Nursing Schools and Programs in Costa Rica

Nursing Studies in Costa Rica

Nursing in Costa Rica is a university degree at licenciatura level. Students enter directly after secondary school and train in hospitals, clinics and communities as well as in the classroom. Teaching is in Spanish.

Our directory lists 1 university in Costa Rica that teaches Nursing: the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), the public university based in San José.

How the Nursing degree is organised

The UCR's Escuela de Enfermería awards the Licenciatura en Enfermería. The school was founded on 1 March 1917 under the Junta de la Caridad, with the first practical training at the Hospital San Juan de Dios, and since 1977 it has been one of the two schools of the university's Faculty of Medicine, together with the School of Medicine. The school states that it has trained more than 8,000 nursing professionals. It is in the university's Ciudad de la Investigación, and the degree is also listed at the Sede de Occidente (San Ramón campus).

According to the university's career profile, students typically:

• prepare clinical case studies
• make nursing diagnoses for individuals and groups
• work with health staff in hospitals, communities and families where care is given
• develop projects, research and educational programmes in health

The graduate profile covers care at every stage of life, from childhood to old age, in the three levels of health care, and includes sexual and reproductive health, mental health, occupational health and public health.

The licenciatura is accredited by SINAES, the body authorised by the Costa Rican state to accredit degrees. SINAES reports that the programme first obtained its official quality seal on 23 October 2009 and has kept the accreditation without interruption; the certificate handed over in November 2022 was valid until 2026, so the current status is worth checking on the SINAES site. After the degree, the university's Sistema de Estudios de Posgrado has a postgraduate programme in Nursing Sciences (Ciencias de la Enfermería).

Admission

Everyone who wants to study at the Universidad de Costa Rica has to sit its admission exam, the Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA), an academic aptitude test with mathematical and verbal reasoning items. Places in each degree are then assigned by admission score. For Nursing on the Rodrigo Facio campus, the 2025 cut-off score was 635.62 and there were 82 places.

International students who want the full degree go through the same undergraduate admission process at the Oficina de Registro e Información. Visiting (exchange) students from partner universities do not sit the exam; they need to have passed at least three semesters at home, an average of at least 8.0 on a scale of 0 to 10 and, if they are not native speakers, Spanish at CEFR level B2.

Costs

According to the UCR's 2026 fee table, foreign undergraduate students without a grant pay ₡58,410 per credit, with a maximum of 12 credits charged per term (₡700,920). Costa Rican students pay ₡16,050 per credit (maximum ₡192,600). Grant categories reduce these amounts by 45% to 100%.

Recognition, residence and careers

Nurses who qualified outside Costa Rica and want to work in the country have to apply for the recognition of their degree through CONARE's Oficina de Reconocimiento y Equiparación, which handles the procedure with the state universities. Residence permits for foreign students are handled by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME); the UCR gives its students information on the requirements by e-mail ([email protected]).

The university names the following employers for nursing graduates: the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (the public health service), the Ministry of Health, local clinics, private companies, educational institutions, homes for older adults and home care services.

Frequently asked questions

Which degree do nurses hold in Costa Rica?

At the Universidad de Costa Rica, the degree is the Licenciatura en Enfermería, awarded by the Escuela de Enfermería of the Faculty of Medicine.

How hard is it to get into Nursing at the Universidad de Costa Rica?

Admission depends on the score in the Prueba de Aptitud Académica. In 2025 the cut-off for Nursing on the Rodrigo Facio campus was 635.62, with 82 places.

How much does it cost for a foreign student?

In 2026 the UCR charges foreign undergraduate students ₡58,410 per credit, up to a maximum of ₡700,920 per term for 12 or more credits, before any grant.

Can I work as a nurse in Costa Rica with a foreign degree?

The degree first has to be recognised through CONARE's Oficina de Reconocimiento y Equiparación, a procedure required of anyone with a university degree from abroad who wants to practise in Costa Rica.