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“As expected, tuition fees in the medical fields are higher than those in other programs. The average cost of a course in the Licenciatura in Medicine at the two special-focus medical schools is ¢309,572 and the average cost of the program at these institutions is ¢15,928,840, making these the most expensive programs taught at national private institutions of higher education. In sharp contrast, enrollment fees in non-medical programs at the undergraduate level are paid once a term, and the average cost is ¢41,063 (Table 13). The Universidad Latina charges the highest enrollment fee (¢73,200), while the Universidad Evangélica de las Américas charges the lowest (¢8,250).”

Source: Castro, Silvia P. Costa Rican Higher Education, Its Universities and Students. 2010. University of Pennsylvania, PhD Dissertation.

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“While many public Costa Rican universities have a strong reputation, both within and outside the country, there is also evidence that some universities are delivering poor quality outcomes or students. In 2015, 63% of aspiring lawyers and 75% of aspiring doctors failed their respective examinations to enter the profession (Diario Extra, 2016; La Nacion, 2015). Similar, 40% of English teachers and 29% of Mathematics teachers showed limited knowledge of the curriculum that they were expected to teach in 2010, and teachers who had graduated from private universities scored well-below their peers who had graduated from a public university (see Chapter 3). CONESUP [Consejo Nacional de Ensenanza Superior Universitaria Privada] has reported serious infringements and concerns about the quality of some private universities.”

Source: OECD (2017), Education in Costa Rica, Reviews of National Policies for Education, OECD Publishing, Paris.

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“FEES [Fono Especial para el Financiamiento de la Educacion Superior] income represents around 90% of public universities’ income, allowing them to heavily subsidise tuition fees and offer generous scholarships. For example, the annual tuition for a bachelor’s degree programme in the UCR [University of Costa Rica] is around USD 500 per student – about the minimum monthly salary of an unskilled worker (USD 520). In contrast, the annual enrolment and tuition fees for a bachelor degree in private universities ranges between USD 2,400 and USD 8,000 per year (MEP, 2016). In addition, public universities provide nearly half of their students (45%) with a scholarship to cover tuition fees as well as other charges, such as meals in the canteen (PEN, 2015). The small scale National Scholarships Fund (Fondo Nacional de Becas, FONABE) offers additional scholarships to low-income students attending public and private universities or community colleges, but in 2015, only 0.5% of students benefitted from this programme.

“Costa Rica also has a small students loan programme delivered through the National Commission of Loans for Education (Comision Nacional de Prestamos para Educacion, CONAPE). CONAPE is funded by a 5% tax on banking profits (49%), a transfer from the Institute for National Insurance (Instituto Nacional de Seguros, INS) (32%) and loan reimbursement and interests (19%). In 2014, CONAPE provided over 5,000 students (3% of enrolment) with low-interest loans. Most of the beneficiaries (83%) attend private universities.”

Source: OECD (2017), Education in Costa Rica, Reviews of National Policies for Education, OECD Publishing, Paris.

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World Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems and policies in the US and sixteen other nations.

Page last updated March 29, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.