Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM)

Key facts

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

About PUCMM

PUCMM describes itself as a Catholic, non-state institution of service to the community. It was created on 9 September 1962 by the Dominican Episcopal Conference and says it is open to everyone regardless of race, social class, ideology or religious belief.^[1]

It has two campuses: the main campus in Santiago de los Caballeros (CSTI) and the Santo Domingo campus (CSD), plus an extension in Puerto Plata.^[1] The Santiago campus lies on the Autopista Duarte, Km 1½, was inaugurated on 26 January 1967 and covers 950,000 square metres; the Santo Domingo campus began work in 1981.^[8][6]

The university reports 13,890 students for 2024–2025, 40% of whom received some form of financial assistance, and a global employability rate of 95% more than six months after graduation.^[2] The home page lists more than 105,000 graduates worldwide.^[7]

How is PUCMM ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, PUCMM is in the 1401+ band, the lowest band of the 1,504 ranked institutions. The Dominican press describes it as the highest-placed Dominican university in that edition.^[5][9]

In the QS Latin America & Caribbean Rankings 2027, published on 1 October 2026, PUCMM is 140th of 517 ranked institutions.^[4] The university’s 2024–2025 report puts it at 151–160 in the previous (2026) regional edition.^[2]

The report adds that PUCMM is the only Dominican university in the Times Higher Education Latin America 2026 ranking, in the 126–150 band.^[2] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at PUCMM?

According to the 2024–2025 report, the university has four faculties:^[2]

• Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (FCSHA)
• Economic and Administrative Sciences (FCEA)
• Science and Engineering (FCI)
• Health Sciences (FCS)

The home page lists undergraduate programmes, postgraduate programmes, 100% online programmes and higher technical programmes.^[7] The report counts more than 45 STEM programmes: 16 undergraduate degrees, 23 postgraduate programmes and 9 higher technical programmes.^[2]

In 2024–2025 the Industrial and Systems Engineering programme, taught on both campuses, received ABET accreditation valid until 2031, and the International Business concentration of the Business Administration degree received an AACSB Academy certification.^[2]

How much does PUCMM cost in 2026–2027?

These amounts come from the university’s fee regulations for the 2026–2027 academic period (RD$ is the Dominican peso).^[3] The same list applies the credit price to courses taken by tutoring and to theses, and charges fees for admission applications (RD$5,000, or US$150 for students in programmes priced in dollars) and for validating courses taken elsewhere (RD$7,700 per request, credited against the validated courses, plus RD$1,200 per credit).^[3]

The list does not state how many credits make up a term, so we give no yearly total. Specialised laboratories and other programmes follow separate rules from the finance office.^[3] Foreign students are charged in US dollars; the 2026–2027 list also has separate rates for special and language students (US$270 per credit) and for auditors (US$370 per credit).^[3] PUCMM reports that 40% of its students received financial assistance in 2024–2025.^[2]

How do you apply to PUCMM?

The admissions page lists these steps for new undergraduate students:^[10]

1. Hold a secondary-school (Educación Media) diploma or equivalent.
2. Hand in the documents at the admissions office: original birth certificate (foreigners: apostilled in the country of origin), a copy of the passport for foreigners, an original signed medical certificate, two 2×2 photos, the secondary-school transcript and diploma, and the receipt for the non-refundable admission fee. A copy of the health insurance is also requested; applicants without insurance can take out a policy through the admissions office.
3. Take and pass the admission test.

Applicants to Medicine need more: from the 2026–2027 period their final secondary-school (Bachillerato) average must be at least 70 on a 0–100 scale or equivalent, and they need at least 850 points on the Academic Aptitude Test (PAA), and they must submit an essay, two letters of recommendation, evidence of an extracurricular activity, an immunisation record and attend an individual interview. Medicine candidates have only two chances to apply.^[10]

Foreign students who come independently, outside an exchange programme, complete an application form and can send documents digitally first; the originals go to the admissions office on arrival.^[11] We give no deadlines here because they change every year; check the admissions calendar.

Do you need Spanish to study at PUCMM?

The admission pages we read do not state a language of instruction, a required Spanish level or accepted language certificates, so ask the admissions office before you apply. The fee list includes a charge of RD$2,250 for a language proficiency level exam.^[3]

PUCMM runs a Spanish for Foreigners programme on the Santiago campus. Its courses are divided into basic, intermediate and advanced blocks that follow the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels, in terms of 14 weeks or as intensive programmes of 2 to 6 weeks. Students at an intermediate level can also take other PUCMM courses.^[11]

More about studying in Dominican Republic

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

More university profiles in Dominican Republic

• Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD)
• Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC)