University of Havana
Universidad de La Habana
Cuba's oldest university, founded by Dominican friars in 1728, on a hilltop campus in Havana's Vedado district.
- Founded
- 1728
- QS World Ranking
- 851-900
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Urban
About UH
The University of Havana was founded on 5 January 1728 by Dominican friars at the Convent of San Juan de Letrán as the Royal and Pontifical University of San Gerónimo of Havana. It is the oldest university in Cuba. It became a secular institution in 1842, and in the early 20th century it moved to the Colina Universitaria (University Hill) in Vedado. Its monumental staircase, crowned by the Alma Mater statue sculpted by Mario Korbel in 1919, is one of Havana's best-known landmarks, and the main campus has been a National Monument since 1978.
UH has 16 faculties and 3 institutes, teaching 36 degree programmes in economics and accounting, natural sciences and mathematics, and social sciences and humanities. Daytime degrees usually take four years, and many are also offered part-time (curso por encuentros) or by distance learning. Less common options include nuclear physics, radiochemistry and nuclear and energy technologies at the Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (InSTEC), meteorology, and design at the Higher Institute of Design.
The university looks after major heritage collections, including the Felipe Poey Natural History Museum (founded 1842), the Montané Anthropological Museum and a classical archaeology collection. Teaching is in Spanish. It suits students interested in Cuban and Caribbean society, the sciences or languages, and comfortable with a public system whose entry routes for foreign students (government agreements, government-funded or self-funded places and ministerial exemptions) are set out on UH's international page.
Why students choose UH
It is Cuba's oldest university, founded in 1728, and its hilltop campus in Vedado has been a National Monument since 1978.
Specialised science degrees include Nuclear Physics, Radiochemistry and Nuclear and Energy Technologies (InSTEC), Meteorology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Language degrees in German, French, English and Russian, each with a second foreign language, are taught over four years.
UH has run an International Summer School with short courses, workshops and cultural activities for visiting students (the latest edition on its summer school page is July 2023).
Admissions
Academic year 2027-2028 (dates shown are from the 2026-2027 cycle)
Selectivity
UH does not publish an acceptance rate. Cuban applicants sit national entrance exams in Mathematics, Spanish and History of Cuba, and places go first to those scoring at least 60 points. Popular degrees fill with higher scores. International students enrol through the routes UH lists on its 'Estudiar en la UH' page: government agreements, government-funded places, self-funding, ministerial fee exemptions and semester courses.
Typical entry requirements
| Cuban applicants (daytime course) | Completed upper-secondary education, aged 28 or under when applying, not already a university graduate, and passing the entrance exams (priority to scores of 60 or more) |
|---|---|
| International applicants (daytime course) | Scholarship-holder, self-funded, or covered by an institutional or intergovernmental agreement; aged 25 or under; education equivalent to Cuban pre-university level; aptitude tests for degrees with extra requirements |
| English language | Teaching is in Spanish. UH does not publish an English or Spanish test score requirement on its admissions pages. |
Deadlines
- Entrance exam registration, Concurso route, daytime course (previous cycle) Non-binding Passed27 April to 4 May 2026
For the 2026-2027 academic year; registration in person, 9:00 to 14:00.
- Entrance exams (previous cycle) Non-binding Passed5, 9 and 12 June 2026
Mathematics on 5 June, Spanish on 9 June, History on 12 June 2026, at the Julio Antonio Mella building.
UH had not published its 2027-2028 admissions call when checked, so the dates shown are from the 2026-2027 cycle (previous cycle). International applicants follow the timetable of their agreement or scholarship scheme.
How to apply
Cuban applicants on the Concurso route register in person at UH's Admissions Office (Dirección de Ingreso, Física Antigua building) with ID, a photo and their secondary certificate, list up to 10 degree choices and sit the entrance exams. International applicants usually apply through their government's agreement with Cuba, a scholarship scheme or as self-funded students, by contacting UH's International Relations offices.
What admissions looks for
- Completed upper-secondary education (or an equivalent foreign qualification for international students).
- Entrance exam results in Mathematics, Spanish and History of Cuba for Cuban applicants, with priority from 60 points.
- For degrees with special requirements, passing an aptitude test.
- For international students, eligibility under a scholarship, self-funding arrangement or government or institutional agreement, and an age of 25 or under for the daytime course.
Tips for applying to UH
- 1 If you are applying from abroad, first check whether your government or a scholarship agency has an agreement with Cuba. UH lists government agreements, government-funded places, self-funding and ministerial fee exemptions as its main entry routes for foreign students.
- 2 Contact UH's International Relations offices before applying as a self-funded student; the university does not publish a fee table online.
- 3 Check the age limit: international applicants to the daytime course must be 25 or under.
