Universidad de La Salle

About Universidad de La Salle

Universidad de La Salle is an independent Colombian university rather than a branch campus, training organization, or secondary school. Colombia’s national higher-education information system, SNIES, identifies it as a private university and an accredited higher-education institution. The university describes itself more specifically as a private, nonprofit institution serving the public interest. It was founded on 15 November 1964 and began academic activity in the first semester of 1965. The institution is part of the international Lasallian educational network and frames its work around a Christian and humanistic understanding of education. Prospective students do not need to rely on that identity alone to understand the university’s academic character: current official material documents undergraduate professional programs, research and professionally oriented master’s degrees, and doctorates. Its institutional account also emphasizes research directed toward Colombian social, scientific, technological, and environmental needs. The university’s footprint extends beyond a single central campus. Its official site identifies Bogotá locations in La Candelaria, Chapinero, and the north of the city, together with sites in Mosquera, Bucaramanga, and the rural Utopía site near Yopal. Academic availability is not uniform across these locations. Applicants should therefore treat campus, delivery mode, and program title as linked choices and confirm all three in the current program listing before applying.

For undergraduate entry in the 2026-2 cycle, the university’s official process page gives an application window from 16 March through 17 July 2026. That period is specific to 2026-2 and should not be reused for a later intake. The published process covers both campus-based and virtual undergraduate applications: candidates first register basic details, complete a second form identifying their chosen program, and then wait for the faculty or program to arrange an interview. Applicants without final ICFES results may continue using their SNP registration code. After the interview and an admission decision, the applicant downloads the enrollment payment document. The university then requests documents for enrollment legalization, including a current identity document, evidence of completing secondary school, health-system affiliation evidence, a white-background photograph, and institutional verification forms. Minors must also submit the applicable personal-data form signed by a guardian. Transfer applicants must identify themselves as external-transfer candidates when completing the program form. Requirements may differ for graduate study, international applicants, transfers, and individual programs. The current undergraduate page does not establish a universal minimum ICFES score, English-test threshold, GPA, or acceptance rate, so none should be inferred. International candidates should obtain current instructions directly from admissions regarding recognition of foreign secondary credentials, immigration documentation, and any program-specific conditions before paying.

The 2026 academic offering covers a broad set of professional and research fields. Official undergraduate tuition listings identify programs in biology, accounting, economics, architecture, engineering, education, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmaceutical chemistry, social work, design, law, data science, government, and international business, among others. Several subjects are offered in both campus-based and virtual formats, while other programs are tied to a particular location. Students should use the individual program page, rather than the general subject list, to confirm curriculum, duration, campus, and award title. Graduate study includes both disciplinary and interdisciplinary options. The university’s current master’s list includes programs in areas such as finance, biology, engineering, education, public policy, artificial intelligence, veterinary sciences, territorial planning, and social research. Its 2026 doctoral list includes Education and Society, Engineering, Development and Territory Studies, Architecture, Design and Urbanism, Accounting and Finance, Administration, and Social Studies of Religion. Some graduate programs have versions associated with Bogotá, Bucaramanga, or Yopal. Agricultural and rural education is a distinctive institutional strand. The Utopía site near Yopal supports an education model connected to rural development and agricultural production. Across the university, academic units encompass agricultural sciences, engineering, humanities and social studies, economics and business, architecture and design, basic and applied sciences, health, and education. The breadth is useful, but delivery arrangements vary enough that applicants should verify whether a program is in person, virtual, research-oriented, or professionally oriented.

Key Highlights

• Private, nonprofit Colombian university recognized in SNIES
• Founded on 15 November 1964; academic activity began in 1965
• Operates Bogotá and regional sites, including the rural Utopía campus
• Member of the international Lasallian university network

Student Life & Environment

Student support is coordinated through the university’s human-development and welfare structures. A February 2026 service overview identifies psychosocial and spiritual support, sports and cultural activities, leadership development, healthy-living initiatives, disability support, volunteering, pastoral activities, and assistance intended to promote persistence and graduation. These services indicate that student life extends beyond classroom teaching, although schedules and availability may differ by campus. The Lasallian identity influences community activities through service, volunteering, pastoral work, and reflection on social responsibility. Students seeking a more secular experience should review the specific activities attached to their program and campus, while recognizing that the institution explicitly presents its educational mission in Christian and humanistic terms. The Utopía site is materially different from the urban Bogotá experience. The university describes it as a rural campus near Yopal with teaching spaces, laboratories, agricultural production lines, an agro-industrial plant, and residential rooms. Those facilities should not be assumed to be available to students based in Bogotá or at other sites. Current university-wide housing prices, meal-plan terms, and guarantees for ordinary Bogotá students were not found in the strongest 2026 sources, so applicants should budget for independent accommodation unless their program confirms a campus-specific residential arrangement.

Location & Surroundings

The database location of Bogotá reflects the university’s principal urban base, but Universidad de La Salle is a multi-site institution. Its official institutional page identifies three Bogotá locations: La Candelaria, Chapinero, and Norte. These place students in different parts of Colombia’s capital, so commuting patterns, nearby housing, and access to particular facilities depend on the assigned site rather than on the university name alone. The institution also identifies locations in Mosquera, Bucaramanga, and near Yopal. Utopía is situated in the rural area of Hacienda San José de Matepantano, outside Yopal in Casanare. It is designed around agricultural education and production and should not be treated as interchangeable with the Bogotá campuses. Similarly, programs advertised for Bucaramanga or Yopal may have location-specific schedules or tuition entries. For decision-making, applicants should confirm the exact teaching address before arranging accommodation. Bogotá offers the opportunities and travel demands of a large capital city, whereas Utopía provides a residential rural setting connected to agricultural work. The institution’s geographic range is an advantage for some subjects, but it makes program-level location verification essential.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Tuition is program-specific. The university’s official 2026 undergraduate table lists amounts in Colombian pesos and shows substantial variation by subject and delivery format. Examples include COP 8,315,000 for Biology, COP 8,560,000 for several campus-based engineering programs, COP 12,325,000 for Veterinary Medicine, and COP 3,195,000 for the virtual versions of Business Administration and Public Accounting. These are 2026 published amounts and should not be treated as 2027 prices. The same page lists a 2026 application charge of COP 52,500 and separate administrative, graduation, validation, and document fees. Graduate costs also vary. Current master’s and doctoral pages publish separate 2026 prices for each program and, where relevant, campus or delivery mode. Applicants should confirm whether the quoted amount applies per semester or another academic period, then build a budget that includes compulsory fees, transport, materials, accommodation, food, and health or immigration expenses. Dollar figures shown by the university are approximate and may change with the exchange rate. For career development, the university operates an employment and alumni portal connecting students and graduates with employers. Its stated services include job listings, professional-practice opportunities, candidate matching, and employability activities. This is a practical resource, but it does not guarantee placement or a particular salary. No verified program-level salary outcomes were found in the selected current sources, so career comparisons should combine the portal’s opportunities with curriculum, required practice, professional licensing rules, and the labor market for the chosen field.