10 Cheapest Universities in Cuba for International Students

Posted on by

Cuba is an island nation located in the North Caribbean. Despite being closed to most countries, the Cuban educational system continues to flourish. In fact, the government dedicates a high budget for the country’s educational programs.

As such, the country continues to attract many students from all over the globe. While Cuban medical schools remain to be the primary destinations, a lot of its universities have made their mark as go-to places for many international students. In this article, we will be looking at cheap universities in Cuba.

Affordable Universities in Other Countries

What are the admission requirements for Cuban universities?

Undergraduate applicants need to be between 18 to 25 years of age. You need to submit a birth certificate, proof of a high school degree, as well as two recommendation letters.

As for graduate applicants, a copy of your bachelor’s degree is required, as well as two letters of recommendation.

An admission test is usually required. Add to that, applicants need to prove that they have no record of crime or substance abuse.

Proficiency in Spanish is a must as the curriculum is usually taught in the said language.

See Also: How to Study in the US as an International Student

How much does it cost to study in Cuba?

The tuition fee for international students ranges from $2,665 to about $6,000 every year. Post-graduate courses may cost anywhere from $4,500 to $6,000 annually.

Check Also: Cheap Universities in Mexico for International Students

Cheap Universities in Cuba

1. University of Granma

  • Estimated Tuition: USD $2,665 (CUC 2,665)

The cheapest university in Cuba for international students is the University of Granma. It is also locally known as Universidad de Granma and is a public educational institution. It was founded in 1976 as the Instituto Superior de Ciencias Agropecuarias de Bayamo (ISCAB). While its primary mission is to service Bayamo, a locality with 130,000 inhabitants, it caters to students from other areas and countries as well.

The university’s mission is 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 committed to the Cuban Revolution.”

UniRank places UG as the 13th best university in Cuba. It is also considered the foremost university in the Bayamo area.

UG is also recognized by the Ministerio de Educación Superior, Cuba (Ministry of Higher Education, Cuba).

2. University of Cienfuegos

  • Estimated Tuition: USD $2,750 (CUC 2,750)
  • Admissions

The University of Cienfuegos, also known as UCF, is a public educational institution based on the southern coast of Cuba. The university opened in 1979 and received the honorable name of “Carlos Rafael Rodríguez” in 1998.

UCF has four faculties: Agrarian Sciences, Economic & Enterprise Sciences, Engineering, and Social Sciences & Humanities.

This affordable university in Cuba offers various baccalaureate and master’s degrees, as well as 2 Ph.D. programs in the fields of Technical Sciences and Pedagogical Sciences.

UCF is considered the 10th best Cuban university, according to UniRank. It’s also the best-performing university from Cienfuegos, which has a population of about 151,000 people.

Check Also: Cheapest Universities in Argentina for International Students

3. University of Guantánamo

  • Estimated Tuition: USD $2,778 (CUC 2,778)

The University of Guantánamo is formally known as the University Center of Guantánamo or UCG. This public university is one of the newer schools as it was only opened in 1997. It is based in the southeastern province of Guantánamo, which has a population of more than 215,000 people.

UCG has four educational faculties – Laws, Informatic Engineering, Economic Sciences, and Social Sciences & Humanities. All in all, the university offers 38 degrees.

UCG is ranked as the 18th best university in Cuba by UniRank. As for local reputation, it is considered the best school in the region.

The university is duly recognized by the Ministerio de Educación Superior, Cuba (Ministry of Higher Education, Cuba).

4. Technological University of Havana José Antonio Echeverría (CUJAE)

  • Estimated Tuition: USD $4,800 (CUC 4,800)
  • Admissions

The Technological University of Havana José Antonio Echeverría is also known as CUJAE and is a cheap Cuban university. This acronym is drawn from its old name, which was City University José Antonio Echeverría.

CUJAE is a public university founded in December 1964. However, it traces its beginnings back to the 1900s as the former School of Engineers, Electricians, and Architects of the University of Havana.

To date, CUJAE has 9 faculties that focus on 13 fields of study. These are the Faculties of Architecture, Automation & Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Telecommunications Engineering.

In 2017, CUJAE was granted the superior category of Excellence by the National Accreditation Board.

UniRank lists CUJAE as the fourth-best university in the country. It is deemed the second-best in Havana after the renowned University of Havana.

See Also: Cheapest Universities in Bahamas for International Students

5. Universidad de la Habana

Universidad de la Habana – also known as the University of Havana – is the oldest educational institution in Cuba. It was established in 1728 as the Real y Pontificia Universidad de San Gerónimo de la Habana. In 1842, it became a secular institution named Real y Literaria Universidad de La Habana. Eventually, when Cuba became a free republic, it was renamed as the Universidad Nacional.

