Study and find schools in Chile

Studying in Chile

Chile is a Spanish-speaking country on the Pacific coast of South America, and its higher-education sector is large for a country of its size. According to the Ministry of Education's Mi Futuro portal, Chile has 58 universities with 814,262 students. Thirty of them belong to the Council of Rectors (Consejo de Rectores, Cruch) and 28 are private universities.

International students come to Chile for three main reasons: a full degree taught in Spanish, a semester or year of exchange at a Chilean university, or an intensive Spanish course at a language school. Our directory lists 20 schools in Chile: 15 universities and 5 language schools.

The education system in Chile

Chilean higher education has three main types of institution, which differ in the qualifications they may award:

• universities (universidades), which offer professional and higher technical programmes and are the only institutions that can award academic degrees
• professional institutes (institutos profesionales, IP), which offer professional programmes without a licenciatura and higher technical programmes
• technical training centres (centros de formación técnica, CFT), which only offer higher technical programmes

The law sets three academic degrees: licenciado, magíster and doctor. A magíster requires a prior licenciatura or an equivalent professional title, and a doctorate requires the defence of a thesis. Professional programmes at universities usually last 8 to 10 semesters (4 or 5 years), and higher technical programmes have a minimum of 1,600 class hours (4 semesters). Some professional titles, such as lawyer (abogado), architect, psychologist and physician (médico cirujano), require a licenciatura and can therefore only be awarded by a university.

The universities fall into three groups. The 18 state universities were created by law and belong to the State. The 12 private universities with state contribution were founded before 1980 or derive from those institutions. The other 28 private universities were created after 1980.

Quality assurance is run by the National Accreditation Commission (Comisión Nacional de Acreditación, CNA). Since 2020, institutional accreditation has been compulsory under Law 21.091. Of the 135 institutions in operation in December 2024, 85 were accredited, for periods of 3 to 7 years. Programmes in medicine, dentistry and teacher training must also be accredited.

The academic year follows the southern-hemisphere calendar. At the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, for example, first-semester classes start in March and second-semester classes in August.

Admission and recognition

The first requirement for higher education in Chile, for Chilean and foreign students alike, is a secondary school leaving certificate (licencia de Enseñanza Media). A certificate obtained abroad must be recognised by the Ministry of Education. Beyond that, each university, IP and CFT sets its own admission requirements.

The Cruch universities, and several private universities that follow the same system, select students through the Higher Education Access Test (Prueba de Acceso a la Educación Superior, PAES). Many universities also run special admission routes for students who completed school abroad. At the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, this route is open to applicants who studied at least the last two years of secondary school outside Chile and have not started university studies; the call opens twice a year. Some degrees set a minimum school grade average: 5.0 on the Chilean scale for architecture and 5.5 for medicine, dentistry or psychology, or the equivalent in the applicant's own grading scale.

Exchange students apply through their home university under an agreement with the Chilean university. The Universidad Católica, for example, offers Spanish courses for its foreign exchange students.

Degree programmes at Chilean universities are generally taught in Spanish. Students who do not speak it yet should plan a Spanish course before or during their stay.

Student visa and residence

Students from abroad apply for a temporary residence permit as a student (Residencia Temporal, subcategory for students at institutions recognised by the State). According to the National Migration Service (Servicio Nacional de Migraciones, SERMIG; page updated 18 December 2025), the application must be made from abroad through SERMIG's online portal. The main documents are:

• a passport valid for at least one year from the date of application
• a criminal record certificate from the country of origin, for applicants over 18, issued no more than 60 days earlier
• a recent colour photograph
• a certificate of enrolment or of regular student status
• proof of financial support, such as bank deposits, regular transfers or a scholarship certificate

Documents in a language other than Spanish or English need an official translation, and documents issued abroad must be apostilled or legalised. After arrival, students register their visa and apply for a Chilean identity card. Requirements change, so check the SERMIG page and the Chilean consulate in your country before applying.

Costs

Chilean universities charge an annual tuition fee (arancel), which varies by programme and institution. Each year the Ministry of Education sets a reference fee (arancel de referencia), the maximum the State will fund through grants or loans. The actual fee is usually higher, and the gap is generally larger at universities than at IPs and CFTs. Mi Futuro also warns that degrees often take longer than planned: students in professional programmes with a licenciatura take 13.1 semesters on average to graduate, against a formal duration of 10 semesters. Universities publish their fees per programme; the Universidad Católica, for example, lists the fees of all its undergraduate programmes on its admissions site.

Chile's free tuition scheme (Gratuidad) covers enrolment and tuition for students from families in the lowest-income 60% of the population, and students apply for state benefits through the FUAS form. Foreign students should check whether they qualify before counting on this support.

Language schools charge by the week, in US dollars. At Tandem Santiago, for example, an intensive group course of 20 lessons a week costs US$190 for one week, or US$170 per week for 4 to 24 weeks, plus a US$55 enrolment fee (2026 prices).

Where to study

Santiago de Chile has half of the schools in our directory. It is home to several universities, including the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, the Universidad Diego Portales and the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and to most of the Spanish schools. Tandem Santiago, for example, is in the Providencia district and is a founding member of the Association of Chilean Spanish Language Schools (ACHELE), which was founded in 2010.

Concepción, in the south-central Biobío region, is a university city: the Universidad de Concepción opened in 1919 and the Universidad del Bío-Bío is also based there. Valparaíso, on the coast west of Santiago, has the Universidad de Valparaíso, the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. Further south, the Universidad Austral de Chile is in Valdivia and the Universidad Autónoma de Chile has its main campus in Temuco.

Practical life

Students with a student residence permit may work for up to 30 hours a week without any extra authorisation, either at their own institution or for another employer. Losing regular student status can lead to the permit being revoked, so the course of study must come first.

Students who come for a Spanish course usually live in a homestay or shared flat arranged by the school; Tandem Santiago, for example, offers homestays, shared apartments and furnished apartments.

Frequently asked questions

How many universities are there in Chile?

According to the Ministry of Education's Mi Futuro portal, there are 58 universities with 814,262 students: 18 state universities, 12 private universities with state contribution and 28 other private universities.

Do I need a visa to study in Chile?

Students who come to study at an institution recognised by the State apply from abroad for a temporary student residence permit through the SERMIG online portal. They need, among other documents, a certificate of enrolment and proof of financial support.

Can I work while studying in Chile?

Yes. Holders of a student residence permit may work up to 30 hours a week without further authorisation.

Do I need to take the PAES to study in Chile?

Not always. Each institution sets its own requirements, and many universities have special admission routes for students who completed secondary school abroad. Your school leaving certificate must be recognised by the Ministry of Education.