History
Since its creation in 1940, the University of Costa Rica has channeled its efforts into a steady, untiring and unrestrained search for truth, efficacy and beauty, as established by its organic statute.
Education
Teaching in the University of Costa Rica, as in any other public higher education institution is the main engine of university life, which forms students in the different majors offered by the Institution. Teaching in the UCR is done through 13 colleges, 47 schools, 6 campuses and 11 sites that host over 38 thousand students all over the country.
Research
In Costa Rica, the academic sector, and especially public universities, is the one that invests the most in scientific research. The UCR is the largest and oldest of the state universities in the country; it stands out as the institution that makes the most research at the national level in all the areas of knowledge: Engineering, Sciences, Letters, Arts, Social Sciences, Health, and Agro-food Sciences.
University of Costa Rica Key Statistics & Highlights
- #499 Ranking
- 46 Scholarships
- 5,000 Academic Staff
- 45,000 Students
University of Costa Rica Overview
University of Costa Rica Scholarships
University of Costa Rica Scholarships
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University of Costa Rica Student Reviews & Awards
Based on 19 reviews
- 5 Star 6 Reviews
- 4 Star 10 Reviews
- 3 Star 1 Review
- 2 Star 0 Reviews
- 1 Star 2 Reviews
A competitive experience
I enjoyed that the study plan for the career is modern, up to date and competitive with international standards, I feel that I have obtained solid bases from it to take a step into the international academic scene.
Short Application Review
My experience includes not only hands-on development but also researching and integrating innovative approaches to optimize performance and scalability.
Technological Institute of Costa Rica
Well, I'm almost at the end of my bachelors degree in computer engineering at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica and I would summarize my experience there as really hard, there was many many nights without sleep but I think I made the most out of it, and I think I'm overall prepared in many fields of informatics. It was difficult but I'm doing it and soon I'll have my degree.
University of Costa Rica Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
QS World University Rankings
By TopUniversities
Dropped 2 places compared to 2025
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend QS World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 544 | 497 | 499 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
World University Rankings
By Times Higher Education
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1201 | - | 1501 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
By U.S. News & World Report
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1005 | - | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Student services
Since its founding, and especially during the first few of its more than seven decades, the University of Costa Rica has benefitted from international cooperation through agreements with prestigious universities around the world. Today its Office of International Affairs and External Cooperation is dedicated to establishing ties with foreign academic institutions, seeking greater student and teacher mobility in order to improve its faculty staff, who can obtain their master's, doctorate and post-doctorate degrees.
Housing services
The University of Costa Rica houses a permanent average population of 40,000 students, distributed between its main campus and its regional campuses.
The main campus of the University of Costa Rica is the Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, named after Rodrigo Facio Brenes, former President of the University who in the 50s and 60s led the reform that had made of the Institution one of the best known in the hemisphere .Library services
The University of Costa Rica offers the students a wide variety of services and resources. Through these services, the University seeks to complement the student's formation process, development and college experience.
ICT services
The students also have access to wireless internet, a library system with access for disabled people, heath services, student insurance, vocational guidance, academic support and a student defense office which ease their journey through the Alma Mater.
Campus life
The university campus has different green areas where students can spend some idle time, or even, during the dry season, get their lessons outdoors is the course allows for it. An internal bus system facilitates the transportation to the different properties of the Rodrigo Facio Campus, and the external transportation service provides the means to go to different areas of the Great Metropolitan Area.
Sports facilities
University life, in addition to the academic spaces, is surrounded by multiple options for recreation, the practice of sports, entertainment, exhibits, art performances that students can attend without spending too much.
The University also has sports, recreational and artistic programs, representation groups and programs like volunteerism and leadership that encourage the student to get involved both inside and outside of the university community, thus strengthening their human development.