National University of La Plata

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.

About the National University of La Plata

The idea of a university for La Plata, the new provincial capital, took shape in the late 19th century. Buenos Aires Province passed the law in 1889 and the Provincial University of La Plata was publicly inaugurated on 18 April 1897 under Dardo Rocha, its first rector. It opened with three faculties (Law, Physics and Mathematics, and Chemistry) and a school of midwives.^[2]

In 1905 the national Minister of Justice and Public Instruction, Joaquín V. González, proposed to nationalise it. An agreement between the Nation and the Province was signed on 12 August 1905, and national law 4699 was sanctioned on 19 September 1905. González took office as the first president of the national university on 17 March 1906.^[2] Sources therefore give two dates: 1897 for the provincial university and 1905 for the national university.

UNLP reports about 136,456 students in undergraduate and pre-degree programmes and 16,329 in postgraduate degree programmes.^[7] The Rectorado is at Av. 7 N° 776.^[2]

How is the National University of La Plata ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027 (published 18 June 2026), UNLP is 474th, down 16 places from 458th in 2026, according to Infobae and the aggregator xuanxiao.^[3][4] Another outlet, C5N, printed 481.^[9] The two other sources agree on 474, so we use that figure. QS publishes its ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access, so we could not read QS directly.

Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the National University of La Plata?

UNLP has 17 faculties:^[1]

• Architecture and Urbanism; Arts; Agricultural and Forest Sciences; Astronomical and Geophysical Sciences
• Economic Sciences; Exact Sciences; Law and Social Sciences (Jurídicas y Sociales); Medical Sciences
• Natural Sciences and Museum; Veterinary Sciences; Engineering; Informatics
• Humanities and Education Sciences; Dentistry; Psychology; Journalism and Social Communication; Social Work

The admissions page counts 180 degree and pre-degree programmes.^[1] UNLP’s institutional project of June 2026 lists 165 degree programmes and 241 postgraduate programmes, including 34 doctorates, 75 master’s degrees and 132 specialisations; the two figures count programmes differently.^[7] The university also has a School of Trades.^[1]

How much does the National University of La Plata cost?

UNLP is a state university. Under the Higher Education Law as amended by Decree 366/2025, undergraduate study at state institutions is free for Argentine citizens and for foreigners with permanent residence. State institutions may set fees for other foreign students and may grant them scholarships. In July 2026 the Under-Secretary for University Policy said that rectors have been legally authorised to charge since 28 May 2025; each national university decides whether to use the power.^[5]

UNLP’s resolution on the 2026 intake lists the documents and deadlines for all applicants and mentions no tuition fee. It does ask foreign nationals to hand in a copy of their residence permit (precarious, temporary or permanent) once that procedure is finished.^[6] We found no UNLP decision to charge foreign students without permanent residence (checked 7 November 2026), and the 2027 resolution was not yet published on the page we read.

UNLP also offers grants for students in vulnerable situations, including a housing and dining grant, a monthly economic-aid grant and a free place at the university canteen. The page does not say whether foreign students are eligible.^[8] Fees for postgraduate degree programmes and courses differ by faculty and programme; we did not verify them. Living costs are not included; see our Argentina guide.

How do you apply to the National University of La Plata?

You apply once a year through an online form on the website of the faculty you choose. UNLP accepts applications to one programme and to UNLP only. The resolution for the 2026 intake (Presidential Resolution 1569/2025, published 13 November 2025) sets the rules; the 2027 rules may differ, so check the admissions page.^[6][1]

For the 2026 intake foreign applicants had to upload:^[6]

• a photo of the passport or ID card of their country;
• a front-facing photo;
• the complete secondary-school certificate with subjects and grades, legalised by the competent education authority and the Argentine consulate or apostilled, and translated by a Public National Translator if it is not in Spanish; the Ministry of Education’s validation (convalidación) of the foreign title is required later;
• a Spanish certificate;
• proof of the national vaccination plan according to age (Hepatitis B, double or triple bacterial and triple viral).

Original paper documents have to be presented at the faculty when it asks for them. Foreign nationals must also submit a copy of their residence document once the procedure at the national migration office is finished.^[6]

We give no dates here because they change every year.

Which language level do you need?

Applicants whose first language is not Spanish must prove adequate Spanish. UNLP accepts the CELU certificate or the Certificate of Academic Spanish (CertEA) of its Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences; each faculty decides the level to be shown and may accept equivalent certificates.^[6] The certificate has to be handed in during the registration period.^[6] The CEFR level for each faculty is not given on the page we read, so ask the faculty of your programme.

More about studying in Argentina

• Argentina: best universities
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

More university profiles in Argentina

• Buenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA)
• National University of Córdoba
• Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina
• University of Buenos Aires