Nursing Schools and Programs in El Salvador

Nursing Studies in El Salvador

In El Salvador, nursing is taught at university level as a five-year licenciatura and as a shorter technical programme. Both routes end with six months of social service in the public health system, and graduates must register with the national nursing board before they can work. Teaching is in Spanish.

SpainExchange lists one school in El Salvador with nursing programmes: the Universidad Católica de El Salvador (UNICAES), a private Catholic university founded on 13 April 1982 with its main campus in Santa Ana. The sections below describe how nursing studies work in the country, with UNICAES as the example.

Nursing qualifications in El Salvador

The Junta de Vigilancia de la Profesión en Enfermería (JVPE), part of the Consejo Superior de Salud Pública, is the legal body that supervises the practice of nursing. It registers several levels of nursing staff:

• Licenciatura en Enfermería (university degree)
• Tecnólogo en Enfermería
• Técnico en Enfermería
• Auxiliar de Enfermería

Higher education is overseen by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MINEDUCYT), which publishes the list of authorised degree programmes. Students can check there that a nursing programme is authorised before they enrol.

Studying nursing at UNICAES

The Faculty of Health Sciences (Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud) in Santa Ana teaches two nursing programmes, both on campus:

• Licenciatura en Enfermería: 5 years (10 academic terms) plus six months of social service; graduates receive the title Licenciado or Licenciada en Enfermería
• Técnico en Enfermería: 2 years (4 academic terms) plus six months of social service

The licenciatura prepares nurses to care for healthy people and patients at low, medium and high risk, to manage nursing services, to teach and to take part in research. The social service takes place in institutions designated by the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social). To graduate, students also need a grade average (CUM) of at least 7.0 and must pass 10 levels of English at UNICAES (3 levels for the technical programme), or an equivalent test.

Admission for international students

Applicants need a secondary school diploma (bachillerato) or a foreign equivalent that is legally recognised in El Salvador. Admission at UNICAES goes through a two-week pre-university course (Curso Pre Universitario), an interview with the faculty and an exam. Candidates for the health programmes also take a physical and a psychological assessment and submit laboratory tests and a vaccination record.

For the 2027 intake, UNICAES opened applications for students living abroad on 1 September 2026, and the pre-university course starts on 23 November 2026. Foreign students who come to study need a temporary residence permit for studies; the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería lists it as form F10, Residencia Temporal Estudios.

Costs

UNICAES publishes its nursing fees in US dollars, valid from the first term of 2024. At the start of each term, students pay US$179 (enrolment, first instalment, student services, ID card and nursing practicals). The rest of the term is paid in instalments of US$80 plus US$15 for practicals. The social service of the licenciatura is paid in six instalments of US$150.

Working as a nurse

To practise, nursing graduates register with the JVPE, which offers permanent registration for professionals and a separate registration for students during their social service. Graduates with a foreign degree go through the incorporation of their title (incorporación de títulos) at the Ministry of Education before registering.

According to UNICAES, nurses work in hospitals at every level of care, in primary care units, in rehabilitation centres, in emergency medical services, in home care and private practice, in companies, and in teaching and research. UNICAES does not list a master's degree in nursing: the master's and doctoral programmes its postgraduate school offered for the 2025 intake are in education, business, environmental management and IT security.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study nursing in El Salvador?

At UNICAES, the Licenciatura en Enfermería takes five years plus six months of social service. The Técnico en Enfermería takes two years plus six months of social service.

Can foreign students study nursing in El Salvador?

Yes, with a secondary school diploma that is legally recognised in El Salvador. They go through the same pre-university course, interview and exams as local students, and need a temporary residence permit for studies.

How much does nursing cost at UNICAES?

From the first term of 2024, students pay US$179 at the start of each term, then instalments of US$80 plus US$15 for practicals.

Is the course taught in English?

No. Nursing is taught in Spanish, and clinical training with patients is also in Spanish. English is a graduation requirement: licenciatura students must pass 10 levels at UNICAES.