10 Top Universities in Cuba for International Students

This blog post highlights the universities in Cuba for international students who wish to study in the Caribbean. Details and links to the official websites of each of the Cuban universities are also provided in this article to enable you to carry out further personal research on the school of your choice.

The Republic of Cuba, located in Northern America, is a communist country comprising the island of Cuba as well as other archipelagos. The country is famous as a communist country and for its beauty is one of the top travel destinations for vacation and tourism purposes. There are a lot of beautiful islands and tourist attraction sites where you can spend and enjoy quality time with your loved ones.

Cuba is never known for its educational provision, well, it certainly isn’t recognized among the top education hubs in the world and its educational prowess has been kept on the low. Researching to write this article, I found out the universities in Cuba actually offer some of the top degree programs in Northern America and thousands of international students flock there annually to enjoin in her quality education, lifestyle, and history.

The citizens are friendly to foreigners, the universities are cheap, the cost of living is affordable, you get to enjoin in the beauty beheld in the country, and you get to earn one of the top degrees in North America. Also, as an international student attending a Cuban university, you get to benefit from the excellent healthcare that is free for everyone.

The most popular degree programs in Cuba are Education, IT, Computer Science, Applied Sciences & Professions, Engineering, Economics, and Agriculture. These programs are offered by over 15 universities in Cuba, although other medical and art degree programs are offered but by very few universities.

If you want to study in Cuba, you need to know which universities are right for you. The decision of choosing where to study in Cuba is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make, thankfully, this blog post is specially designed to help you make the right choice.

To help you in exploring the universities in Cuba for international students, I have compiled a list of these universities and also discussed their details which should help you in deciding where to study but before getting into that take a look at the FAQs related to this subject matter below.

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How much does it cost to study in Cuba?

The cost of studying in Cuba varies by university, thus, isn’t fixed. However, the estimated tuition fee for studying at a Cuban University is around $20,000 to $40,000, not per year, but for the entire duration of your chosen course.

You can get further information on specific tuition fees from your preferred institution.

As for the cost of living, $100 to $200 is what you need to survive in a month while rent and utilities can cost around $150 to $260 monthly.

Is University in Cuba free?

The state and public universities in Cuba offer free education strictly to their citizens but international students are charged a fee. So, while universities in Cuba can be free for citizens it isn’t for foreign students.

Can foreigners study in Cuba?

Foreigners can absolutely study in Cuba, if they couldn’t this blog post won’t even be published in the first place, as long as they meet the requirements such as student visa, health insurance report, recommendation letters, official academic transcript, and other entry academic requirements set by their preferred institution.

The language of instruction at Cuban universities is Spanish and it is also the country’s official language, applicants are required to be proficient in the Spanish language. This can pose as an obstruction if you don’t understand the language but if you are really interested in attending the university here, you can start learning Spanish by enrolling in a 1-year intensive course in Spanish.

With all clarity observed, it is high time we listed the universities in Cuba for international students. You may want to use a map to check the location of these Cuban universities, and if any of the institutions interest you, you can click on the “visit website” button to get more info.

Universities in Cuba for International Students

Not all universities in Cuba admit international students, but here I have discussed the top universities in Cuba for international students to apply into an undergraduate or graduate program of their choice. Keep reading…

  • The University of Havana
  • The University of Cienfuegos
  • The University of Granma
  • The University of Camaguey
  • The University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas (UCLV)
  • The University of Holguin
  • The University of Information Sciences (UCI)
  • The University of Pinar del Rio (UPR)
  • The Technological University of Havana Jose Antonio Echeverria (CUJAE)
  • The University of Santiago de Cuba

1.      The University of Havana

The University of Havana was founded in 1728, located in the Vedado district of Havana, and it is one of the universities in Cuba for international students. The school has a current international student of 6% and ranks no. 44 on top universities in Latin America. It is the largest, oldest, and leading academic institution in Cuba, and one of the first universities founded in the Americas.

The University of Havana houses 16 faculties and 14 research centers in a variety of fields, including economics, sciences, social science, and humanities. A total of 25 specialties are offered at the university with specialties in politics, Afro-Caribbean studies, music, literature, philosophy, sociology, history, philosophy, sociology, history, biology, and international relations.

Students from all walks of life are admitted into these programs annually to complete bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The language of study is all in Spanish.

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2.      The University of Cienfuegos

Located in Cienfuegos, Cuba, and established in 1979, the University of Cienfuegos is one of the universities in Cuba for international students. Housed in the university are the four departments: Agrarian Sciences, Economic and Enterprise Sciences, Engineering, and Social Sciences and Humanities.

The university accepts students from all walks of life who meet all entry requirements. There are various baccalaureate and master’s degrees as well as two Ph.D. programs in Technical Sciences and Pedagogical Sciences.

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3.      The University of Granma

The University of Granma is one of the universities in Cuba for international students and is also one of the top cheapest universities in Cuba for international students. It is a public post-secondary institution of higher learning founded in 1976 to provide education to its local citizens as well as foreigners.

