University of Santiago, Chile
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
A public university in Santiago with a strong engineering tradition, grown from the 1849 School of Arts and Crafts.
- Students
- 22,000
- Tuition
- CLP 3.7M
- From · 2027
- Founded
- 1849
- QS World Ranking
- #551
- 2027 edition
About Usach
The Universidad de Santiago de Chile (Usach) traces its origins to the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, created by decree on 6 July 1849 to train Chile's first industrial technicians. In 1947 it merged with other technical schools to form the Universidad Técnica del Estado (UTE), with campuses across the country. In 1981 it was renamed Universidad de Santiago de Chile and lost its regional campuses, becoming a single-campus university in the capital.
Today Usach is a public state university on a large campus in the Estación Central district of Santiago, with its own metro station. It has more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offers 72 undergraduate programmes. These are taught by faculties of Engineering, Science, Medical Sciences, Law, Humanities, Administration and Economics, Chemistry and Biology, Technology, and Architecture, plus a Bachillerato (foundation) programme. It holds seven-year institutional accreditation of excellence, the maximum in Chile, and reports 414 research laboratories.
Engineering remains the core of its identity, with more than 20 engineering degrees, but Usach also trains doctors, lawyers, journalists and teachers. Admission is mainly through Chile's national PAES exam and centralised application system, alongside a wide range of special-admission routes, including one for students who finished secondary school abroad. It suits students who want a public, research-active university with a strong technical tradition in central Santiago.
Labor Lætitia Nostra
“Work is our joy” — university motto
Why students choose Usach
Usach offers more than 20 engineering programmes, from Mining and Metallurgy to Biomedical, Mechatronics and Informatics, reflecting its technical-school roots.
Its special admission routes recognise athletes, artists, student leaders, public-school students, Indigenous students and students with disabilities, as well as those who studied abroad.
It holds Chile's maximum institutional accreditation (7 years, all areas) and reports 414 research laboratories.
The single campus in Estación Central has its own metro station (Universidad de Santiago) and includes the Planetario Chile and the Estadio Usach.
Admissions
Admisión 2027 (entry March 2027)
Selectivity
Chile's centralised system publishes no overall admit rate. Usach publishes the weighted scores of the first and last student admitted in 2026 for each programme: Medicine 960.7 to 937.8, Industrial Civil Engineering 878 to 805.9, Informatics Civil Engineering 888.25 to 787.8 and Law 864.6 to 775.3. For 2027, Medicine has 40 regular places, Law 200 and Industrial Civil Engineering 100.
Typical entry requirements
| Chilean secondary education (Licencia de Enseñanza Media) | Valid PAES scores (compulsory tests plus one elective) with an average of at least 485 in Reading and M1, a weighted score above the programme's minimum (550-600), and a place in the ranked list for your chosen programme. Teaching degrees have extra legal requirements (Law 20.903). |
|---|---|
| Secondary studies abroad (Admisión Especial) | Finished secondary school abroad in 2025 or 2026 with an average of 5.0 or more on Chile's 1-7 scale (or equivalent), or an IB Diploma with at least 24 points (French BAC Scientifique 10, BAC ES 12, Italian Esame di Stato 75). You need apostilled transcripts, a secondary-school licence recognised by Chile's Ministry of Education, and ClaveÚnica to apply. There are usually one or two places per programme, and the faculty decides. |
| IB Diploma (schools in Chile) | A separate special-admission route for IB graduates from Chilean schools, closing 23 December 2026. |
| English language | Degree programmes are taught in Spanish, and no English test is required. Documents in languages other than Spanish or English need an official Spanish translation. |
Deadlines
- PAES Regular (national exam) Non-binding Next deadline · In 55 days30 November to 2 December 2026
Registration closed on 27 July 2026 (extended deadline). Scores are published on 4 January 2027.
- Special admission: Estudios Secundarios en el Extranjero (and most other special routes) Non-binding In ~3 months23 December 2026
Applications through Usach's platform with ClaveÚnica. Some routes close earlier: students with disabilities on 18 October 2026, artistic trajectory on 1 December and high-performance athletes on 7 December 2026.
- Centralised application (Postulación) Non-binding In ~3 months7 January 2027, 13:00 (Chile)
Opens on 4 January 2027 at 09:00. Selection results are published on 18 January 2027, and first-stage enrolment runs 19-21 January 2027.
PAES and application dates are from DEMRE's official Admisión 2027 calendar. Special-admission deadlines are from Usach's Admisión Especial page. The earlier PAES de Invierno (15-17 June 2026) has already taken place.
How to apply
Register for and sit the PAES Regular with DEMRE, then apply through the national Acceso platform (Plataforma Electrónica Única), listing up to 20 programme-university combinations in order of preference. Selection is by weighted score. Special-admission routes (studies abroad, IB, sports, arts, public schools, gender parity, Indigenous peoples and others) are applied for directly on Usach's platform with ClaveÚnica. If you need state funding (gratuidad or scholarships), complete the Ministry of Education's FUAS form.
What admissions looks for
- A high weighted score: school grades (NEM), class ranking and PAES results, weighted differently for each programme.
- At least 485 on average across the compulsory PAES Reading and Mathematics 1 tests, and the programme's minimum weighted score (for example 600 for Medicine and Law, 550 for engineering).
- For special admission, a documented trajectory, such as sporting or artistic achievement, leadership, or strong grades from secondary studies abroad.
- For teaching degrees, meeting the national requirements of Law 20.903.
Tips for applying to Usach
- 1 Check each programme's weightings: Medicine and Law put 40% on your class ranking, so strong school grades matter as much as the PAES.
