University of Buenos Aires

Key facts

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

About the University of Buenos Aires

The University of Buenos Aires was founded on 12 August 1821 by a decree of Governor Martín Rodríguez.^[3] It is a public university and has no single campus; its 13 faculties are spread across the city.^[3] The Rectorado (central administration) is at Viamonte 430.^[6]

Four of Argentina’s five Nobel laureates studied at UBA: Carlos Saavedra Lamas (Peace, 1936), Bernardo Houssay (Medicine, 1947), Luis Federico Leloir (Chemistry, 1970) and César Milstein (Medicine, 1984).^[3] UBA reports that more than 70,000 new students enrolled in 2026.^[7]

How is the University of Buenos Aires ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027 (published 18 June 2026), UBA is 84th, unchanged from the 2026 edition, and the only Latin American university in the top 100. The ranking covered 8,808 institutions from 106 countries.^[2] The Argentine press reports the same position.^[11]

UBA’s own news item adds indicator details: 34th in the world for academic reputation and 24th for employability outcomes. It also says that its “international research network” indicator fell and that science-related indicators lost ground, which Rector Ricardo Gelpi links to funding cuts.^[2] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Buenos Aires?

UBA has 13 faculties: Agronomy; Architecture, Design and Urbanism; Economic Sciences; Exact and Natural Sciences; Social Sciences; Veterinary Sciences; Law; Pharmacy and Biochemistry; Philosophy and Letters; Engineering; Medical Sciences; Dentistry; and Psychology.^[1]

Every undergraduate degree begins with the Ciclo Básico Común (CBC), a first year of six subjects taught in person (at most three per semester); UBA XXI offers the CBC subjects remotely through a virtual learning environment.^[10] At postgraduate level, UBA offers specialisations, master’s degrees, doctorates and postdoctoral programmes in its faculties; programmes are listed by faculty on the university’s postgraduate page.^[5]

How much does the University of Buenos Aires cost?

Undergraduate: free of charge

Undergraduate programmes at UBA have been free of charge for everyone, regardless of nationality, since 1949; postgraduate tuition helps to fund this.^[3]

What changed for foreign students

Decree 366/2025 amended Article 2 bis of the Higher Education Law. Free undergraduate study at state institutions covers Argentine citizens and foreigners with permanent residence; state institutions may set fees for other foreign students.^[8] In July 2026 the Under-Secretary for University Policy, Alejandro Álvarez, said that rectors have been legally authorised to charge since 28 May 2025. Each national university decides whether to use this power and at what amount.^[8] A report of 28 July 2026 states that no national university had moved ahead with charging.^[4]

In the sources we read, UBA has announced no fee for foreign undergraduates (checked 7 November 2026). In the same July 2026 debate UBA said that it issues undergraduate degrees only to people holding an Argentine DNI (national identity document).^[4] Check the CBC pages for the current rules before you plan your finances.

Postgraduate programmes

Postgraduate programmes charge fees that differ by faculty. As an example, the Faculty of Law lists a price per course hour; the page carries no date or cohort, so use it only as an indication.^[9]

The page prices each course hour; the total is the hourly value times the hours of each subject. Amounts with “$” are in Argentine pesos; the page does not label the currency of the in-person rate for foreign students.^[9] Living costs are not included; see our Argentina guide.

How do you apply to the University of Buenos Aires?

Undergraduate. Foreign applicants do not sit an admission exam; they enrol through the CBC.^[5] The steps on UBA’s entry page are:^[10]

• Pre-enrolment on the enrolment platform with your DNI, surname and first name. This covers both the in-person CBC and UBA XXI.
• Go in person to a CBC campus with your valid Argentine DNI, your inscription certificate and your secondary-school diploma (or a certificate of completed secondary studies). Documents must be legalised by the UBA Legalizations office before you finish the CBC.
• Choose campus and shift on the CBC site; this is required even if you only take UBA XXI courses.
• After pre-enrolment is processed, you get an email with instructions for enrolling in subjects.

Postgraduate. You apply to the faculty that runs the programme; UBA lists programmes by faculty on its postgraduate page.^[5] Exchange. You can study for a semester through a mobility programme, an agreement between your home university and UBA, or a free-mover application to the relevant faculty.^[5]

We give no dates here because they change every year. The UBA page for foreign students does not set out a document checklist, residence rules or fees; confirm those with the CBC or the faculty.^[5]

Which language level do you need?

If your qualification was issued in a country where Spanish is not the language of instruction, UBA asks for one of two certificates: SIELE Global at level C1, or the advanced Spanish certificate of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters (equivalent to C1).^[5] C1 is the second-highest level on the European CEFR scale (A1 to C2). A news report dates the C1 requirement to 2022.^[7]

For the first semester of 2024 only, a resolution allowed applicants to start enrolment with a B2 exam; the page presents this as a transitional rule for that period.^[5]

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
• National University of La Plata
• Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina