University of Concepción

Key facts

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

About the University of Concepción

The university grew out of a committee led by Enrique Molina, later its first rector, who is described as the central figure of the foundation. The committee decided to open the university at the beginning of 1919 after the government had not acted.^[6] Wikipedia gives 14 May 1919 as the founding date.^[5]

It has three campuses, in Concepción, Chillán and Los Ángeles.^[1] Wikipedia also mentions a unit in Santiago and describes the institution as a private traditional university that belongs to the Council of Rectors (CRUCH).^[5] A news article on the university’s own site notes that it is organised as a private-law corporation but argues that it is a public university because of its origins and its public service.^[7]

How is the University of Concepción ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, the University of Concepción is 662nd in the world, against 613th a year earlier. It is the fifth Chilean university in the list, behind the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (119th), the University of Chile (185th), the Universidad de Santiago de Chile (551st) and the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (655th).^[2][9]

One position is one view; rankings differ by publisher and year. How we compile rankings. See the full table on our Chile page.

What can you study at the University of Concepción?

The university reports more than 90 undergraduate programmes, more than 150 postgraduate programmes, 20 faculties and three schools (Education; Science and Technology; Business and Administration).^[1] The 2026 tuition decree lists programmes such as Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Architecture, Journalism, Psychology, several civil engineering degrees, Marine Biology and teaching degrees, offered at the Concepción, Chillán and Los Ángeles campuses.^[3]

How much does the University of Concepción cost in 2026?

These are the “arancel de lista” amounts in Decree 2025-158 of 11 December 2025 for the academic year 2026. Across the 92 programme listings the range is CLP 4,979,528 to CLP 10,236,008.^[3] The decree sets a basic registration fee (cuota básica) of CLP 52,795 and gives a discount of 10% of the annual amount (5% for a semester) to students who pay in cash by the stated dates.^[3]

The decree also lists an “Arancel Internacional” of US$ 2,100. The text we read does not say who pays it or for what, so ask the university whether it applies to you.^[3]

Who pays the tuition

Students who enter by the special route for applicants from abroad pay the tuition themselves and cannot ask the university for financial support for it. They must hand in a sworn statement that they can pay the tuition and live in Chile.^[4] The ministry’s Gratuidad (state-funded tuition) is open to Chilean nationals and to foreigners with permanent or temporary residence; with temporary residence, upper secondary school must have been completed in Chile.^[10]

How do you apply to the University of Concepción as a foreign student?

UdeC takes part in the national access system.^[8] Its admissions site lists special routes, among them one for secondary studies abroad and one for transfers from foreign universities.^[11]

• Secondary studies abroad: for Chileans or foreigners who did at least two years of secondary school abroad. You can apply for first year in a single programme. Documents include the secondary-school certificate and grades, a certificate from the education authority of the country where you finished school confirming that you can apply to a university there, a sworn statement of financial means, and proof of payment of the “Impuesto Universitario”. Foreign documents must be originals, legalised and translated into Spanish where needed.^[4] Faculties may add tests or interviews. Selected foreign students must show valid health insurance at enrolment.^[4]
• Transfer from a foreign university: for regular students who passed at least the first year of the same programme and keep the right to continue at the home university. You submit transcript, certificate of the right to continue, study plan, sworn statement of means, health insurance certificate and proof of payment of the Impuesto Universitario.^[11]
• PAES route: a foreign applicant who completed secondary school entirely abroad can sit the PAES after the Ministry of Education has recognised the studies; the foreign grades are not used in the weighted score.^[12]

Visa: a foreign applicant can enter and stay in Chile with a student-resident visa, which the Chilean consulate grants once you present the university’s letter of acceptance.^[4]

We give no dates because they change every year; the route’s PDF on the admissions site states the current window. The amount of the Impuesto Universitario is not given on the pages we read.^[11]

Which language do you need?

The admission documents we read are in Spanish and name no language certificate for the routes above.^[4][11] Contact the admissions unit (UDARAE, admision@udec.cl) to ask which level your programme expects.^[4]

More about studying in Chile

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

More university profiles in Chile

• Federico Santa María Technical University
• Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
• University of Chile