Higher Education

Costa Rican investment in higher education is yielding substantial benefits. Universities produce not only highly trained individuals, who are very well appreciated by the multinational companies, but also entrepreneurs with the ability to develop their own companies, specially in high-tech areas.

Currently, Costa Rica has fifty-four universities, four of which are public and the rest are privately owned and managed. The Ministry of Education through the National Council of Higher Education (CONESUP) supervises all of them.

  Ø Universidad de Costa Rica - UCR (University of Costa Rica)

  Ø Universidad Nacional – UNA (National University)

  Ø Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica - ITCR (Costa Rica’s Technical Institute)

  Ø Universidad Estatal a Distancia – UNED (State University at a Distance)

Based on data from the National Deans Commission, in 2005 these four public universities were attended by 66,359 students.

Between 1993 and 2002, 85,038 students have graduated from public universities, while during the same period 96,403 students got degrees from private universities.

With 26,111 students in 2005, the prominent University of Costa Rica leads annual enrollment at the higher education level. This university, founded in 1843 in the city of San Jose, has the most ample range of degrees offered in the country, either by the number of careers it offers or the degree levels that can be opted for.

The UCR and the ITCR, are the leaders in higher and specialized technical education in the country. Between 1993 and 2002, 10,133 degrees in the field of engineering were granted, most of which coming from these institutions. Much of the emphasis put into these areas of study has been stirred by the increasing demand of technologically intensive industries, which shows the interest of local authorities and the capability the higher education system to respond quickly and meet changing demand promptly.

Private universities are generally smaller than their public counterparts, either measured by the number of students or the variety of professional careers they offer. These institutions of higher education usually cater to the demand of working persons that wish to expand their capabilities while still holding their jobs. Among the private universities.

The National deans commission, offers information regarding the number of graduates from public and private universities, which totaled 26,472 in 2004.

In addition to local education, Costa Rican students have been successful in accessing internationally recognized foreign graduate degree programs, especially in the US. Recognizing this potential, Harvard University established a highly accredited extension program in Costa Rica called INCAE, that is currently ranked as second leading business school in Latin America. This institution has done pioneering investigations about the factors that determine Costa Rica’s competitiveness and the best strategies to take advantage of them.