University of Antioquia
Universidad de Antioquia
Medellín's public university, traced back to an 1803 Franciscan college, admitting students by its own two-part exam.
- Students
- 37,677
- Student–faculty
- 18.4:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- COP 21M
- 2026 (minimum-wage basis); registration fees for 2027-1
- Founded
- 1803
About UdeA
The University of Antioquia traces its origins to a Franciscan college that began teaching grammar, philosophy and Latin in Medellín in 1803, and it became the University of Antioquia in 1871. Its main campus, the Ciudad Universitaria, was built in the 1960s, and the move there began in 1968; the campus design won Colombia's National Architecture Prize. It is a public university whose governing council is chaired by the governor of Antioquia.
UdeA is large and broad. For the first semester of 2027 it is offering 7,505 places in 96 undergraduate programmes, from medicine, engineering and law to music, astronomy and oceanography. Teaching is organised in faculties, schools and institutes, including the Facultad de Medicina and the Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, and a network of regional campuses across Antioquia takes the university beyond the Aburrá Valley.
Admission is decided almost entirely by UdeA's own entrance exam, which tests reading and logical reasoning, so it rewards careful preparation rather than a particular school background. It suits students who want a large, public, research-oriented university in Medellín, can study in Spanish, and are comfortable with a big and politically active campus.
Why students choose UdeA
One transparent admission rule: places in each programme go in strict order of score on UdeA's two-part exam, with no minimum Saber 11 score required to register.
A wide choice of 96 undergraduate programmes for 2027-1 in Medellín and regional campuses, including medicine, a dozen engineering degrees and the arts.
Low-cost public education, with Colombia's national gratuidad policy for undergraduate programmes and UdeA welfare support such as a daily lunch for students in financial need.
A strong regional mission: 6,167 people applied for regional campuses for 2027-1, the highest number in six years.
Admissions
First semester 2027 (2027-1)
Selectivity
UdeA does not publish an admit rate. For 2027-1, 35,824 applicants registered for the admission exam for 7,505 places in 96 programmes, about 4.8 applicants per place, with far more competition for programmes such as medicine.
Typical entry requirements
| Colombian bachillerato + Saber 11 | Completed secondary school and proof of having taken Saber 11 (any score), plus a high enough standardised score on the UdeA admission exam for the chosen programme. |
|---|---|
| Foreign secondary diploma | A state school-leaving exam certificate from the country where you finished school (or Saber 11 taken in Colombia) to register, then the UdeA exam. At enrolment you need your secondary diploma validated (convalidado) by Colombia's Ministry of Education, which can take about four months, and a valid student visa. |
Deadlines
- 2027-1 registration and payment Non-binding Passed18 September 2026 (closed)
Registration ran 14 August to 18 September 2026.
- 2027-1 admission exam Non-binding Next deadline · In 20 days26-27 October 2026
Credentials can be printed 14-22 October 2026; applicants taking the virtual exam complete biometric registration 25-30 September.
- 2027-1 results Non-binding In 36 days11 November 2026
Results can be checked on the UdeA portal until 30 November 2026.
Registration for 2027-1 has closed. UdeA runs an admission process each semester; check the admissions calendar for the 2027-2 call. International applicants should start the Ministry of Education diploma validation early, as it can take about four months.
How to apply
Register online at udea.edu.co (Estudiar en la UdeA > Pregrado), fill in the form, choose a programme and pay the registration fee (COP 90,800 for Medellín programmes, COP 28,200 for regional campuses). Print your exam credential shortly before the exam and sit the UdeA admission test in person or in the virtual mode. Places are filled in descending order of standardised score. Transfers and re-entry have a separate call (fee COP 151,200).
What admissions looks for
- A high standardised score on the admission exam: places are assigned strictly from the top score down in each programme.
- Reading comprehension and logical reasoning, each worth half of the exam.
- Proof of having taken Saber 11 or a recognised foreign equivalent, regardless of the score.
- For some arts programmes, such as music and drama, an additional specific process announced by the Faculty of Arts.
Tips for applying to UdeA
- 1 Prepare for the exam itself: UdeA offers free virtual courses in logical reasoning, reading comprehension, vocational guidance and English through its Preparation for University Life programme.
- 2 If you finished school abroad, enter the code the guide specifies in the SNP field and start your diploma validation with Colombia's Ministry of Education straight away.
- 3 Venezuelan applicants should note that UdeA does not accept the SIN participation certificate as an equivalent of Saber 11.
- 4 Keep your definitive registration certificate: it is the only proof you are registered, and registration fees are not refunded.
- 5 Check the programme table in the admission guide: places vary a lot, for example 15 in Dramatic Art and 90 in Law for 2027-1.
Costs & financial aid
2026 (minimum-wage basis); registration fees for 2027-1 · figures in COP
UdeA is public, and Colombia's national gratuidad policy covers tuition for undergraduate programmes at public institutions, with extra support for vulnerable students. Foreign students pay 6 Colombian legal monthly minimum wages (SMMLV) per semester if admitted, about COP 10.5 million per semester at the 2026 minimum wage (COP 1,750,905); UdeA quotes the fee in minimum wages, so it rises when the minimum wage is updated each January. UdeA welfare offers a daily lunch or food subsidy for students in financial difficulty, and outside scholarships such as the Impact-U grant for low-income students who move to Medellín.
