All 38 Universities in Costa Rica | Rankings & Reviews 2024 (2024)

FAQs

What is the best university in Costa Rica? ›

As well as being Costa Rica's highest-ranking institution, the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) is also the country's oldest university and its largest in terms of student enrollment. UCR's main campus is located in the city of San Pedro, close to capital San José.

Universidad Costa Rica is ranked #764 in Best Global Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Costa Rica ranks 73rd out of 162 countries in Education Index with a score of 0.649 (2020).

Acceptance rate & Admissions

We've calculated the 40% acceptance rate for University of Costa Rica based on the ratio of admissions to applications and other circ*mstantial enrollment data.

Costa Rica is officially the happiest and most sustainable country in the world, according to the Happy Planet Index (HPI).

Freshman Requirements

In the Costa Rican system: a minimum average of 8 out of 10, 80 out of 100, Notable, or Very Good. Or the equivalent in the U.S. system: a 'B' average or a 3.00 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.00 GPA grading scale.

Like its healthcare, Costa Rica's education system is of high quality and consistently ranked in the top 20th percentile around the world. After a brief civil war, the government abolished the military. Since this time, the money used to fund the army has instead gone to education.

Note that non-residents are required to have a student visa to study more than three months in Costa Rica. Costa Rican universities give most courses in Spanish, though individual classes in English are available. Several private universities offer entire majors in English.

If your Spanish language skills are strong enough to direct enroll, studying abroad in Costa Rica for a semester could cost around $7,000, about the same as a state school. If you are going with one of the more costly program providers, a semester will more likely cost around $16,000.

The latest State of Education report, unveiled on August 31, highlighted the profound educational crisis Costa Rica faces, with implications that could shape its future for decades. A striking point from the study is the dilemma of 16 to 17-year-old students currently in tenth grade.

Who is the most famous person from Costa Rica? ›

Juan Santamaría is officially recognized as the national hero of the Republic of Costa Rica. A national holiday in Costa Rica, Juan Santamaría Day, is held every April 11 to commemorate his death.

Costa Rica does have free public healthcare, but only for Costa Rican citizens who are most financially in need. This means that residents with a job and expats will have to pay for use of the public healthcare system (expats must provide proof of sufficient financial means in order to live in Costa Rica).

Academic grading in Costa Rica is based on a 100-point scale. For primary school level, a score of 65 is good enough to pass, while in high school and further levels the pass grade is 70/100.

With a GPA of 3.57, San Jose State requires you to be around average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, and very few C's. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes.

About National University of Costa Rica

Located in the province of Heredia, the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA), is one of five public universities in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America and is known for its strengths in the teaching of ecology, sociology and education.

Costa Rica has long been a leader in education in Latin America for its forward-thinking and innovative approaches. The country's long-standing emphasis on providing universal public education dates back to the late 19th century when free and mandatory primary education was introduced for children of all sexes.

Studying abroad in Costa Rica is an incredible experience. The nature is beautiful, the food is great, and the people are wonderful! In my experience, it's important to take advantage of every opportunity to further immerse yourself in the culture and experience new things.