Universidad Espíritu Santo (UEES)
Universidad Espíritu Santo
A private Guayaquil-area university with three entry terms a year and two degrees taught entirely in English.
- Students
- 4,596
- Founded
- 1994
- QS World Ranking
- 901-950
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Suburban
About UEES
Universidad Espíritu Santo (UEES) began academic activity in 1994 as a private, self-financed, non-profit institution. Its campus is at Km 2.5 on the road to Samborondón, just outside Guayaquil. The university says it received accreditation from the national quality council CACES for five years, and its founding principles include academic rigour, ethics and freedom.
The undergraduate list has more than 40 degrees, from Medicine, Dentistry, Law and Civil Engineering to Music Production, Dance and Digital Business. Two degrees are taught entirely in English: International Human Resources Management and International Business. The university groups its degrees under faculties or areas such as Architecture, Communication, Health Sciences, Law Policy and Development, Entrepreneurship, International Studies, Tourism and Hospitality, Humanities and Engineering.
Entry is unusual: instead of one national score, applicants register online and take a levelling course (curso de nivelacion) that they must pass or have waived, before becoming regular students. Students pay in 12 monthly instalments per year, and the year is split into three terms starting in January, May and September (Medicine uses April and September). UEES suits students who want a private campus near Guayaquil, and for the two English degrees, students who prefer to study in English.
Non progredi regredi est
“Not going forward is going backwards” — university motto
Why students choose UEES
Two undergraduate degrees are taught 100 percent in English: International Human Resources Management and International Business.
Three start dates a year (January, May, September) and 22 one-month levelling courses spread from January to November let students start close to when they finish school.
IB Diploma holders are exempt from the whole levelling course (except Medicine and Dentistry, where two subjects remain) and can have up to two degree subjects recognised.
Monthly fees cover tuition, enrolment, library, sports complex, medical dispensary and counselling, with the price frozen for the payment period chosen.
Admissions
Admissions 2026 page (entry terms in 2027 use the same process)
Selectivity
UEES publishes no acceptance rate. Registering online and passing (or being exempted from) the levelling course is the route to becoming a regular student.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school completion | Bachiller title or graduation certificate; if unavailable, a school transcript showing name and school (PDF, notarised copy) |
|---|---|
| Identification | Ecuadorian cedula or passport (PDF) |
| IB or SAT/AP (optional) | IB Diploma or certificate, or SAT/AP score report, to earn levelling course exemptions |
| Transfer students | Latest grade report and syllabi of approved subjects, certificates of no disciplinary sanctions and no third-attempt courses; documents due within 90 days of the start of classes |
Deadlines
- Term start: January Non-bindingJanuary (exact date in the academic calendar)
UEES has three terms a year for all degrees except Medicine.
- Term start: May Non-bindingMay (exact date in the academic calendar)
- Term start: September Non-bindingSeptember (exact date in the academic calendar)
Medicine uses two terms, starting in April and September.
UEES states term months but the 2027 academic calendar dates were not readable on the pages fetched, so exact dates are not given. Levelling courses run from the first working Monday of the year to the second week of November (22 one-month courses for most degrees, 11 two-month courses for Medicine).
How to apply
Register on the UEES undergraduate admissions system: request a code with a valid email, enter your province, city and school, state any flag-bearer, IB or SAT/AP distinction, choose your degree, review the cost and monthly payments, enter personal data, upload documents, choose a levelling course date and pay for it if you owe anything.
What admissions looks for
- Completion of secondary school with valid documents.
- Passing the levelling course, or earning an exemption through IB, SAT/AP or a flag-bearer or escort distinction.
- For transfers, approved subjects that can be recognised, with a clean disciplinary record.
Tips for applying to UEES
- 1 Use the online cost form before applying: the price of each degree and your possible scholarships are only shown after you request a code.
- 2 IB Diploma students should choose a levelling course date close to the start of their term: the diploma exempts the course but the date is used as a reference for entry.
- 3 Medicine and Dentistry students cannot skip the whole levelling course, even with an IB Diploma.
- 4 Ask about scholarships for students from other cities: UEES lists a mobility scholarship.
- 5 Contact admissions on the on-site appointment service, which runs on Saturdays.
Costs & financial aid
2026 · figures in USD
UEES does not publish a degree price table: the admissions, requirements and FAQ pages (checked 30 Sep 2026) only point to its online cost form (erp.uees.edu.ec, needs a code requested with an email), so no tuition figure is stated here. The admissions system shows each degree's cost and applicable scholarships after you request a code. Students pay in 12 interest-free monthly instalments a year, with the price frozen for the payment period chosen; the monthly fee includes tuition, enrolment, WiFi, parking, gym, libraries, counselling and the sports complex. Scholarships listed: Plan Talento (flag bearers and escorts), Innovation (engineering and strategic degrees), Mobility (students from other cities), sports, disability and ethnicity, plus automatic scholarships for students from partner schools. Students with a flag-bearer or escort distinction get the levelling course free.
- 12 monthly instalments a year, interest-free, price frozen for the chosen period
- Payment plan
- USD 500 (Master double room with bathroom); USD 400 (Twin, shared bathroom); USD 400 (Junior single, shared bathroom); food not included
- University residences (monthly, per person)
- 32 percent of current students come from schools in other cities
- Students from other cities
Academics
Academic calendar: Three terms a year (January, May, September); Medicine has two (April and September). UEES calls them cuatrimestres.
International Business (100% in English)
One of two undergraduate degrees UEES lists as taught entirely in English.
International Human Resources Management (100% in English)
The second fully English-language undergraduate degree.
Medicine and Dentistry
Health degrees with longer levelling courses (two months) and Medicine on a two-term April and September calendar.
Music Production, Musical Arts and Dance
Performing-arts degrees alongside business and engineering.
Environmental Sciences and Biodiversity and Genetic Resources Engineering
Two engineering degrees in environment and biology; UEES has an Innovation scholarship for engineering and strategically important degrees.
Digital Business and Entertainment Business
Business degrees tied to media and technology.
Research
- The university runs a Research Center (Centro de Investigaciones), an ethics committee for human-subject research (CEISH UEES) and interdisciplinary research lines.
- Its impact page tracks Scopus-indexed publications and reports growth in 2025, but the counter could not be read, so no figure is given.
- It hosts a Think Tank, a Legality Culture chair, the Government School (Escuela de Gobierno) and the CAMUEES community service centre.
Schools & faculties
- Architecture and Design
- Communication
- Health Sciences
- Law, Policy and Development
- Entrepreneurship (Economics and Business)
- International Studies
- Tourism and Hospitality
- Humanities
- Engineering
UEES runs an in-house jobs platform (UEESJOBS) and a graduate network, but the employment percentages on its impact page load through counters and could not be read.
Student life
UEES has a single suburban campus at Km 2.5 on the road to Samborondón, with a sports complex, gym and a medical dispensary covered by the monthly fee. It runs university buses (BUEES), a student handbook, clubs, and sports. Residences for women and for men are available subject to availability, and students can spend a semester abroad through the International Affairs Office. Incoming exchange students apply through that office with a Spanish placement test if their first language is English.
- BUEES university buses with published routes and timetables.
- Sports complex with courts and a pool, gym and student lounges included in the monthly fee.
- Residences for women and men, with rooms at USD 400 to 500 a month.
- Exchange programme for outgoing and incoming students through the International Affairs Office.
Housing. UEES has separate university residences for women and men (subject to availability), with monthly room rates of USD 400 to 500 per person and food not included.
Location
The campus is at Km 2.5 on the road from Guayaquil to Samborondon, just outside Guayaquil. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city and main port. The climate is hot and humid, and the university runs its own buses.
Nearest airport: Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE)
Notable alumni
- PA Pablo Arosemena MarriottEconomist; studied economics at UEES (2001 to 2002); Minister of Economy and Finance of Ecuador from July 2022 to November 2023
- SG Sonsoles GarciaLawyer; law graduate of UEES; former Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries (Wikipedia notes she took the post in October 2023)
- SA Sofia AlmeidaStudied business sciences at UEES; president of Ecuador's Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control from October 2020 to February 2022
- JG Jose de la GascaLawyer; postgraduate degree in criminalistics and forensic sciences at UEES (postgraduate study); Minister of Government from November 2024 to July 2025
- JP Jonathan ParraLawyer and national assembly member since November 2023; master's in constitutional law at UEES (postgraduate study)
- DL Diana LeonTelevision presenter and model; studied organisational communication and public relations at UEES
- AA Andrea Aguilera ParedesMiss Supranacional 2023; began a business degree in international business at UEES in 2022 (current or recent student)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to take an entrance exam for UEES?
UEES lists no national entrance exam. You register online, upload your documents and take a levelling course that you must pass to enter as a regular student, unless you are exempt through an IB Diploma, a high SAT/AP score, or a flag-bearer or escort distinction.
Does UEES teach in English?
Two undergraduate degrees are taught 100 percent in English: International Human Resources Management and International Business. Other degrees are taught in Spanish.
How much does UEES cost?
UEES does not publish degree prices as text; the cost is shown by its online admissions form after you request a code, and is paid in 12 monthly instalments a year. University residences cost USD 400 to 500 per person per month, with food extra.
When does UEES start each year?
For all degrees except Medicine there are three terms a year, starting in January, May and September; Medicine starts in April and September. Levelling courses begin the first working Monday of the year and run until the second week of November.
Can foreign students apply to UEES?
The admissions form accepts a passport instead of an Ecuadorian ID. Visiting exchange students apply through the International Affairs Office at least 40 days before the program starts and need a student visa for stays longer than 90 days.
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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