The university has 16 faculties. Placed under the Natural Sciences are the departments of Biology, Pharmacy, Physics, Geography, Mathematics, Psychology, and Chemistry.

Under Social Sciences & Humanities are Arts & Letters, Communications, Law, Philosophy & History, and Foreign Languages.

The Department of Economic Sciences, on the other hand, houses Accounting & Finance, Economics, and Tourism.

The University of Havana is considered the best university in the country by many institutions. It is also ranked the 48th best university in the Latin American region.

6. University of Pinar del Río Hermanos Saiz Montes de Oca

  • Estimated Tuition: USD $5,000 (CUC 5,000)
  • Admissions

The University of Pinar del Río Hermanos Saiz Montes de Oca, also known as UPR, is located in the 10th largest Cuban city. While it was founded in 1972, it was only formally established in 2015. It is the result of the merger between 3 schools: the University of Pedagogical Sciences “Rafael María de Mendive”, the Faculty of Physical Culture “Nancy Uranga” and the University “Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca”.

This affordable university in Cuba has 7 faculties: Child Education, Middle Education, Economic Sciences & Business, Physical Culture, Technical Sciences, Agricultural & Forest Sciences, and Social Sciences & Humanities.

UniRank places UPR among the top 7 universities in Cuba and the best university in the Pinar del Rio region.

Learn More: Most Affordable Universities in Belize for International Students

7. Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz University of Camagüey

  • Estimated Tuition: USD $5,000 (CUC 5,000)
  • Admissions

The University of Camagüey, also known as UC, is a public educational institution established in 1967. It is located in Camagüey, the third-largest district in Cuba.

UC has nine faculties: Social Sciences, Communications & Languages, Economics, Construction, Electromechanics, Applied Sciences, Computer Science, Pedagogical Sciences, and Sports.

It is also engaged in heavy research, as evidenced by its 8 publications in the fields of Animal Production, Management, Education, Agriculture, Environment, Construction, and Sports.

The University of Camagüey is recognized as the best school in the region. According to UniRank, it places 16th out of the 46 universities in Cuba.

UC is one of the schools recognized by the Ministerio de Educación Superior, Cuba (Ministry of Higher Education, Cuba).

8. University of Holguín

The University of Holguín or UHO was established in 1973. This public educational institution is currently at the seat of Holguin, which is the fourth-largest city in Cuba.

UHO has eight faculties, namely: Informatics & Mathematics, Economics, Industrial Engineering & Tourism, Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences.

UHO is ranked the 14th best university in the country. However, it is considered by UniRank as the best school in the city of Holguin.

This affordable Cuban university enjoys the distinction of being recognized by the Ministerio de Educación Superior, Cuba (Ministry of Higher Education, Cuba).

Check Also: Cheapest Universities in Honduras for International Students

9. Universidades de Ciencias Médicas de Cuba

The Universidades de Ciencias Médicas de Cuba, also known as UCMH, is a famous medical school in Havana. It traces its history back to the 18th-century school named the First University of Cuba.

After centuries of excellence, UCMH students began to be educated in Hospital No. 1, which is now known as the “General Calixto García” Hospital. In 1940, the students transferred to the newly-built Angel Arturo building.

The school was finally named Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana in 1976 before it was renamed UCMH in 2009.

Apart from Medicine, UMH also offers degrees in Nursing, Stomatology, Psychology, and Health Technologies (Imaginology, Optometry and Optics, Clinical Bioanalysis, Integral rehabilitation, Nutrition and Diet, Logophonoaudiology, Hygiene and Epidemiology, and Health Information Systems).

10. University Marta Abreu of Las Villas

We end our list of cheapest universities in Cuba with the University Marta Abreu of Las Villas or UCLV, a public educational institution based in Santa Clara, Cuba. It was established in 1952 and now caters to thousands of students.

The university has 13 faculties dedicated to the studies of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics – Physics – Computer Science, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, Chemistry – Pharmacy, Construction Engineering, Agriculture, Economics, Humanities, Social Sciences, Psychology, Law, Information Science, and Education.

According to UniRank, UCLV is rated as the second-best university in Cuba. It is also ranked 101st out of all the universities in Latin America.

As such, it was recognized by the Ministry of Education as a University of Excellence in 2016.

With these universities, you have the golden opportunity to pursue higher education in one of the unique places on the planet. Just imagine having your studies and vacation rolled into one with the affordability Cuba offers. You can even pursue further education and achieve a highly lucrative career in medicine. So, check out the best medical schools in Cuba as well! 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Scholarships Page!