Universidad de Chile

About

Universidad de Chile is the oldest and most prestigious public university in Chile, renowned for its strong emphasis on research, public service, and academic excellence across a wide range of disciplines. It excels particularly in fields like Engineering, Law, Medicine, Social Sciences, and Arts. For international students, the university offers numerous exchange programs and support through its International Relations Office (ORI), which facilitates integration and provides guidance, though most instruction is in Spanish. While primarily Spanish-taught, some graduate programs or specific courses might offer English options, and the university provides Spanish language courses for non-native speakers. A distinctive characteristic is its profound historical and ongoing influence on Chilean society, culture, and public policy.

Background

The University of Chile (Spanish: Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843. It is the oldest university in the country. It was established as the continuation of the former colonial Royal University of San Felipe (1738) (Spanish: Real Universidad de San Felipe), and has a rich history in academic, scientific and social outreach. The university seeks to solve national and regional issues and to contribute to the development of Chile. Its five campuses comprise more than 3.1 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) of research buildings, health care centers, museums, theaters, observatories, and sports infrastructure. The institution has more than 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students, offering more than 60 different bachelor and professional degrees, 38 doctoral programs and 116 master programs. Notable alumni include Nobel laureates Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, twenty-one Chilean presidents, and two foreign heads of state.

Location

Quick facts

Nearby universities