Universities in Mexico

Mexico's universities are overseen by the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), whose Subsecretaría de Educación Superior (SES) is responsible for higher education. The public sector is broad. The SES lists federal and state public universities, intercultural universities, polytechnic and technological universities, institutos tecnológicos, the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, the Universidad Abierta y a Distancia de México and public teacher-training colleges (escuelas normales). Next to them is a large private sector, from small specialist institutes to multi-campus universities.

Degrees from public universities are part of the national system. Programmes at private universities are official only when the specific programme has an RVOE (Reconocimiento de Validez Oficial de Estudios).

Degrees and qualifications

The first university degree is the licenciatura, the Mexican bachelor's degree. Universities usually offer a wide catalogue: the Universidad de Sonora, for example, describes its catalogue of 59 licenciaturas. Postgraduate study has three levels, as the Universidad de Guadalajara lists them: especialidad, maestría (master's degree) and doctorado (doctorate).

A licenciatura leads to a professional title and, with it, the cédula profesional, the professional licence. According to the SEP, the cédula is required to practise professions such as law, accounting, medicine, nursing and engineering. Studies without official validity give no right to a title or a cédula.

Official recognition: the RVOE

The SEP defines the RVOE as the act by which an education authority incorporates a private institution's study plan into the national education system. Some points that matter when comparing private universities:

• The RVOE is granted per study plan, not per institution, so one university can have official and non-official programmes
• A private institution must state the RVOE agreement number, the date and the granting authority in its advertising and documents
• Besides the federal SEP and the state education ministries, some public universities can grant RVOE, among them the Universidad de Guadalajara and the UNAM
• The RVOE certifies minimum requirements; quality accreditation is separate, for example by COPAES-recognised bodies for programmes or FIMPES for private institutions

Admission for international students

Each university runs its own admission process, often with a separate route for applicants from abroad. The Tecnológico de Monterrey, for example, has an admission profile for foreign students and continuous admission dates. The requirements published by the Universidad de Guadalajara show what to expect at a public university:

• School certificates from abroad legalised by a Mexican consulate or with an apostille
• Revalidation of prior studies; for bachelor's and postgraduate level this is handled by the SEP's Departamento de Revalidaciones y Equivalencias
• An official translation of documents from countries where Spanish is not spoken
• A grade equivalence table; without it, the applicant competes with the minimum grade of 60
• Proof of command of the language
• After admission, authorisation to study from the Instituto Nacional de Migración within 90 days

Most programmes are taught in Spanish. Some private universities offer programmes with an international profile: the Tecnológico de Monterrey lists degrees such as a B.A. in Global Business, and the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) has a section of international bachelor's and master's programmes. Students who need to improve their Spanish first can take intensive courses, for example at the UNAM's Centro de Enseñanza para Extranjeros (CEPE).

Student visa

Foreign students who will study in Mexico for more than 180 days generally need a visa, according to the Mexican consulate in Chicago; the category is the Visa de Residencia Temporal de Estudiante. Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns Spanish citizens that a visa is required to study in Mexico whatever the length of stay, and that some Spanish students have been refused enrolment without one. Every application needs an appointment at a Mexican consulate, and the Chicago consulate charges a non-refundable fee of US$56. After arrival, the visa is exchanged for the corresponding migration document at the Instituto Nacional de Migración.

Costs and funding

Tuition is set by each institution, and there is no single national fee table. Private universities publish their fees and financial aid: the Tecnológico de Monterrey has a tuition simulator and a scholarships and financing section, and the UAG lists admission, costs, scholarships and financing together.

How to choose

Useful, neutral criteria are: official status (public university or a programme with RVOE), the city, the language of instruction, the cost of the documents and visa, and whether the university has an office for international students. The universities in our directory show the range:

• The Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), whose history goes back to 9 May 1578 and to the Colegio del Espíritu Santo, founded in 1587
• The Universidad de Guadalajara, organised as the Red Universitaria de Jalisco across the state
• The Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, founded in 1935 and, according to the university, the first private university in Mexico
• The Universidad de Sonora in Hermosillo, a public university founded in 1942 with six campuses
• The Tecnológico de Monterrey, which began operating in Mexico City in 1973 and has its campus in Tlalpan
• The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Coyoacán, Mexico City

Frequently asked questions

Are degrees from private universities in Mexico officially recognised?

Only when the specific programme has an RVOE. The SEP grants the RVOE per study plan, and the institution must show the RVOE number, date and authority in its documents.

What is a licenciatura in Mexico?

The licenciatura is the Mexican bachelor's degree. It leads to a professional title and the cédula profesional, which is required for professions such as law, medicine, nursing and engineering.

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

For studies of more than 180 days, a student visa (Visa de Residencia Temporal de Estudiante) is generally required, and Spanish citizens need a visa whatever the length of the course. It is requested at a Mexican consulate by appointment.

Can I study in English at a Mexican university?

Most programmes are in Spanish. Some private universities, such as the Tecnológico de Monterrey, list degree programmes with English titles, so it is best to check the language of each programme.