Universities in Bolivia

Universities in Bolivia are part of the higher-education subsystem of the Plurinational Education System, which is regulated by the Ministry of Education under the Education Law 070 of 2010. The law classifies universities as public autonomous, private, indigenous or special-regime universities. The public universities belong to the Bolivian University System (Sistema de la Universidad Boliviana, SUB), which is coordinated by the Executive Committee of the Bolivian University (CEUB); its website lists 15 member institutions, from the Universidad Mayor de San Simón (UMSS) in Cochabamba to the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar (UASB) in Sucre.

Teaching is in Spanish. For international students, Bolivia offers full degrees at public and private universities, exchange semesters through university mobility programmes, and postgraduate study, including at the UASB, the university of the Andean Community.

How the university system works

According to UNESCO's SITEAL profile of Bolivia, university education awards intermediate, undergraduate (grado) and postgraduate qualifications. In practice this means:

• técnico superior: an intermediate, more practical qualification that many universities offer alongside their degrees
• licenciatura: the main undergraduate degree, offered in most fields
• postgraduate qualifications: specialisations, the master's degree (maestría, which leads to the title of magister) and the doctorate

The Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno (UAGRM) in Santa Cruz, for example, offers 54 degree programmes at licenciatura level and 6 at técnico superior level, and since 2014 it has awarded intermediate qualifications so that students obtain a technical title while they continue towards the licenciatura. It teaches in person, online and at a distance.

Private universities include the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA), the Universidad Privada Boliviana (UPB) and the Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia (USB), a Catholic university with campuses in La Paz, Cochabamba and other cities. The USB offers licenciatura degrees in subjects such as Education, Systems Engineering, Public Accounting and Law, and técnico superior programmes in early-childhood and special education. Its first semester of 2026 started in February.

The UASB was created in December 1985 as an international public-law body of the Andean Integration System. Its central seat is in Sucre, with academic sub-seats in La Paz and Santa Cruz, and it focuses on postgraduate teaching and research. It registers its postgraduate programmes with the CEUB. A master's degree, or its equivalent, is required for admission to its doctoral programmes.

Admission for international students

Foreign students who want to take a full degree generally apply under the same conditions as Bolivian students. The UMSS, for example, explains that each faculty sets its own admission calendar and method, either an entrance exam (examen de ingreso) or a preparatory course (curso propedéutico), and that there is no automatic direct entry for foreigners, except under specific agreements. To enrol, the UMSS asks international students for:

• the secondary-school diploma (bachiller), legalised by the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or with a Hague apostille
• a birth certificate, apostilled or legalised by a consulate
• a student visa
• a valid passport or foreign identity card

Students who only want to spend a semester or a year in Bolivia can apply through their home university's exchange agreements. At the UMSS, mobility runs through its international relations office and programmes such as PME (CRISCOS), AUGM (Escala) and Erasmus+, with credit recognition and, in some cases, maintenance grants.

Bolivia's student visa (Visa de Estudiante) covers studies in higher education. According to the Consulate General of Bolivia in Madrid, it is valid for up to 60 days and allows the student to apply for a one-year temporary stay with the Dirección General de Migración (DIGEMIG), renewable until the end of the studies. Requirements vary by nationality, so check them with the Bolivian consulate for your place of residence (checked October 2026).

Costs and funding

There is no single official fee table for Bolivian universities: public universities set their own enrolment fees and private universities charge tuition that varies by institution and programme, so ask each university for its current fees. Some universities offer their own scholarships, such as the UMSS admission scholarships (becas de admisión), and the UASB publishes calls for Andean Community scholarships (Becas CAN) on its website.

How to choose a university

• Public or private: public universities belong to the SUB; private universities set their own admission and fees
• Level of study: a técnico superior, a licenciatura or a postgraduate programme
• Admission route: entrance exam or preparatory course at public universities; dates vary by faculty
• Study mode: some universities, such as the UAGRM, also teach online and at a distance
• Location: the main university cities include La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Sucre
• Exchange or full degree: for one or two semesters, check your home university's agreements first

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners study at a public university in Bolivia?

Yes. At universities such as the UMSS, foreign students apply under the same conditions as Bolivians and must pass the faculty's entrance exam or preparatory course; there is no automatic direct entry for foreigners.

Which documents do I need to enrol?

Usually your secondary-school diploma, legalised by the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or apostilled, a legalised birth certificate, a student visa and a valid passport. Check the exact list with the university.

Do I need a visa to study at a Bolivian university?

Yes. You need a student visa, valid for up to 60 days, which lets you apply to the immigration authority for a one-year temporary stay that can be renewed until the end of your studies.

Can I study in Bolivia for one semester only?

Yes, through exchange agreements between your university and a Bolivian university, for example the mobility programmes of the UMSS, which include credit recognition.