#463 in the world · QS 2027

University of Costa Rica

Universidad de Costa Rica

Costa Rica's oldest and largest university, where a national aptitude test and school grades decide who gets in.

San José (San Pedro de Montes de Oca), San José Province, Costa Rica Public research university Founded 1940 Official website

See my chances at UCR Admissions office

Photo: Haakon S. Krohn · CC BY-SA 3.0

Students: 46,177; 43,331 undergraduates
Tuition: CRC 1.4M; 2026
Founded: 1940
QS World Ranking: #463; 2027 edition

About UCR

The University of Costa Rica was created on 26 August 1940 by Law No. 362, building on the legacy of the Universidad de Santo Tomás (1843-1888), and opened in March 1941. It is Costa Rica's oldest and largest university. In 2001 the Legislative Assembly declared it a Benemérita institution of Costa Rican education and culture, and it is funded mainly by the state through the constitutionally guaranteed FEES fund.

The main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is in San Pedro de Montes de Oca in the capital area, and regional campuses (sedes) such as Occidente in San Ramón, Atlántico in Turrialba and Guanacaste in Liberia bring the university to other regions. Teaching is organised into faculties grouped in areas: arts and letters, agri-food sciences, basic sciences, social sciences, engineering and health, with all students taking general studies (Estudios Generales). The university offers 153 undergraduate programmes and runs dozens of research centres and institutes, including the Instituto Clodomiro Picado.

Admission is competitive and exam-based: applicants take the Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA), and their admission score combines the exam with their secondary-school average. Fees are low and heavily subsidised through socioeconomic scholarships. UCR suits Costa Rican and Central American students who want the country's broadest public university; international students can enter the same process with apostilled, officially recognised school records.

Lucem aspicio

“In search of the light” — university motto

Why students choose UCR

UCR is Costa Rica's oldest and largest university, ranked joint 463rd in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

Tuition is low and means-tested: full-time Costa Rican students pay at most ₡192,600 per semester, and socioeconomic scholarship categories cut this by 45% to 100%.

It runs dozens of research units, including the Instituto Clodomiro Picado, the Research Center on Sea Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR) and the Space Research Center (CINESPA).

Regional campuses such as Occidente (San Ramón), Atlántico (Turrialba) and Guanacaste (Liberia) let students study outside the capital.

Admissions

Admission process 2026-2027 (entry in 2027)

Selectivity

UCR does not publish a single acceptance rate. Applicants who take the Prueba de Aptitud Académica and have a secondary-school average on file receive an admission score (Nota de Admisión) and become eligible; they then compete for places by programme and campus in the December concurso, where popular programmes fill with the highest scores.

Testing Required: the Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA), shared with Universidad Nacional (UNA). Your secondary-school average counts for 50% of UCR's admission score. Some programmes also have special requirements (Resolución VD-13714-2026).

Grades UCR uses the average of basic subjects (mathematics, Spanish, social studies, civics, a foreign language and one science) from the penultimate year of secondary school, on a 0-100 scale.

Typical entry requirements

Costa Rican Bachillerato en Educación Media	PAA taken plus secondary grades reported by the MEP; the Bachiller diploma is required to compete for a programme
Secondary school completed abroad	Certified transcript of all academic subjects, apostilled or authenticated, officially translated into Spanish and showing the grading scale, delivered by 16 October 2026; the diploma must be recognised (equiparado) by Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Education before the concurso

Deadlines

Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA) sitting Non-binding Passed

27 September to 19 October 2026

Exam period for students registered with UCR and/or UNA; applicants sit only one exam.
Deadline for foreign or older secondary grade certificates Non-binding Next deadline · In 10 days

16 October 2026

Certified grades must be delivered to the ORI or a regional campus between 16 February and 16 October 2026.
Admission score results Non-binding In 41 days

16 November 2026

Published from 4 p.m.; queries 17-19 November 2026.
Concurso a carrera y recinto (programme selection) Non-binding

December 2026

Rules and programme list published in November 2026; eligibility is valid only for 2027 entry.

Registration for the PAA 2026-2027 took place earlier in 2026, so new applicants now aim for the 2027-2028 process. Dates are from ORI's Instructivo Proceso de Admisión UCR 2026-2027.

How to apply

Register for the PAA (registration for the 2026-2027 process has closed), verify your registration and secondary grades on the ORI consultation site, sit the exam at your assigned venue, get your Nota de Admisión, then take part in the concurso a carrera y recinto to choose programme and campus. Teaching is in Spanish.

What admissions looks for

A strong score on the Prueba de Aptitud Académica.
A high average in basic secondary-school subjects, which makes up half of the admission score.
Meeting any special requirements for your chosen programme, such as aptitude tests set out in the Vice-Rectorate of Teaching resolution.
A recognised secondary diploma (Bachiller en Educación Media or an equivalent recognised by the MEP).

Tips for applying to UCR

1 Check the special requirements resolution early: if your programme has one and you miss it, you cannot compete for that programme.
2 If you studied abroad, get your transcript apostilled and officially translated well before the 16 October deadline.
3 Use the online PAA practice test on the ORI admissions page before your exam date.
4 Apply for the socioeconomic scholarship (beca socioeconómica); categories 4 and 5 pay no tuition.

