Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) is a public, autonomous university in La Paz, Bolivia. It was created by decree on 25 October 1830 and has been fully autonomous since 1936.[1] It has 13 faculties.[2] In the QS Latin America and the Caribbean ranking 2027 it is in the 161–170 band; a QS World University Rankings 2027 placement could not be confirmed.[3]
The pages we could read do not state a tuition rate for degree programmes. They do publish the participation fees for the two entrance routes, and foreign applicants pay more in every call that lists both rates: for example Bs 400 for nationals against Bs 650 for foreign applicants in Technology, and Bs 850 against Bs 5,500 in Dentistry.[4] The calls and the application system are in Spanish.[5]
Key facts
| Official name | Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA)[2] |
| Location | La Paz, Bolivia (Av. Villazón N° 1995, Plaza del Bicentenario; main offices in the Monoblock building)[2] |
| Type | Public university, fully autonomous since 1936[1] |
| Founded | 25 October 1830 by decree, as the Universidad Menor; made the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés by law on 13 August 1831; installed on 2 April 1832[1] |
| Founder | Andrés de Santa Cruz[1] |
| Faculties | 13, from Agronomy to Technology (listed below)[2] |
| Students | No enrolment figure was found on the pages read |
| QS Latin America & Caribbean 2027 | 161–170 (edition published 1 October 2026)[3] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Not confirmed (an aggregator profile shows 1201–1400 for the 2025 edition)[6] |
| Entrance routes | Prueba de Suficiencia Académica (PSA, entrance exam) or Curso Preuniversitario (CPU, preparatory course), set by each faculty[4] |
| Admission-route fees (Bs) | Bs 260–1,140 for nationals and Bs 400–5,500 for foreign applicants, depending on faculty and route; these are not tuition[4] |
| Tuition for degree programmes | Not stated on the pages read |
| Language of the calls | Spanish[5] |
| Official website | umsa.bo |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 7 November 2026.
What is Universidad Mayor de San Andrés?
UMSA was created as the “Universidad Menor” by a decree of 25 October 1830 and began work on 30 November 1830. A law of 13 August 1831 made it the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, and it was formally installed on 2 April 1832. Its founder was Andrés de Santa Cruz.[1] It was a state-run university until the revolution of June 1930, had semi-autonomy from 1930 to 1936 and has been fully autonomous since 1936.[1] Wikipedia calls it Bolivia’s second-oldest university and describes it as the leading public university in the country.[7]
The university gives its address as Av. Villazón N° 1995, Plaza del Bicentenario, in La Paz.[2] Its main offices are in the Monoblock building on Avenida Villazón.[7]
The university’s history page is based on an older text and some of its dates are inconsistent, so the dates above are those it states consistently and that match Wikipedia’s account of the decree of 25 October 1830.[1][7]
How is UMSA ranked?
In the QS Latin America and the Caribbean ranking 2027, published on 1 October 2026 with 517 universities from 27 countries, UMSA is in the 161–170 band.[3][8] Of the four Bolivian institutions on our country list, that is the highest band: Universidad Privada Boliviana is in 191–200,[3] Universidad Mayor de San Simón in 201–250[9] and Universidad Católica Boliviana “San Pablo” in 251–300.[10]
We could not confirm a position in the QS World University Rankings 2027. An aggregator profile lists UMSA’s latest QS World result as the 1201–1400 band in the 2025 edition.[6] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one band as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at UMSA?
UMSA has 13 faculties:[2]
- Agronomía (Agronomy)
- Arquitectura, Artes, Diseño y Urbanismo (Architecture, Arts, Design and Urbanism)
- Ciencias Económicas y Financieras (Economic and Financial Sciences)
- Ciencias Farmacéuticas y Bioquímicas (Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Sciences)
- Ciencias Geológicas (Geological Sciences)
- Ciencias Puras y Naturales (Pure and Natural Sciences)
- Ciencias Sociales (Social Sciences)
- Derecho y Ciencias Políticas (Law and Political Sciences)
- Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación (Humanities and Education Sciences)
- Ingeniería (Engineering)
- Medicina, Enfermería, Nutrición y Tecnología Médica (Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition and Medical Technology)
- Odontología (Dentistry)
- Tecnología (Technology)
The pages we read do not give a total number of programmes. Some calls also cover shorter “Técnico Universitario Superior” programmes, for example in Geological Sciences, and programmes at local sites.[4] Entrance subjects differ by faculty: the Dentistry exam, for example, covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Language and a psychotechnical test.[5]
How much does UMSA cost?