- 4 UH has run an International Summer School for visiting students, but its summer school page still describes the July 2023 edition, so ask UH whether one is planned before counting on it.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
UH's 'Estudiar en la UH' page lists the main ways international students enrol: through government agreements (undergraduate and postgraduate), government-funded places (undergraduate), as self-funded students (undergraduate and postgraduate), fee-exempt under ministerial agreements, and on semester courses under agreements or self-funded. UH's website does not publish tuition amounts for self-funded students, so ask the International Relations office for current fees.
- 735 from 39 countries
- International students (2021)
Academics
Law
Offered as a four-year daytime degree and part-time or by distance learning; alumni include writer Dulce María Loynaz, who took a doctorate in civil law.
Nuclear Physics and Radiochemistry (InSTEC)
Rare specialisations, alongside Nuclear and Energy Technologies, taught at UH's Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences.
Economics
Taught at UH since 1962, with two professional tracks: Global Economics and Business Administration.
Foreign Languages (German, French, English, Russian)
Four-year degrees, each combined with a second foreign language.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
One of UH's natural science degrees, alongside Biology, Microbiology and Chemistry.
Art History
Four-year daytime degree in the humanities; alumnus Carlos Alfonzo, later collected by the Whitney Museum, earned his art history degree here.
Research
- The Felipe Poey Natural History Museum, founded in 1842, holds about 500,000 items; UH's history and heritage page describes it as Cuba's oldest public museum.
- The Juan Miguel Dihigo classical archaeology collection, founded in 1919, is described on UH's history and heritage page as the first of its kind in Latin America.
- More than 500 UH works are listed in Cuba's National Register of Cultural Property.
- UH has a network of research centres and takes part in international projects, including Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Accounting and Finance
- Faculty of Economics
- Faculty of Tourism
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Physics
- Faculty of Chemistry
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computing
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Philosophy and History
- Faculty of Arts and Letters
- Faculty of Foreign Languages
- Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (InSTEC)
Student life
Student life centres on the Colina Universitaria in Vedado, where the grand staircase and the Alma Mater statue lead up to the university's historic buildings. The university runs sports, artistic and literary groups, community projects and honorary chairs (cátedras), and an Open Day each academic year introduces applicants to its faculties. The student federation (FEU), founded in December 1922, is a long-standing part of university life. UH has also run an International Summer School for visiting students; the latest edition described on its page ran from 3 to 21 July 2023.
- The staircase (escalinata) and the Alma Mater statue by Mario Korbel (1919), symbols of the university.
- University museums, including the Felipe Poey Natural History Museum and the Montané Anthropological Museum.
- International Summer School (latest edition on UH's page: 3 to 21 July 2023), open to undergraduate, postgraduate and bachillerato students, in person or online.
- An Open Day (Puertas Abiertas) each academic year, with faculty activities in person and online.
Housing. UH has a student residence system; details of places for international students are not published online.
Location
Havana is Cuba's capital. The University of Havana's main campus stands on a hill in Vedado, a central district of the city, with its address at San Lázaro and L streets. Its entrance exams are held in the Julio Antonio Mella building on L Street, and some units, such as the management of the Institute of Pharmacy and Food, are based on the outskirts of the city.
Nearest airport: José Martí International Airport (HAV)
Notable alumni
- NG Nicolás GuillénPoet regarded as Cuba's national poet; studied law
- DM Dulce María LoynazPoet and 1992 Miguel de Cervantes Prize winner; doctorate in civil law (1927)
- FC Fidel CastroLeader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011; studied law
- DF Danny FaurePresident of Seychelles 2016 to 2020; political science degree
- NM Nancy MorejónPoet, critic and translator; graduated with honours in 1966
- CA Carlos AlfonzoCuban-American painter collected by the Whitney Museum; art history degree (1977)
- ÁA Ángel ArangoPioneering Cuban science-fiction writer; Doctor of Civil Law
Frequently asked questions
Can international students study at the University of Havana?
Yes. International students enrol mainly through government agreements, government-funded places, as self-funded students or under ministerial fee exemptions. UH reported 735 international students from 39 countries in 2021.
How much does the University of Havana cost for foreigners?
UH does not publish tuition fees for self-funded international students on its website. Contact its International Relations office for current fees.
Is there an entrance exam for the University of Havana?
Cuban applicants take entrance exams in Mathematics, Spanish and History of Cuba. International applicants follow the terms of their agreement or Ministry of Higher Education rules, with aptitude tests for some degrees.
What language are courses taught in at the University of Havana?
Degree programmes are taught in Spanish.
What is the University of Havana's QS ranking?
The University of Havana is in the 851-900 band of the QS World University Rankings 2027.
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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