If you’re anything like us, you’re tired of wannabe Spanish or Portuguese speakers always jumping right into studying abroad in only Spain or Portugal. Don’t get us wrong, any type of study abroad is better than none, but there’s more to studying abroad than Europe. What if there were an additional two continents where you could do something a bit more exciting and unique? It sounds like you were meant to study abroad in Latin America!
You’ll never tire of your life as an international student in Chile!
We know that with significantly more land comes significantly more options, and it can be super overwhelming to narrow down where to go and what school to enroll in. That’s where we come in! To spare you some time in your quest for meaningful travel, we’ve broken down the top universities and colleges in Latin America to study abroad at. ¡Buena suerte!
The best universities in Latin America for study abroad in 2018
Now that we’ve hyped this up for you, we present the best places to study abroad in South America or Central America!
1. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) is located in Santiago and was founded in 1888. One of Chile’s oldest and most decorated universities, PUC offers almost a ridiculous amount of majors, colleges, and research departments. You definitely can’t go wrong by enrolling in the 2018 best university in Latin America!
Pros: Home to almost 30,000 students, PUC is huge. If you’re looking for a truly bustling educational setting in one of the most exciting and unique cities in Latin America, PUC should be your top choice!
Cons: PUC actually has four separate campuses spread out throughout the greater Santiago area. Depending on what you’re studying, you might be in a different facility than your friends or other people in your program. This isn’t necessarily bad, as it will force you to make new friends!
Recommended study abroad programs at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile:
- IES Abroad Santiago
- CIEE Santiago
- Find more ways to study abroad at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
The best part of studying in Latin America? Your classroom is everywhere!
2. Universidad de Buenos Aires
One of the top universities in Argentina, the Universidad de Buenos Aires is ranked among the best places to study abroad in South America. It is the largest Argentine university with over 300,000 undergraduate students alone, and it’s the second largest university in all of Latin America. With this magnitude of a student body and this great of a reputation, you are sure to find exactly what you need here!
Pros: The biggest pro of all is that this university is free, even for international students! Obviously if you come through a study abroad program then you will have to pay whatever fees the program requires, but students who matriculate directly into the university typically do not have to fork over much dough. A pretty sweet deal to attend college in South America!
Cons: Due to the sheer size of this university, there is no central campus. Its various colleges and institutions are spread out around Buenos Aires, so you’ll probably be taking classes in a different neighborhood than your friends who are studying something different. This isn’t really a bad thing, though, as you will have to branch out and you’ll have more opportunities to see different parts of the city!
Recommended study abroad programs at Universidad de Buenos Aires:
- CIEE Liberal Arts in Buenos Aires
- IES Abroad Advanced Spanish Immersion
- Find more ways to study abroad at Universidad de Buenos Aires
Some of the top universities in Latin America are in Brazil’s São Paolo
3. Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado
One of the most respected and important universities in Brazil, the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP) was founded in 1947 and is located in one of the most “traditional” neighborhoods of São Paolo. The school contains seven different colleges that international students can enroll in, so lots of options for any type of student!
Pros: FAAP isn’t just a world-class university, but it’s also an important cultural center for the city. It contains the Teatro FAAP, one of the best theaters in town, and the Museum of Brazilian Art. FAAP also hosts lectures from prominent speakers like Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Queen Silvia of Sweden. There are worse ways to spend your time than taking a class from royalty!
Cons: Students signing up for some time in São Paolo should be aware of just how much they’re taking on. São Paolo is the largest city in Brazil, the Southern Hemisphere, and the Western Hemisphere, and the 13th largest city in the world. Be prepared for lots of new friends!
Recommended study abroad programs at Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado:
- AIFS São Paolo
- Center for Study Abroad São Paolo
- Find more ways to study abroad at Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado
4. Universidad Veritas
Located in exciting San Jose, Universidad Veritas was founded in 1968 and specializes in art, design, architecture, photography, digital animation, and fashion design programs. UV first started as a part of the Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica, the first private university in Costa Rica, but it’s now an independent private university with some of the best art programs in the country.
Pros: One of the great things about UV is that it offers a Center for International Programs for international students to come and study Spanish as well as other core subjects. You can take your classes in either Spanish or English, so even if you are a beginner Spanish speaker, you can still enroll here!
Cons: UV is definitely on the smaller side of this list, with about 1,850 Costa Rican students and 320 international students. This is great if you are looking for a more intimate experience to really connect with locals, but if you want a big university feel, you may want to explore larger university options.
Recommended study abroad programs at Universidad Veritas
- API at Universidad Veritas
- ISA Study Abroad in San Jose
- AIFS Study Abroad in Costa Rica
- Find more ways to study abroad at Universidad Veritas
Does it get much cooler than studying in Cuba? Probably not.
5. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Located in the capital city of Lima and founded in 1917, the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) was Peru’s first non-profit private university and is one of the best places to study abroad in South America. Ranking alternatively as first or second in the country, PUCP offers a huge campus sprinkled with lush gardens, cosmopolitan buildings, and even archaeological excavation sites.
Pros: PUCP focuses heavily on community-based learning, so international students are sure to benefit greatly from these opportunities to get involved in Peruvian culture. No better way to learn about your host city than by becoming directly involved in the local community!
Cons: Lima ranks as the third largest city in all of Latin America with almost nine million people. PUCP itself has over 16,000 undergraduates alone. If you are signing up for both this city and this university, be prepared to be around a lot of people!
