University of Oriente

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 8 November 2026.

About the University of Oriente

The University of Oriente was founded on 10 October 1947 in Santiago de Cuba.^[1] EcuRed, a Cuban online encyclopedia, calls it the second public higher-education institution in Cuba and the first in the eastern region, and names the Colegio Seminario San Basilio el Magno (1722) as a precedent. It says the university started with about 98 students, received full autonomy by Law No. 13 in 1951, and closed during the insurrection of the late 1950s. After 1959 it came under the Ministry of Education, and in 2002 it opened municipal university sites in Santiago de Cuba province.^[3]

The Ministry describes it as a university that sets higher-education policy and promotes professional training, science, innovation and extension, and lists it with the accreditation category “Excelencia”.^[1]

The university’s own website was in maintenance on 8 November 2026, so this page relies on the Ministry, EcuRed and Wikipedia, and says where they differ.^[2]

How is the University of Oriente ranked?

We could not confirm a position for the University of Oriente in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026. No source we read lists it, and QS’s own site blocks automated access. Treat it as unranked until a published entry is confirmed.

How we compile rankings. For the national picture, see universities in Cuba.

What can you study at the University of Oriente?

The Ministry counts 65 undergraduate programmes.^[1] EcuRed lists 13 faculties:^[3]

• Sciences and humanities: Natural and Exact Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Education Sciences, Foreign Languages, Physical Culture
• Economics and law: Economic and Business Sciences, Law
• Engineering and construction: Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, Informatics and Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Agronomy, Construction

Wikipedia, whose article has no references, says the university is organised in 12 faculties and includes Distance Education and Medicine.^[5] The lists differ, so check the current faculty on the university’s site once it is back online.

How much does the University of Oriente cost for foreign students?

We found no fee amounts for the University of Oriente. The university’s international-student pages could not be read.^[2]

The only general statement we read comes from the Spanish Embassy in Havana: Cuban universities do not charge enrolment fees (“gastos de matrícula”) to foreign students, and the page gives no information on other costs.^[4] That is a national statement, not a statement by this university. Ask the university before you plan a budget.

How do you apply to the University of Oriente as a foreigner?

The university’s own admission pages for foreigners were not available when we checked.^[2] The Spanish Embassy summarises the national rules (Law 122 of 1995 and MES Resolution 133/2001): a secondary-school diploma or equivalent, an admission exam taken at home or in Cuba, adequate Spanish, a certificate of good conduct and a medical certificate.^[4] Whether a place is open to you depends on the route (agreement, scholarship or self-financed) and is arranged with the university and Cuban consulate.

The Ministry lists the university’s contact as poblacion@consejo.uo.edu.cu and phone (22) 6 330-31.^[1] We give no deadlines because they change every year.

Which language do you need?

Studies in Cuba are in Spanish, and the Spanish Embassy lists adequate Spanish proficiency among the national requirements for foreign students.^[4] The University of Oriente’s own language requirement could not be confirmed.

More about studying in Cuba

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

More university profiles in Cuba

• Central University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas
• Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM)
• University of Havana