study at national universities is free for Argentine citizens and foreigners with permanent residence. Since Decree 366/2025, national universities may charge foreigners without permanent residence, and each university decides its own rules.

Do I need a visa to study in Argentina?

For a full official programme you need a temporary student residence; for language courses and exchanges, a transitory residence of up to 365 days. If you apply from abroad, the school requests an entry permit and you collect the visa at an Argentine consulate.

Do I need to validate my secondary-school diploma?

Yes, if you want to start higher education. Diplomas from countries with an education agreement, such as Spain, Mexico, Colombia or Peru, are validated free of charge through the Ministry of Human Capital.

Is Argentina a good place to learn Spanish?

Yes. Our directory lists 22 language schools in Argentina, most of them in Buenos Aires, and you can certify your level with the CELU, Argentina's officially recognised Spanish exam, or with SIELE.

Can I do an exchange semester in Argentina?

Yes, through your home university's agreements. The Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, for example, received 165 exchange students from 19 countries for the second semester of 2026, and the Universidad Nacional del Litoral receives more than 100 each semester.