- 6 SMMLV per semester (COP 10,505,430 at the 2026 minimum wage; 12 SMMLV, COP 21,010,860, a year)
- Tuition for foreign students
- COP 90,800 (Medellín); COP 28,200 (regional campuses)
- Registration fee, 2027-1
- A daily lunch (or food subsidy) for undergraduates in financial need
- Food support
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Medicine
A 13-semester programme in the Facultad de Medicina, one of the most competitive at UdeA; alumnus Pelayo Correa became a leading stomach-cancer pathologist.
Law (Derecho)
90 places for 2027-1; alumni include President Álvaro Uribe and Constitutional Court chief justice Carlos Gaviria Díaz.
Engineering
A dozen engineering degrees in Medellín, from systems, electronics and telecommunications to materials, chemical and sanitary engineering, plus bioengineering; most have 60 places for 2027-1.
Astronomy
A 10-semester astronomy degree with 60 places for 2027-1, an unusual option for undergraduates.
Communications
Alumnus Jesús Abad Colorado, the photojournalist known for documenting Colombia's armed conflict, studied communications at UdeA.
Music
Offered by the Facultad de Artes with its own specific admission process; pianist Teresita Gómez graduated from UdeA.
Research
- Health research is spread across the Facultad de Medicina, the Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública and other health units such as dentistry, nursing, microbiology and nutrition.
- Regional campuses across Antioquia extend teaching and research to rural subregions, with 6,167 applicants for 2027-1.
Schools & faculties
- Facultad de Medicina
- Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública
- Facultad de Ingeniería
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales
- Facultad de Ciencias Económicas
- Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Políticas
- Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas
- Facultad de Artes
- Facultad de Educación
- Facultad de Odontología
- Facultad de Enfermería
- Instituto Universitario de Educación Física y Deporte
Student life
Life in Medellín centres on the Ciudad Universitaria, a campus of brick buildings, gardens and public art, including Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt's monument in front of the Central Library and murals by Pedro Nel Gómez. The campus has a university theatre, an open-air theatre and sports facilities, and its walls carry many commemorative murals. UdeA runs its own cultural media, including the Emisora Cultural radio station and the Alma Máter newspaper. UdeA does not advertise student residences; most students live at home or rent in the city, and welfare services offer food support and a student transport ticket.
- Ciudad Universitaria, built in the 1960s, won Colombia's National Architecture Prize.
- Public art across campus, including works by Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt and Pedro Nel Gómez.
- UdeA's own cultural radio station and the Alma Máter newspaper.
- Regional campuses in towns across Antioquia.
Location
Medellín, the capital of Antioquia, fills the Aburrá Valley in the Andes. The main campus is the Ciudad Universitaria; UdeA also has the Ciudadela de Robledo, the San Ignacio building and a health-sciences area in the city, plus regional campuses in towns such as Puerto Berrío, Caucasia and Santa Fe de Antioquia, so many students can study without moving to the valley.
Nearest airport: José María Córdova International Airport (MDE), Rionegro
Notable alumni
- ÁU Álvaro UribePresident of Colombia 2002-2010; law graduate (1977)
- CG Carlos Gaviria DíazChief Justice of the Constitutional Court and presidential candidate; law graduate (1961)
- IV Iván Velásquez GómezHead of the UN-backed anti-impunity commission in Guatemala (CICIG) and later Colombia's defence minister; law graduate
- PC Pelayo CorreaPathologist who described the 'Correa cascade' of stomach cancer; medical education at UdeA
- JA Jesús Abad ColoradoPhotojournalist documenting human rights and Colombia's armed conflict; BA in communications
- TG Teresita GómezConcert pianist; graduated summa cum laude in piano from UdeA (1966)
- CM Cecilia María VélezColombia's Minister of Education 2002-2010; studied economics at UdeA (1972-1976)
- GA Gonzalo ArangoWriter and founder of the Nadaísmo literary movement; studied law at UdeA for three years without graduating
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to get into the University of Antioquia?
For 2027-1, 35,824 people applied for 7,505 places, about 4.8 per place. Admission is by rank on UdeA's own exam, so competition depends on the programme.
What is on the UdeA admission exam?
Two tests of 40 questions each, logical reasoning and reading comprehension, each worth 50%, taken in up to three hours. UdeA offers free virtual preparation courses.
Can foreign students apply to UdeA?
Yes. You register with a school-leaving exam certificate from your country (or Saber 11) and sit the same admission exam. To enrol you need your secondary diploma validated by Colombia's Ministry of Education and a valid student visa.
How much does UdeA cost for international students?
Admitted foreign students pay 6 Colombian legal monthly minimum wages (SMMLV) per semester, which is COP 10,505,430 per semester (COP 21,010,860 a year) at the 2026 minimum wage of COP 1,750,905; the amount is recalculated when the minimum wage changes. There is also a registration fee of COP 90,800 for Medellín programmes.
Do I need a minimum Saber 11 score for UdeA?
No. UdeA dropped the minimum score requirement, but every applicant must show they took Saber 11 or an accepted equivalent.
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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