Study and find schools in Bolivia

Studying in Bolivia

Bolivia is a landlocked country in the centre of South America, stretching from the high Andes to the Amazon lowlands. The 2024 census counted 11,365,333 inhabitants, of whom 7,846,708 live in urban areas, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). Spanish is the main language of teaching and daily life in the cities, alongside indigenous languages such as Quechua and Aymara.

For international students Bolivia is above all a place to learn Spanish at a modest cost, in cities such as Sucre, Cochabamba and La Paz, and to do postgraduate study with a regional, Andean focus. Our directory lists 12 schools in Bolivia: universities, Spanish language schools and an American international school.

The education system in Bolivia

Bolivian higher education has two main sectors. The public universities belong to the Sistema de la Universidad Boliviana, coordinated by the Comité Ejecutivo de la Universidad Boliviana (CEUB). The system includes the public autonomous universities, such as UMSA in La Paz, UMSS in Cochabamba, USFX in Sucre and UAGRM in Santa Cruz, and a group of universities with a special regime, such as the Universidad Católica Boliviana, the Escuela Militar de Ingeniería and the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar. Alongside it there are private universities, such as the Universidad Privada Boliviana, the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA) and the Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia, which has campuses in La Paz, Cochabamba, San Carlos, Camiri, Yacuiba and Muyurina.

First degrees are usually called licenciatura; postgraduate study leads to a diplomado, especialidad, maestría or doctorado. The Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar (UASB) is a special case: it is an international public-law body of the Andean Community (CAN), created in 1985, with its Sede Central in Sucre and academic sub-seats in La Paz and Santa Cruz. It is part of the Bolivian public university system and registers all its postgraduate programmes with the CEUB. The UASB awards:

• doctorates, which require a master's degree and a thesis
• master's degrees (magíster), which require a first university degree or professional title
• higher specialisation programmes at postgraduate level
• higher diplomas, which are not postgraduate degrees and cannot be credited towards a master's

Spanish language schools are private and teach outside the university system. Their certificates are the schools' own, not official qualifications.

Admission and recognition

Each university sets its own admission rules. For UASB postgraduate programmes, applicants to a master's need a university degree or professional title, and doctoral applicants a master's degree or equivalent, plus the requirements of each programme. Foreign students applying for a student visa must present study documents (a school-leaving certificate, bachelor's degree, licenciatura, postgraduate degree or transcript) legalised in advance by the Bolivian consular office, so it is worth preparing certified copies of diplomas and transcripts before travelling.

Students on a semester abroad usually apply through the exchange office of their home university. Before enrolling at a private university, check that the programme leads to a degree the student's home country recognises.

Student visa and residence

Bolivia issues a specific student visa (visa de estudiante) for foreigners who come to study at primary, secondary or higher-education level. According to the Bolivian consulate in Madrid, the visa is valid for up to 60 days and allows the holder to apply to the Dirección General de Migración (DIGEMIG) for a one-year temporary stay as a student, renewable until the end of the studies. The requirements are:

• the visa application form (sworn statement)
• a passport valid for at least six months
• study documents legalised by the consular office
• a police or criminal record certificate from the country of origin or last residence (not for under-16s)
• a yellow fever vaccination certificate if visiting high-risk endemic areas
• a recent 4x4 photo with a red background

For short stays, Bolivia groups countries into three tourist visa groups: citizens of Group I countries need no tourist visa, while Groups II and III need one. Spanish citizens need no visa for stays of up to 90 days, according to Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but anyone staying longer than a month must visit Migración for a stamp. Students on a short Spanish course should check which group their nationality is in and whether a tourist stay is enough.

Costs

Bolivia is an affordable place to learn Spanish. At Sucre Spanish School, for example, an individual lesson costs USD 7.20 (50 bolivianos) per hour, or USD 6.82 when booking more than 20 hours, and a group lesson USD 5.75 (40 bolivianos) per hour per person. No official tuition ranges for Bolivian universities are published on the ministry and CEUB pages we checked; ask the university directly.

Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that private healthcare is expensive and recommends comprehensive, good-quality medical insurance; it also warns that hospitals will not carry out costly emergency treatment without a guarantee of payment.

Where to study

• La Paz (4 schools in our directory) is the administrative capital. It has Spanish schools such as the Ayni Spanish Institute and an academic sub-seat of the UASB. The city's airport in El Alto is at more than 4,000 metres.
• Sucre (3 schools) is home to the Sede Central of the UASB and to Spanish schools in the historic centre; Sucre Spanish School is a three-minute walk from Plaza 25 de Mayo and teaches six days a week.
• Cochabamba (3 schools), at about 2,500 metres in a fertile valley, has the Universidad Privada Boliviana, the Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia and the Escuela Carmen Vega, which teaches one-to-one classes and places students with host families less than ten minutes' walk from the school.
• Santa Cruz de la Sierra, in the eastern lowlands, has UPSA and the Santa Cruz Cooperative School, an English-language American school that began as the Calvert School on 10 April 1959.

Culture and practical life

Altitude is the main practical issue. Spain's travel advice warns that altitude sickness (soroche) can affect visitors in the west of the country (La Paz, Oruro and Potosí) and recommends resting for two days, avoiding alcohol and drinking plenty of liquids. In departments such as Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando, and in the tropical areas of La Paz, there is dengue, chikungunya, Zika and malaria, so insect protection matters.

Travellers entering by land must make sure they get both an exit stamp and a Bolivian entry stamp at the border; without the entry stamp they cannot leave the country later. Tap water should be avoided.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to study in Bolivia?

For degree or other long-term study, yes: the student visa is valid for up to 60 days and lets you apply for a one-year temporary stay as a student with the Dirección General de Migración. Short tourist stays depend on your nationality's visa group.

Is Bolivia a good place to learn Spanish?

Bolivia has Spanish schools in Sucre, Cochabamba and La Paz with one-to-one lessons and homestays; individual lessons at Sucre Spanish School cost USD 7.20 per hour.

Which universities in Bolivia offer postgraduate degrees for international students?

The Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, an institution of the Andean Community with its Sede Central in Sucre, focuses on postgraduate programmes (master's, specialisation and doctorate) registered with the CEUB.

How do I cope with the altitude in La Paz?

Spain's travel advice recommends two days of rest, no alcohol, light meals and plenty of liquids; La Paz's airport in El Alto is above 4,000 metres.