Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Ecuador's first private university, built on a US-style liberal arts model with field stations in Galápagos and the Amazon.
- Tuition
- $10,590
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1988
- QS World Ranking
- 771-780
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Suburban
About USFQ
USFQ opened on 1 September 1988 as Ecuador's first fully private university. Its founder, physicist Santiago Gangotena, designed it while doing his doctorate in the United States, borrowing the American liberal arts model: a credit system, an honour code and a campus culture where students call professors by their first names. The main campus is in Cumbayá, in the valley just east of Quito.
The academic year 2024-25 closed with 8,581 undergraduates. Degrees are organised in colleges (colegios) such as Business Administration (CADE), Economics, Science and Engineering (Politécnico), Biological and Environmental Sciences (COCIBA), Health Sciences (COCSA), Social Sciences and Humanities (COCISOH), Communication and Contemporary Arts (COCOA), Law (Jurisprudencia), Architecture and Design (CADI), Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Tourism (CHAT) and Music. USFQ also runs an extension in the Galápagos, the Galápagos Science Center with UNC Chapel Hill, and the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Amazon, which it established in 1994 and runs with Boston University.
Admission combines school grades (60%) and the College Board PAA exam (40%). Teaching is in Spanish, with ESL and other language courses on offer. It suits students who want a broad liberal arts education, fieldwork in some of the world's most biodiverse places and a well-funded aid program.
Studium, Progressus, Labor
“Study, Progress, Work” — university motto
Why students choose USFQ
The Galápagos extension, the Galápagos Science Center and the Tiputini Biodiversity Station give biology and environmental students field access few universities can match.
60% of undergraduates received financial support through USFQ's aid and scholarship program in 2024-25, combining non-repayable partial scholarships with an optional deferred-payment loan.
USFQ is built on a liberal arts philosophy, has 330 international agreements and belongs to networks such as the Global Liberal Arts Alliance and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities.
Annual tuition plus enrolment fees run from about USD 10,600 (music) to USD 14,200 (medicine) in 2026-27, with published rates for every degree.
Admissions
Entry January 2027 or August 2027
Selectivity
USFQ does not publish an acceptance rate. Admission is by a combined score out of 2400: school grades 60% and the College Board PAA 40%, with minimum scores of 1650 for most degrees, 1750 for Dentistry and 1900 for Medicine. In 2024, 3,489 applicants sat the admission exam and 1,767 new students enrolled.
Typical entry requirements
| Ecuadorian bachillerato | Admission score of at least 1650/2400 (60% grades, 40% PAA); 1750 for Dentistry, 1900 for Medicine and for financial aid |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma, Abitur, AP, SAT or a foreign university acceptance letter | Alternative admission routes that can replace the admission exam (not valid for scholarship applications) |
| Foreign secondary diploma | Must be recognised by Ecuador's Ministry of Education, and the student needs a visa or immigration status allowing study in Ecuador |
Deadlines
- Admission exam sessions (rolling) Non-bindingChoose a date in the Admissions Portal
Documents due 5 days before in-person exams and 17 days before online exams. Classes start in August and January.
USFQ admits on a rolling basis with exam dates chosen in the Admissions Portal; there is no single deadline. Scholarship terms published for August 2026 entry may change for entry from January 2027.
How to apply
Register at usfq.edu.ec/es/admisiones/pregrado/aplica and pay the non-refundable USD 110 admission fee. In the Admissions Portal complete personal, family and academic data, choose an exam date or alternative route, and upload documents at least 5 days before an in-person exam or 17 days before an online one. Then sit the PAA and check your result in the portal. Foreign students must send a copy of their student visa to the international office before official admission.
What admissions looks for
- Strong grades in the first two years of bachillerato (60% of the admission score).
- A solid PAA verbal and mathematical score (40% of the admission score).
- For Medicine, at least an 8/10 school average plus a science exam in chemistry, biology and mathematics.
- For financial aid, an admission score of at least 1900/2400.
Tips for applying to USFQ
- 1 Aim for 1900/2400 if you need aid: that is the minimum admission score to apply for financial assistance.
- 2 Use the free PAA study guide, practice test and simulator in the Admissions Portal before your exam.
- 3 An IB Diploma, Abitur, AP or SAT can get you in without the exam, but not into the scholarship programs, so sit the PAA if you want a scholarship.
- 4 International applicants should start the Ministry of Education recognition of their diploma and the Ecuadorian student visa early.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
USFQ's Financial Assistance program combines a non-repayable partial scholarship with an optional repayable deferred payment (pago futuro), personalised to academic profile and family finances; it needs an admission score of 1900/2400 and does not cover enrolment fees. Merit scholarships include Becas de Excelencia, competition scholarships, College of Music, sports, honour (for school flag-bearers) and disability scholarships. In 2024-25, 60% of undergraduates received support, 4,231 through Financial Assistance and 1,102 through merit scholarships.
- 60% of 8,581
- Undergraduates receiving aid or scholarships, 2024-25
- 4,231
- Students in the Financial Assistance program, 2024-25
- 1,102
- Merit scholarship holders, 2024-25
- USD 110 (non-refundable)
- Admission process fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (August to December and January to May), plus an optional summer session
Biology and Environmental Management
Linked to the Galápagos Science Center (opened 2011 with UNC Chapel Hill) and the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Amazon (established by USFQ in 1994 and run with Boston University).