With a mission to proactively contribute to the sustainable progress of the eastern region and the country, through the comprehensive training of professionals, scientific development, and the promotion of culture with a competent faculty, the school will offer you a top-quality education in the program of your choice.

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4.      The University of Camaguey

The University of Camaguey is one of the universities in Cuba for international students, it is located in Camaguey, Cuba, and was founded in 1967. The institution has nine faculties that provide undergraduate and graduate programs in various programs to international and domestic students.

The nine faculties are Social Sciences, Communications & Languages, Economics, Construction, Electro-mechanics, Applied Sciences, Computer Science, Pedagogical Sciences, and Sports. The University of Camaguey is prestigious in the country as it is recognized by Cuba’s Ministry of Higher Education.

The school is research inclined and has 8 publications in the fields of Animal Production, Management, Education, Agriculture, Environment, Construction, and Sports.

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5.      The University “Marta Abreu” of Las Villas (UCLV)

UCLV is one of the universities in Cuba for international students offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The school was established in 1952 and located in Topes de Collantes, the heart of the Escambray Mountains.

UCLV academic programs are divided into 13 departments, the faculties of:

  1. Electrical Engineering
  2. Mechanical Engineering
  3. Agriculture
  4. Law
  5. Information Sciences and Education
  6. Psychology
  7. Economics
  8. Construction Engineering
  9. Chemistry – Pharmacy
  10. Mathematics – Physics – Computer Science
  11. Industrial Engineering and Tourism
  12. Humanities
  13. Social Sciences

It is ranked by UniRank as the 2nd best university in Cuba and also ranked 101st best university in Latin America.

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6.      The University of Holguin

The University of Holguin is a public post-secondary institution of higher learning established in 1973 and one of the universities in Cuba for international students, it has 8 faculties namely: Informatics & Mathematics, Economics, Industrial Engineering & Tourism, Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences. The school is ranked “the best school in Holguin” by UniRank and 14th best in Cuba.

Through its faculties, the school provides quality education from all walks of life that meet the eligibility requirements.

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7.      The University of Information Sciences (UCI)

UCI is a new post-secondary institution established in 2002 and accepts international and domestic students into the following programs: Engineering in Information Sciences, Bioinformatic Engineering, and Cybersecurity Engineering. The institution prioritizes research studies and reliability of the information which is one of the reasons they accept international students.

UCI trains qualified professionals in the field of computer science and produce applications and computer services, serving as support to the Cuban software industry. It also has the highest number of international students but all programs are still taught in Spanish and foreign applicants from Non-Spanish speaking countries must take a recognized Spanish proficiency test and submit the scores as part of their application.

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8.      The University of Pinar del Rio (UPR)

Founded in 1972 and is one of the universities in Cuba for international students, it is the result of a merger between 3 schools: the University of Pedagogical Sciences “Rafael Maria de Mendive”, the Faculty of Physical Culture “Nancy Uranga” and the University “Hermanos Saiz Montes de Oca”.

The school has seven faculties namely: Child Education, Middle Education, Economic Sciences & Business, Physical Culture, Technical Sciences, Agricultural & Forest Sciences, and Social Sciences & Humanities. International students are accepted into all of these departments and the tuition fee is also cheap.

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9.      The Technological University of Havana Jose Antonio Echeverria (CUJAE)

CUJAE was founded in 1964 and is one of the universities in Cuba for international students, it has nine faculties and 13 fields of study. The faculties are Architecture, Automation & Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Telecommunications Engineering.

Since it is a technical school it relies heavily on technological courses and accepts a lot of international students. According to UniRank, it is the 4th best university in the country and the 2nd best in Havana. Meeting the requirements will easily get you into this school to pursue a program of your choice.

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10. The University of Santiago de Cuba

The university was established in 1947 and located in Santiago de Cuba, it is a public institution and is one of the universities in Cuba for international students. The school has 12 faculties in which the university is divided into:

  • Social Sciences
  • Humanities
  • Law
  • Economics & Management
  • Natural Sciences
  • Mathematics & Computer Science
  • Distance Education
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Construction
  • Medicine

These faculties admit students from all walks of life for varieties of graduate and undergraduate degree programs. The university also has one of the highest numbers of international students and researchers among the universities in Cuba.

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These are the universities in Cuba for international students, click on the link to learn more about the specific program requirements of each of the schools since they vary and also see the application process and application deadline.

The general documents to prepare are:

  • Official academic transcript
  • Recommendation letters
  • Bachelor degree for graduate applicants
  • Spanish language proficiency test scores
  • Student visa
  • Health insurance
  • Statement of purpose (SOP)
  • Passport photographs
  • CV or resume

These documents should be in your portfolio whether you are applying for a graduate or undergraduate degree program in any of these Cuban universities. You can go ahead to check the requirements of your school of interest and the program requirements, complete the requirement, and begin the application procedures.

All of these schools teach in Spanish language, so, you have to learn the language if you don’t know how to speak it, there are ways to learn online or in-person.

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