Recommended study abroad programs at Pontificia Universidad Católica
- CIEE Liberal Arts in Lima
- ISA Study Abroad in Lima
- IFSA-Butler in Lima
- Find more ways to study abroad at Pontificia Universidad Catolica
6. Universidad San Francisco de Quito
A highly-ranked private university located in Ecuador’s capital, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) was the first private self-financed university in the country and first liberal arts university in the entire Andean region. If you’re looking for a diverse student body during your time abroad, USFQ has done an excellent job at mixing up its population with over 1,000 international students and 100 indigenous students out of 5,500 students total. You’ll certainly meet people from all walks of life!
Pros: USFQ is one of the only universities in the world that operates a campus on the Galapagos Islands. Want to “study abroad” during study abroad? Take some classes on the beach!
Cons: Something to be aware of before enrolling at USFQ is that Quito is the second highest-elevated capital city in the world. International students coming here will need to be prepared to live and study high in the Andean foothills. Talk about elevating your education!
Recommended study abroad programs at USFQ
- IES Abroad Quito
- CISabroad in Ecuador
- Find more ways to study abroad at USFQ
New amigos and study buddies is one of the many perks of going abroad in South America.
7. Universidad de la Habana
Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba. Originally a religious university founded by Dominican monks, today it ranks among the top universities in all of Latin America. Just like our girl Camila Cabello, half of your heart will definitely be left in Havana after studying here!
Pros: Cuba’s most prestigious university offers more than 25 different majors, 17 academic departments, and 14 research centers in economics, sciences, social sciences, and humanities. If you can’t find something to study here, we don’t know where you will!
Cons: Cuba is obviously recovering from a rough patch. It is a beautiful country with so much to offer its visitors, but it’s not without its issues, too. Students who pick the University of Havana will need to stay aware of the impact of its history, such as a lack of student clubs and organizations to prevent uprisings. Studying here will certainly be educational!
Recommended study abroad programs at Universidad de la Habana
- CIEE Cuban Studies in Havana
- API at the University of Havana
- Find more ways to study abroad at Universidad de la Habana
[Browse ALL study abroad programs in Latin America]
Other things to know before you study abroad in Latin America
Don’t forget to actually *study* while attending colleges in South America!
New to the latin world? ¡No problema! Let’s cover a few ground rules and general travel suggestions since we’re still invigorated after learning the best universities in Latin America. Truthfully, there’s a few more things to consider before you book your tickets south. Here’s what to know before enrolling in one of these top colleges in South America or Central America!
Latin America is grande
Before we jump into the best universities and colleges in Latin America, let’s clarify the one thing that always trips people up: what even is Latin America? This region consists of everything from Mexico all the way down to Antarctica, excluding only Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Falklands. This leaves a ton of land to study abroad in...nearly one and a half continents! Because of the seriously massive ground the term “Latin America” covers, there’s just as much diversity in the study abroad opportunities as there are in the countries themselves.
Español, Português, Français, oh my!
Where you decide to study abroad in Latin America largely depends on what language you want to be immersed in. Spanish and Portuguese are the most popular languages in Latin America, but there are also large populations of French, Italian, German, and indigenous language speakers. Even within just the Spanish or Portuguese-speaking communities, there are big differences in the dialects from region to region, and the Spanish spoken in Mexico is way different than the Spanish spoken in Argentina. Do your research and pick a location wisely!
[The 10 Best Countries for Study Abroad in the Americas in 2018]
You should stay longer
As we already covered, Latin America is enormous. We promise that no time spent here will be long enough. There is so much to see and do here that anyone who studies abroad for just a summer or semester will wish by the end that they had more time. Even within just one country in Latin America, the range of experiences is so diverse that you will barely scratch the surface on your own host country. Take Chile for example...you could hike the larger-than-life Andes, relax in spectacularly beautiful wine country, surf in the Pacific Ocean, or make friends with penguins in Patagonia all within one relatively small country. If you have the option to extend your stay in Latin America, DO. IT.
Latin America is inexpensive
If you’re looking to study abroad on a budget, Latin America is where it’s at! Even the upscale parts of metropolitan areas are still usually cheaper than studying abroad in Europe, so if you want to learn Spanish or Portuguese but don’t want to break the bank, head here. Tuition itself is very affordable and the cost of living is pretty low, so really the most expensive part of studying abroad in Latin America is getting there!
Economic and political disparity is real
Much of Latin America is either struggling to grow or recovering from something recent that set them back. From the current political unrest in Venezuela to the civil war just 30 years ago that Argentina is working to recover from, the unfortunate reality is that a lot of Latin America is struggling. In many regions here, the middle class really doesn’t exist and people live in one extreme or the other. We all like to pretend that Latin America is just a postcard-perfect image of a tropical paradise, but this is not the case outside of touristy areas.
This is of course not to say that there are no good regions of Latin America - even in the areas that are struggling, there is still so much worth experiencing. Studying abroad should challenge your preconceived notions and make you more aware, engaged, and compassionate of all types of people and lifestyles, and this is exactly what you’ll get by studying abroad in Latin America. Being immersed in a culture that’s working hard to grow is something that you just can’t get by sitting in a classroom.
It's not just a country—it's a thriving, exciting continent. Discover its many facets for yourself!
Study in Latin America—the sooner the better
Whether you’re hoping to become fluent in Portuguese or become a professional salsa dancer (or eater), Latin America has it all. With some of the top universities in the world, unparalleled natural beauty from coast to coast, and a huge amount of cultural, economic, historical, and experiential diversity, you can’t go wrong with any spot in Latin America. Pack those hiking and dancing shoes, kiss your family adios or tchau, and head out for the adventure of a lifetime!
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