Universities in Chile

In Chile, universities are the only higher-education institutions that can award academic degrees. According to Mi Futuro, the Ministry of Education's information portal, the country has 58 universities with 814,262 students, and 47 of them are accredited, accounting for 96.5% of university enrolment. Thirty belong to the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (Consejo de Rectores, Cruch) and 28 are private universities.

For international students, Chilean universities offer full degrees taught in Spanish and exchange semesters under agreements with universities abroad. Our directory lists 15 universities in Chile, seven of them in Santiago de Chile and the rest in Concepción, Valparaíso, Valdivia and Temuco.

How Chilean universities work

Higher education has three main types of institution: universities, professional institutes (institutos profesionales, IP) and technical training centres (centros de formación técnica, CFT). IPs offer professional programmes without a licenciatura and higher technical programmes; only universities award the three academic degrees set by law, licenciado, magíster and doctor. Professional programmes at universities usually last 8 to 10 semesters (4 or 5 years), and titles such as lawyer require a licenciatura, so they are only taught at universities.

Mi Futuro groups the universities in three categories:

• State universities: 18 universities created by law and owned by the State, such as the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, the Universidad de Valparaíso and the Universidad del Bío-Bío.
• Private universities with state contribution: 12 universities created before 1980 or derived from them, such as the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the Universidad de Concepción, which opened in 1919, and the Universidad Austral de Chile, with campuses in Valdivia, Osorno, Puerto Montt and Coyhaique.
• Private universities: all universities created after 1980, such as the Universidad Diego Portales, the Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins and the Universidad Autónoma de Chile.

Since 2020 institutional accreditation has been compulsory, and the National Accreditation Commission (CNA) grants it for 3 to 7 years. Programmes in medicine, dentistry and all teacher training must also be accredited. The accreditation level and its duration are a useful first check when comparing universities.

Admission

The basic requirement, for Chilean and foreign students alike, is a secondary school leaving certificate; a certificate obtained abroad must be recognised by the Ministry of Education. Each university then sets its own requirements. The Cruch universities and others that follow the same system select students through the Higher Education Access Test (Prueba de Acceso a la Educación Superior, PAES).

Many universities also have a special route for applicants who completed school abroad. At the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, it is open to students who took at least the last two years of secondary school outside Chile and have not started university studies, with intakes for the first semester (classes from March) and the second (classes from August). Some degrees set a minimum school average, such as 5.5 on the Chilean scale for medicine.

Exchange students apply through their home university and can take courses from different programmes for one or two semesters; the Universidad Católica offers Spanish courses for them. Students from abroad apply for a student temporary residence permit from outside Chile through the National Migration Service (SERMIG), with a certificate of enrolment and proof of financial support, and may work up to 30 hours a week.

Costs and funding

Universities charge an annual tuition fee (arancel) that varies by programme and institution, and publish it on their admissions sites. The Ministry of Education sets a reference fee, the maximum the State can fund for each programme. Free tuition (gratuidad) covers enrolment and tuition for students from the lowest-income 60% of the population; foreign students should check with the university whether they are eligible. Plan for a longer stay than the formal length: Mi Futuro reports that students in 10-semester programmes take 13.1 semesters on average to obtain their title.

How to choose

• Type of university and its accreditation level and years
• Admission route: PAES, special admission for school leavers from abroad, or exchange
• Formal length of the programme and the degree or professional title it leads to
• Annual tuition fee and your eligibility for any funding
• City: Santiago, the coast at Valparaíso, or the university cities of the south such as Concepción and Valdivia
• Your level of Spanish, since degree programmes are generally taught in Spanish

Frequently asked questions

How many universities are there in Chile?

According to Mi Futuro, 58: 18 state universities, 12 private universities with state contribution and 28 private universities created after 1980.

Do foreign students have to take the PAES?

Not always. Each university sets its own requirements, and many have special admission routes for applicants who completed secondary school abroad.

How do I know if a Chilean university is accredited?

Institutional accreditation has been compulsory since 2020 and is granted for 3 to 7 years. Mi Futuro and each university publish the accreditation status.

Can I study at a Chilean university for just one semester?

Yes, as an exchange student through an agreement between your home university and the Chilean university, usually for one or two semesters.