- 2 Use the 2026 last-admitted scores (e.g. 937.8 for Medicine, 775.3 for Law) to decide where to place Usach in your 20 preferences.
- 3 If you finished secondary school abroad, get your transcripts apostilled and your secondary licence recognised by Chile's Ministry of Education well before 23 December 2026.
- 4 Admission through a special route does not bring funding automatically; complete the FUAS on time if you need gratuidad or scholarships.
Costs & financial aid
2027 · figures in CLP
Usach is a state university. Chilean students (and eligible residents) apply for state funding, including gratuidad and ministerial scholarships, through the Ministry of Education's FUAS form. Usach adds its own tuition scholarships (for example for Propedéutico entrants, outstanding athletes, top PAES scorers with educational-trajectory distinctions, and the highest-scoring student from Rapa Nui). It also offers non-tuition awards: daily meals, paid work-study, monthly cash grants and a rent contribution for students from the regions.
- CLP 106,000 per semester
- Enrolment fee (matrícula)
- Up to 10 students with a maximum PAES score (1000) and an educational-trajectory distinction
- Beca DTE (full tuition)
- Monthly rent contribution plus lunch for students from the regions
- Beca de Residencia
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Civil Engineering specialisations (Industrial, Mining, Metallurgy, Mechatronics, Biomedical and others)
The heart of the former technical university. Industrial Civil Engineering has 100 places for 2027, and its last admitted student in 2026 scored 805.9.
Informatics Civil Engineering
Common-plan entry with 60 regular places for 2027; the curriculum covers AI, natural language, robotics and data governance.
Medicine
Fourteen semesters, 40 regular places for 2027, and the highest cut-off at Usach (last admitted in 2026: 937.8).
Law
200 regular places for 2027, weighted 40% on class ranking; the 2026 cut-off was 775.3.
Astrophysics with a Data Science major
An undergraduate astrophysics degree on the campus that also houses the Planetario Chile.
Public Administration
The degree taken by former Labour Minister and 2025 presidential candidate Jeannette Jara.
Research
- Usach reports 414 research laboratories on its campus.
- It holds Chile's maximum institutional accreditation of excellence: 7 years in all areas, valid to March 2028.
- The Planetario Chile on campus has a 22-metre projection dome with a Carl Zeiss star projector.
Schools & faculties
- Facultad de Ingeniería
- Facultad de Ciencia
- Facultad de Ciencias Médicas
- Facultad de Derecho
- Facultad de Humanidades
- Facultad de Administración y Economía
- Facultad de Química y Biología
- Facultad Tecnológica
- Facultad de Arquitectura y Ambiente Construido
- Programa de Bachillerato
Student life
Usach is a single, walkable campus in Estación Central with its own metro stop. Historic Escuela de Artes y Oficios buildings sit alongside modern faculty blocks, sports facilities, the Estadio Usach and the Planetario Chile. The university runs a concert season, theatre, folk music and exhibitions, and its sports facilities are open daily to students. Students are represented by their federation, Feusach. Students from the regions can apply for a monthly rent contribution.
- The Planetario Chile and the Estadio Usach are both on campus.
- The university's concert season, orchestra and music ensembles.
- Feusach, the student federation.
- The Universidad de Santiago metro station serves the campus directly.
Housing. Usach lists no university residences on its admissions pages; students from the regions can apply for a Beca de Residencia, a monthly contribution towards rent plus lunch.
Location
The campus is in the traditional district of Estación Central, just west of central Santiago, on land beside the Quinta Normal where the Escuela de Artes y Oficios built its historic home. The Universidad de Santiago metro station serves the campus. Santiago is Chile's capital and largest city, with a large student population.
Nearest airport: Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), Santiago
Notable alumni
- JJ Jeannette JaraMinister of Labour (2022-2025) and presidential candidate in 2025; public administration degree from Usach (1997)
- KR Karla RubilarDoctor and politician, Minister of Social Development (2020-2022); qualified as a physician at Usach
- SB Solange BersteinEconomist, former Superintendent of Pensions and chair of Chile's Financial Market Commission; commercial engineering at Usach
- TA Tamara AgnicSuperintendent of Pensions (2014-2016); commercial engineering graduate of Usach (1988)
- SC Sergio CamposRadio journalist, voice of Cooperativa's news for 47 years and National Journalism Prize winner (2011); social communication degree from Usach (1995)
- AU Arelis UribeWriter and translator; studied journalism at Usach
- CD Carlos DávilaPresident of Chile's government junta (1932) and Secretary General of the OAS; graduated from the Escuela de Artes y Oficios in 1907
Frequently asked questions
What PAES score do you need for Usach?
You need an average of at least 485 across the compulsory tests and the programme's minimum weighted score (550-600). Competitive programmes go much higher: in 2026 the last students admitted scored 937.8 for Medicine, 805.9 for Industrial Civil Engineering and 775.3 for Law.
How much does Usach cost per year?
Annual tuition runs from CLP 3,678,000 (technology programmes) to CLP 8,262,000 (Medicine), plus an enrolment fee of CLP 106,000 per semester. Eligible students can have fees covered by gratuidad or scholarships through the FUAS.
Can international students apply to Usach without the PAES?
Yes. The 'Estudios Secundarios en el Extranjero' special-admission route is for anyone who finished secondary school abroad in 2025 or 2026 with an average of 5.0 or more (Chilean scale) or an IB score of 24 or more. Applications close on 23 December 2026.
When is the PAES for 2027 admission?
The PAES Regular runs from 30 November to 2 December 2026. Scores come out on 4 January 2027, and applications close on 7 January 2027.
Is Usach a public university?
Yes. Usach is a Chilean state university, founded as the Escuela de Artes y Oficios in 1849 and later the Universidad Técnica del Estado.
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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