Study and find schools in Colombia

Studying in Colombia

Colombia is a Spanish-speaking country in the north-west of South America, with coasts on both the Caribbean and the Pacific. For international students it offers degrees taught in Spanish at public and private universities, semester exchanges, and Spanish courses for foreigners in cities such as Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena.

Our directory lists 14 schools in Colombia: 12 universities and 2 Spanish language schools. Half of them are in Bogotá; the others are spread across regional cities from Medellín and Cartagena to Montería, Sincelejo, Villavicencio, Palmira and Pasto.

The education system in Colombia

Higher education in Colombia is governed by Law 30 of 1992, most recently amended in 2026. The law recognises three types of higher-education institution:

• professional technical institutions (instituciones técnicas profesionales), which train students for operational and instrumental occupations
• university institutions or technological schools (instituciones universitarias o escuelas tecnológicas)
• universities, which must show their work in scientific or technological research, academic training in professions and disciplines, and the production and transmission of knowledge

Degrees are divided into undergraduate programmes (pregrado), which prepare students for an occupation, a profession or a discipline, and postgraduate programmes (posgrado): specialisations (especializaciones), master's degrees (maestrías), doctorates and post-doctorates. A specialisation follows an undergraduate degree and deepens training in the same profession or related fields, while master's and doctoral programmes are built on research.

The academic year is divided into two semesters, usually written as 2027-1 and 2027-2. At the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, for example, admission for the 2027-01 intake opened in July 2026, with the admission test on 20 September and results on 9 October.

Admission and recognition

To enter any undergraduate programme, Law 30 requires a secondary school diploma (título de bachiller) or its foreign equivalent and the State examination for entry to higher education, in addition to each institution's own requirements. Some universities run their own entrance test: the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, which has campuses (sedes) in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales, Palmira, the Caribbean, the Amazon, the Orinoquía, Tumaco and La Paz, holds its own admission test for undergraduate applicants. Postgraduate programmes require the corresponding undergraduate degree.

Exchange students apply through their home university. The Universidad de Antioquia in Medellín, for example, accepts foreign students for up to two academic periods, whether or not their university has an agreement with it. Its general requirements are enrolment at a legally established university in the home country, a cumulative grade average of at least 3.5 on a 0.0-5.0 scale, and, for students from non-Spanish-speaking countries, a certificate of Spanish at CEFR level B1 or higher. The call for the 2027-1 semester runs from 18 August to 23 October 2026.

Students who plan to use a foreign degree for professional practice in Colombia should check the recognition (convalidación) rules of the Ministry of National Education before they apply.

Student visa and residence

Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería) issues a visitor visa (visa V) in the student category for study in person, online or at a distance at any level, including higher education, and for student internships and academic exchanges under agreements between higher-education institutions. Holders of passports from visa-exempt countries (Resolution 5488 of 2022) do not need this visa if they stay no longer than 180 days.

The main requirements listed by the Cancillería include:

• a certificate of admission or enrolment from the educational institution, stating the programme and its duration
• bank statements showing sufficient financial means
• health insurance valid in Colombia for the whole stay, covering accident, illness, maternity, disability, hospitalisation, death and repatriation
• for second and later visas, proof of attendance and completion of the studies for which the earlier visa was issued

The student visa is valid for up to two years. Except for online or distance study, leaving the country for more than 90 days automatically ends the visa. The Universidad de Antioquia explains to its exchange students that those from visa-exempt countries can instead enter with an entry and stay permit (PID), valid for 90 days and renewable once for another 90 days; students whose stay is longer than 180 days, or who need a visa, must apply for the visa V from home and, once in Colombia, apply for a foreigner identity card (cédula de extranjería), which has an additional cost.

Costs

Tuition depends on the institution and the programme. Exchange students whose university has an agreement with the Universidad de Antioquia may be exempt from tuition when the agreement provides for it; students from universities without an agreement pay fees based on the number of credits they take. Each university publishes its fees for full-degree students.

Spanish courses are priced in US dollars. At Centro Catalina, the standard course of 20 group lessons a week costs 239 USD for one week, 219 USD per week for 2-3 weeks and 199 USD per week for four weeks or more, with 5-6 students per group (maximum 8).

Where to study

Bogotá, the capital, has half of the schools in our directory, including the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Universidad de los Andes, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, the Universidad de La Salle, the Universidad Central and the Universidad de América, as well as the Spanish school Nueva Lengua.

Medellín is home to the Universidad de Antioquia. Cartagena de Indias, on the Caribbean coast, has the Spanish school Centro Catalina, which also has a school in Medellín and offers housing such as homestays with Colombian families, a shared house in the old city and student apartments. Regional public universities in the directory include the Universidad de Sucre in Sincelejo, the Universidad de Córdoba in Montería and the Universidad de los Llanos in Villavicencio.

The subjects most often listed by Colombian schools in our directory are economics, electronic engineering, mathematics and industrial engineering.

Practical life

The student visa allows postgraduate university students to work up to 20 hours a week, provided the employer reports the job to Migración Colombia and the Ministry of Labour. Foreign students who complete an undergraduate degree with honours at a Colombian university can apply for a visa for an internship in their field without leaving the country, if their university sponsors them.

Exchange students at the Universidad de Antioquia must be enrolled in at least 5 credits per period, equivalent to 10 hours of academic activity a week, in line with the rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to study in Colombia?

Students from visa-exempt countries can study for up to 180 days without a student visa. For longer stays, or if your nationality needs a visa, you apply to the Cancillería for a visa V in the student category, valid for up to two years.

Can I work while studying in Colombia?

Only postgraduate university students on a student visa may work, up to 20 hours a week, and the employer must report the job to Migración Colombia and the Ministry of Labour.

What level of Spanish do I need for an exchange?

It depends on the university. The Universidad de Antioquia asks students from non-Spanish-speaking countries for at least CEFR level B1.

How much does a Spanish course in Colombia cost?

At Centro Catalina in Cartagena, a standard course of 20 lessons a week costs from 199 to 239 USD per week, depending on the length of the stay.