Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa

Key Highlights

• Licensed public university listed by Peru's SUNEDU
• Founded in Arequipa on 11 November 1828
• Academic organization spans Engineering, Biomedical Sciences and Social Sciences
• Regional branches operate in Camaná, Mollendo and Majes

Student Life & Environment

Student support is coordinated through UNSA's Dirección de Bienestar Universitario. Its stated responsibilities cover health, psychological support, social assistance, food, housing-related support, sport, recreation, culture and the arts. The mix is broader than extracurricular programming alone and is intended to address academic participation and personal welfare. For the 2026-A semester, the university reported that its dining service, University Ombudsman's Office, welfare services and medical units were operating. Health provision includes departments in the Biomedical, Engineering and Social Sciences areas, with additional coverage at regional branches. Services address physical and emotional health through multidisciplinary teams. Students needing regular treatment, disability accommodations or specialized care should still confirm the scope, eligibility and referral arrangements before enrolling. The university dining program planned capacity for 3,000 students in 2026 and prioritized applicants experiencing economic vulnerability. Access required a separate online application and socioeconomic assessment, so it should not be treated as an automatic meal plan for all enrolled students. Art, culture, sport and recreation activities are also part of the welfare structure. Institutional transport was expected to continue in 2026, with routes and schedules communicated separately through official channels.

Location & Surroundings

UNSA is based in Arequipa, the principal city of southern Peru. Its academic facilities in the city are distributed across the Engineering, Social Sciences and Biomedical areas rather than presented as one compact, all-purpose campus. The university lists its rectorate at Santa Catalina 117 and its technology office at Calle Universidad 107, while individual faculties publish their own addresses. Prospective students should identify the location of their professional school before arranging housing or estimating daily travel. Beyond central Arequipa, UNSA has branches in Camaná, Mollendo and Majes. These sites extend public university provision across the Arequipa region, but program availability, facilities and student services differ by branch. A regional applicant should verify that the chosen program is actually authorized and delivered at the intended site. Arequipa's urban setting places students near government, commercial, cultural and professional institutions serving southern Peru. At the same time, the university's dispersed facilities and regional footprint make commuting requirements program-specific. The reviewed official material did not establish a general residential-campus model or guarantee university housing, so applicants should plan accommodation independently unless a current welfare office notice confirms assistance.

Costs & Career Outcomes

As a public university, UNSA recognizes tuition-free teaching for eligible first undergraduate study under Peruvian law, but this should not be interpreted as a completely cost-free education. Admission, administrative procedures, degree processing, materials, transport and living expenses may still apply, and second-degree study can be treated differently. Applicants should request a current, program-specific schedule of charges before making a financial plan. For the Ordinary II Phase 2026 undergraduate examination, the application charge was S/126 for graduates of national schools, S/176 for graduates of parochial schools and S/276 for graduates of private schools. The university published the same categories for its first 2027 ordinary phase. These are examination-registration charges, not annual tuition figures. Graduate costs are decentralized and can vary substantially by faculty and program. For example, UNSA's Faculty of Administration advertised 2026 master's study at S/450 over 16 installments, totaling S/7,200, and doctoral study at S/600 over 22 installments, totaling S/13,200. Those figures must not be generalized across the postgraduate school. For career development, UNSA maintains an institutional employment-board and graduate-follow-up function, while its innovation and research units connect selected projects with enterprise and technology-transfer activity. No verified graduate salary, placement rate or employer-outcome statistic was found, so applicants should evaluate career prospects by program and profession.