Study and find schools in Guyana

Studying in Guyana

Guyana is an English-speaking country on the north-east coast of South America, between Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname, with strong cultural and political ties to the Caribbean. The 2022 census counted 878,674 inhabitants, according to the Bureau of Statistics, and most people live on the Atlantic coast; the Guyana Tourism Authority puts the coastal share at 90%. English is the language of teaching, while English Creolese is the language most people speak day to day, alongside the languages of the country's nine Indigenous groups.

Higher education in Guyana is small and concentrated. The University of Guyana describes itself as the country's sole national higher education institution, and it is the one school from Guyana in our directory. For a student from Spain or Latin America, Guyana is an unusual choice: an English-language university in South America, with research strengths in the environment, agriculture and forestry, and a country that is changing fast.

The education system

Guyana follows the Caribbean model of school education. Secondary pupils take the regional CSEC examinations, and many continue to CAPE, the Caribbean advanced-level examinations; the Ministry of Education publishes both syllabuses. These certificates, together with British GCE O and A levels, are the basis for university admission.

The University of Guyana (UG) was founded in October 1963, three years before independence, and moved to its Turkeyen Campus in Greater Georgetown in 1970. According to the university, it now:

• offers over 180 programmes in more than 80 disciplines, from certificates, diplomas and associate degrees to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees
• teaches online, face to face or in blended formats
• has more than 11,500 students
• delivers its programmes through eight campuses, including Turkeyen, a second major campus at Tain in Berbice and the Makatau Forest Campus

Its faculties cover agriculture and forestry, earth and environmental sciences, education and humanities, engineering and technology, natural sciences, social sciences and medical sciences. In October 2026 the university announced its 60th convocation, with more than 3,700 graduands. The academic year runs on semesters; the 2026-27 academic calendar is published by the Registry.

Admission and recognition

You apply online through the university's Student Records Management System (SRMS), choosing the Turkeyen campus, the Berbice campus or the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE). The general rules for degree programmes are:

• a minimum age of 16 in the calendar year of admission
• three GCE A-level subjects plus two CSEC, IGCSE or GCE O-level subjects, or two A levels plus three O-level subjects, or at least five CSEC General Proficiency passes
• English Language among the subjects, and in most cases Mathematics
• a mature-student route from age 21

Applicants who do not meet the general requirements must sit the University of Guyana Entrance Examination (UGEE). Students who have already started a degree at a recognised university can apply as transfer students; credits are accepted only for courses UG considers equivalent to its own, and at least half of the degree, including the final year, must be taken at UG. Qualifications from institutions registered with Guyana's National Accreditation Council or an accreditation body in another country can also count towards entry. If you hold a secondary diploma from Spain or Latin America, contact the admissions office before applying to check how it is assessed, and check your own country's recognition procedure if you plan to use a Guyanese degree at home.

Visas and permission to study

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues student visas and publishes a student visa application form and the list of countries whose nationals need no visa to enter Guyana (last updated 17 July 2025). Ordinary passport holders from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, for example, may enter without a visa for 90 days, while for Spain and Mexico the exemption covers only diplomatic or official passports. Visa-free entry is meant for short stays: to study, check the requirements for a student visa and for a landing permit for student status, which the Ministry of Home Affairs handles. Always confirm the current rules with the ministry or a Guyanese embassy before you travel.

Costs

Since the second semester of 2024-25, tuition at the University of Guyana is state-funded for Guyanese students, and the published fees apply to non-Guyanese students. For foreign students the standard fee for certificates, diplomas, associate degrees and bachelor's degrees is US$5,711 per year; some programmes cost more, for example the MBBS medical degree at US$8,853 per year. All students also pay an annual facilities fee of G$50,000 (US$250). The university notes that all fees are subject to change.

The university has two halls of residence, Dennis Irvine Hall and the New Building Society Hall. No official figures for living costs are published. Guyana has a largely cash-based economy and the Guyana dollar (GYD) is the currency, so plan how you will access money before you arrive.

Where to study

Most study options are in and around Georgetown, the capital, where the Turkeyen Campus is located in Greater Georgetown. The Tain Campus serves the Berbice region in the east. The IDCE offers extra-mural classes in Georgetown and in the towns of Anna Regina, Linden and New Amsterdam, which makes part-time study possible outside the capital.

Practical life

• Health: proof of yellow fever vaccination is required if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk. The Guyana Tourism Authority recommends travel insurance; as a student, arrange health cover for your whole stay
• Safety: the tourism authority advises caution in Georgetown and other urban areas because of crime, especially at night
• Climate and setting: Guyana is a tropical, forested country with large rivers, savannahs and an Atlantic coastline, which makes it a natural place for environmental, agricultural and forestry studies
• Work: there is no published rule for international students who want to work; ask the Ministry of Home Affairs before taking a job

Frequently asked questions

What language are university courses taught in in Guyana?

Courses at the University of Guyana are taught in English, and English Language is part of the general entry requirements. Day to day, most people speak English Creolese.

How much does it cost an international student to study at the University of Guyana?

The standard fee for foreign students on bachelor's, associate degree, diploma and certificate programmes is US$5,711 per year, plus an annual facilities fee of US$250. Some programmes, such as medicine, cost more.

Do I need a visa to study in Guyana?

Some nationalities can enter without a visa for short visits, but studying requires student status. Check the student visa and landing permit requirements with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs before you travel.

What if I do not have A levels or CSEC results?

Applicants without the standard qualifications can sit the University of Guyana Entrance Examination, and students aged 21 or over can apply through the mature-student route.