Medicine
Requires the highest admission score (1900/2400) plus a science exam; its outreach projects involved 401 students and reached more than 23,000 people in 2024.
Music (College of Music)
Contemporary performance, composition and music production; the College of Music is a member of Berklee College of Music's Global Partner network.
Civil Engineering
Part of the Politécnico, which is pursuing ABET accreditation for its engineering degrees (Civil Engineering's 2024 work centred on ABET certification, per the rector's report); the college also offers physics, mathematics and other engineering degrees.
Gastronomy and Hospitality
Taught by CHAT, with a USFQ Culinary School and on-campus restaurants.
Research
- The Galápagos Science Center, founded in 2011 with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, runs research on conservation and development in the islands.
- The Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Ecuadorian Amazon, established by USFQ in 1994 and run with Boston University, received about 720 academic visitors in 2024, including 482 international students.
- In 2024, 43 COCIBA professors published 178 Scopus-indexed articles, and USFQ runs a high-performance computing system and USFQ Press journals.
Schools & faculties
- Colegio de Administración de Empresas (CADE)
- Colegio de Economía
- Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías (Politécnico)
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales (COCIBA)
- Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud (COCSA)
- Colegio de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades (COCISOH)
- Colegio de Comunicación y Artes Contemporáneas (COCOA)
- Colegio de Jurisprudencia
- Colegio de Arquitectura y Diseño Interior (CADI)
- Colegio de Hospitalidad, Arte Culinario y Turismo (CHAT)
- College of Music
- Extensión Galápagos
USFQ's 2024 rector's report cites a 75% employability rate among its graduates, with more than 1,900 job opportunities handled by its USFQ PATH careers office.
Student life
USFQ's Cumbayá campus mixes colonial-style buildings, palm-lined plazas and a lagoon, and the university's honour code and first-name culture set a relaxed, American-college tone. Student services include study groups, psychological counselling, an Ethnic Diversity Program for students from Ecuador's peoples and nationalities, a writing centre, a Confucius Institute, a gym and campus restaurants. Around 1,000 international students join each year on exchange and study-abroad programs, and many USFQ students spend a term in Galápagos or at Tiputini.
- Honour Code (Código de Honor y Convivencia) and first-name relationships with professors.
- Ethnic Diversity Program (PDE) supporting students from Ecuador's peoples and nationalities; more than 101 graduated in 2024.
- USFQ Jazz Fest and College of Music concerts.
- Semesters in the Galápagos and field courses at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station.
Location
The main campus is in Cumbayá, a valley east of Quito on the Vía Interoceánica. Quito, Ecuador's capital, sits high in the Andes. Ecuador uses the US dollar, so fees and living costs are paid in USD; USFQ also has an extension on the Galápagos Islands and a research station in the Amazon.
Nearest airport: Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito (UIO)
Notable alumni
- GS Gabriela SommerfeldEcuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs (from 2023) and former airline executive; studied at USFQ
- AG Amy GendeTsáchila politician and member of the National Assembly (2023-2025); bachelor's in International Relations, 2022
- VC Valentina CentenoLawyer and member of Ecuador's National Assembly (elected 2023); studied law at USFQ
- FM Fausto MiñoSinger, songwriter and actor; graduate in journalism and advertising
- GB Gisella BayonaTelevision journalist (Teleamazonas, TC Televisión); journalism graduate
- DT Daniel ToledoJazz double bassist and composer; did most of his studies at the USFQ College of Music before graduating from Berklee
Frequently asked questions
How much does USFQ cost per year?
For 2026-27 on the Quito campus, enrolment plus tuition for two semesters ranges from USD 10,590 (music) to USD 14,165 (medicine); most business, economics and social science degrees cost USD 12,043 a year. Foreign students pay the same rates.
What score do I need to get into USFQ?
A combined admission score of at least 1650 out of 2400 (60% school grades, 40% PAA), 1750 for Dentistry and 1900 for Medicine.
Can I get into USFQ with the SAT or IB?
Yes. The IB Diploma, Abitur, AP, SAT results or an acceptance letter from a foreign university can replace the admission exam, but these routes cannot be used to apply for scholarships.
Does USFQ give financial aid?
Yes. 60% of undergraduates received support in 2024-25. Financial Assistance mixes a partial scholarship with an optional deferred-payment loan and needs an admission score of 1900/2400; there are also merit, sports, music and honour scholarships.
Can international students do a full degree at USFQ?
Yes, if their secondary diploma is recognised by Ecuador's Ministry of Education and they hold a visa that allows study; non-native Spanish speakers take a Spanish placement exam.
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.
- USFQ: Admisiones Pregrado
- USFQ: Admission for regular students (process, scores, alternative routes)
- USFQ: Aranceles, matrícula y formas de pago
- USFQ: Undergraduate tuition and enrolment fees 2026-2027, students entering from August 2023 (PDF)
- USFQ: Financial assistance and scholarships
- USFQ: Financial assistance
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