The UMSA pages we could read do not state a tuition rate for degree programmes, so we do not give one. What the university publishes are participation fees for its two entrance routes: the PSA exam and the preparatory course (CPU). They are set per faculty and are higher for foreign applicants in every call that lists both rates. Amounts are in Bolivian bolivianos (Bs) and are not tuition.[4]
| Faculty (route) | Nationals (Bs) | Foreign applicants (Bs) |
|---|---|---|
| Technology (PSA and CPU) | 400 | 650 |
| Dentistry (PSA) | 850 | 5,500 |
| Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition and Medical Technology (PSA) | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Engineering (CPU) | 1,140 | 2,190 |
| Law and Political Sciences (CPU) | 1,000 | 2,550 |
| Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Sciences (CPU) | 1,010 | 3,410 |
| Economic and Financial Sciences (CPU: Accounting, Economics, Business Administration) | 890 | 3,284 |
| Pure and Natural Sciences (CPU) | 890 | 3,060 |
| Architecture, Arts, Design and Urbanism (CPU) | 700 | 1,200 |
| Humanities and Education Sciences (CPU) | 500 | 1,500 |
| Social Sciences (CPU and PSA) | 500 | 1,000 |
| Geological Sciences (PSA) | 260 | 400 |
The admissions page was read on 7 November 2026 and carries calls for the 2026 and 2027 academic years; the individual calls do not always state their year. The Dentistry call, for example, is Convocatoria No. 02/2026 for admission 2027.[5] Fees change from call to call, so use the amount in the call for your faculty.
Tuition and living costs for degree students are not covered by the sources we read. For general costs see our Bolivia guide.
How do you apply to UMSA?
Each faculty publishes its own call for the PSA exam or the preparatory course. Most calls are open to students in their final school year and to bachilleres (school-leaving certificate holders). The calls are listed at convocatorias.umsa.bo.[4]
The Dentistry call for admission 2027 shows the typical steps; other faculties may differ:[5]
- Register on the university’s online system (sia.umsa.bo/preuniversitario) with data identical to your identity document, and pay by one of the enabled payment gateways. Payment from abroad is possible by credit card. Fees are not refunded.
- Foreign applicants email a scan of a valid passport or foreigner’s ID to the faculty’s pre-university address, then upload: a 3×3 cm photograph, passport or foreigner’s ID, a birth certificate legalised by the Bolivian consulate in the country of origin and by the Foreign Ministry (Cancillería), a copy of the bachillerato diploma or its equivalent, duly legalised, the payment receipt and the signed registration form.
- Nationals upload a photograph, ID card, birth certificate, diploma (or the last four school report books), the payment receipt and the signed form.
We give no dates because each call has its own. Applicants who pass the exam but did not show the diploma must present it at matriculation.[5]
Which language do you need for UMSA?
The calls, the registration system and the admission contacts are in Spanish.[5] The calls we read do not mention a language certificate or any English-taught programme, so plan on Spanish for entrance exams and courses and ask the faculty if you need details.[4]
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UMSA free?
The UMSA pages we could read do not state a tuition rate for degree programmes. They do list participation fees for the entrance exam or preparatory course, from Bs 260 to Bs 1,140 for nationals depending on faculty and route.[4]
Do foreign applicants pay more at UMSA?
For the entrance routes, yes: in every call that lists both rates the foreign-applicant fee is higher, for example Bs 650 against Bs 400 in Technology and Bs 5,500 against Bs 850 in Dentistry.[4]
Which documents do foreign applicants need?
In the Dentistry call for admission 2027: a passport or foreigner’s ID, a birth certificate legalised by the Bolivian consulate and the Foreign Ministry, a legalised copy of the bachillerato diploma or its equivalent, a photograph, the payment receipt and the signed form.[5] Other faculties may ask for different documents.
How is UMSA ranked?
It is in the 161–170 band of the QS Latin America and the Caribbean ranking 2027, the highest band of the four Bolivian institutions on our list.[3] A QS World University Rankings 2027 placement could not be confirmed.
What is the difference between UMSA and UMSS?
They are separate public universities: Universidad Mayor de San Andrés is in La Paz[2] and Universidad Mayor de San Simón is in Cochabamba, each with its own admission calls.
More about studying in Bolivia
- Bolivia: best universities
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Bolivia
- Universidad Católica Boliviana “San Pablo”
- Universidad Mayor de San Simón
- Universidad Privada Boliviana
Sources
[1] UMSA: Historia (page without a date; based on an older text with some inconsistent dates)
[2] UMSA: Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, home page (page without a date; address and list of 13 faculties)
[3] xuanxiao.org: QS Latin America & The Caribbean Rankings 2027, page 4 (ranks 151–200; QS publishes the ranking at topuniversities.com, which blocks automated access) (edition published 1 Oct 2026; page without a date)
[4] UMSA: Convocatorias (admission calls and fees) (read 7 Nov 2026; calls for 2026 and 2027, page without a date)
[5] UMSA, Facultad de Odontología: Convocatoria No. 02/2026, PSA, admission 2027 (PDF) (dated La Paz, August 2026)
[6] xuanxiao.org: Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (university profile) (page without a date; latest QS World result listed is the 2025 edition)
[7] Wikipedia: Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (history, type and location; secondary source)
[8] PR Newswire (QS press release, Spanish): QS World University Rankings 2027, Latin America and the Caribbean (published 1 Oct 2026; 517 universities from 27 countries)
[9] xuanxiao.org: QS Latin America & The Caribbean Rankings 2027, page 5 (ranks 201–250) (edition published 1 Oct 2026; page without a date)
[10] xuanxiao.org: QS Latin America & The Caribbean Rankings 2027, page 6 (ranks 251–300) (edition published 1 Oct 2026; page without a date)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.