Costs & financial aid

2026 · figures in CRC

Costa Rican undergraduates, full-time: ₡16,050 per credit capped at 12 credits (₡192,600) per semester, times two semesters; scholarship categories reduce this by 45% to 100% Tuition CRC 385,200

Foreign undergraduates, full-time: ₡58,410 per credit capped at 12 credits (₡700,920) per semester, times two semesters; scholarship categories also apply Tuition CRC 1,401,840

Financial aid

UCR's socioeconomic scholarship (beca socioeconómica), run by the Oficina de Becas y Atención Socioeconómica, sets each student's fee category: category 1 pays 45% less, category 2 70% less, category 3 90% less, and categories 4 and 5 pay no tuition. Scholarship applications open each semester (for example 18 to 21 May 2026 for the second semester).

₡16,050 Costa Rican students; ₡58,410 foreign students
Tuition per credit, 2026: 100% tuition exemption
Scholarship categories 4 and 5: Student welfare ₡3,205, solidarity fund ₡640, sports ₡8,025
Semester fees

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters (I and II ciclo, plus a summer III ciclo)

Medicine and health sciences

UCR has separate faculties of Medicine, Microbiology, Pharmacy and Dentistry and health institutes such as INISA and the Instituto Clodomiro Picado.

Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering is linked to research units including the Institute of Investigations in Engineering (INII) and a seismic engineering laboratory.

Marine and earth sciences

Students can work with the Research Center on Sea Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR), the Geological Sciences Research Center (CICG) and the Geophysics Research Center (CIGEFI).

Law

The Faculty of Law continues one of the schools that survived the closure of the Universidad de Santo Tomás in 1888, and three recent Costa Rican presidents studied at UCR.

Agri-food sciences

The Faculty of Agri-food Sciences is backed by experimental stations and centres such as the National Research Center on Food Science (CITA).

Research

UCR manages dozens of research institutes and centres across all fields, from the Space Research Center (CINESPA) to the Central American Population Center (CCP).
The Instituto Clodomiro Picado is one of UCR's health research institutes.
UCR runs a planetarium, a university theatre, the Semanario Universidad newspaper and Canal UCR television.

Schools & faculties

Facultad de Artes
Facultad de Letras
Facultad de Ciencias Agroalimentarias
Facultad de Ciencias
Facultad de Ciencias Económicas
Facultad de Ciencias Sociales
Facultad de Derecho
Facultad de Educación
Facultad de Ingeniería
Facultad de Medicina
Facultad de Microbiología
Facultad de Farmacia

Student life

Life at the Rodrigo Facio campus in San Pedro revolves around the Estudios Generales building with its sun mural, libraries such as the Luis Demetrio Tinoco and Carlos Monge, the José María Orozco botanical garden and cultural venues including the university theatre and planetarium. Students are represented by the Federación de Estudiantes de la Universidad de Costa Rica (FEUCR), and the university runs its own weekly newspaper, Semanario Universidad, and a television channel, Canal UCR.

Federación de Estudiantes de la Universidad de Costa Rica (FEUCR)
Teatro Universitario and the UCR planetarium
Semanario Universidad and Canal UCR
José María Orozco botanical garden on the Rodrigo Facio campus

Housing. UCR has university residence buildings (residencias universitarias); contact the Oficina de Becas y Atención Socioeconómica about eligibility.

Location

The main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, sits in San Pedro de Montes de Oca, in the San José metropolitan area of Costa Rica's Central Valley. Regional campuses bring the university to San Ramón (59 km from San José), Turrialba (67 km), Liberia (220 km), Limón and other regions.

Nearest airport: Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)

Notable alumni

ÓA
Óscar Arias

President of Costa Rica (1986-1990, 2006-2010) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
LC
Laura Chinchilla

President of Costa Rica (2010-2014)
LG
Luis Guillermo Solís

President of Costa Rica (2014-2018)
CA
Carlos Alvarado Quesada

President of Costa Rica (2018-2022)
JB
Jeannette Benavides

Physical chemist and former NASA scientist
FP
Floria Pinto

Costa Rican artist
DS
Daniel Salas Peraza

Costa Rica's Minister of Public Health (2018-2022)

Frequently asked questions

How do I get into the University of Costa Rica?

You take the Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA). UCR combines your exam result with your secondary-school average (worth 50%) into an admission score, and eligible students then compete for a programme and campus in December.

When is the UCR admission exam for 2027 entry?

The PAA for the 2026-2027 process runs from 27 September to 19 October 2026, and admission scores are published on 16 November 2026.

How much does UCR cost?

In 2026 Costa Rican students pay ₡16,050 per credit, capped at ₡192,600 per semester, and foreign students ₡58,410 per credit, capped at ₡700,920. Socioeconomic scholarships reduce fees by 45% to 100%.

Can international students apply to UCR?

Yes. Foreign-educated applicants take the same exam and must submit an apostilled, officially translated transcript by 16 October 2026, and their diploma must be recognised by Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Education.

Does UCR teach in English?

Undergraduate teaching is in Spanish, and the admission process and documents are in Spanish.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.

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