Last Updated on February 14, 2025
While it’s uncommon for students from developed countries to study in Bolivia, it does occur, particularly through student exchange programs across various universities and fields of study. If you’re considering this option, you’ll find that the cost of studying in Bolivia is significantly lower than in developed nations. However, the quality of educational services can be considerably poorer in many cases.
In Bolivia, tuition for public universities is $0 for Bolivians and approximately $8,000 for foreigners. At private universities, tuition ranges from $3,500 to $18,000. Total costs, including living expenses, for a bachelor’s degree typically range from $10,000 to $40,000. Scholarship discounts range from 50% to 80%.
We are Bolivian real estate experts (website) who have lived here our entire lives. We’ll provide you with all the details about the costs associated with studying at Bolivian universities, as well as strategies for minimizing expenses while you’re here.
The General Cost of a Bachelor’s Degree in Bolivia
In Bolivia, you’ll find two types of universities:
- Public universities
- Private universities
Public universities receive financial support from the Bolivian government, but this support is intended solely for Bolivian students. When studying at a public university in Bolivia, *Bolivians do not pay any tuition*, but as a foreigner, you’ll pay between 50% and 100% of the tuition costs.
Private universities, on the other hand, rely entirely on tuition payments from both native and international students. When studying at a private university, you, as a foreigner, will typically pay the full tuition. However, thanks to available exchange programs, you may sometimes pay only 20% to 80% of this cost.
Total College Study Costs
The costs of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Bolivia can be broken down into four components:
- Tuition costs
- Additional fees
- Room and board
- Other living expenses
In general, tuition costs will represent only about one-sixth of the total bachelor’s degree cost. Room and board will be the largest expense, accounting for approximately one-half of the total cost.
Additional fees and other expenses will account for the remaining two-sixths, including clothing, transportation, entertainment, etc. This component will also include medical insurance and transportation services, if available.
Remember that *no university in Bolivia offers on-campus housing*. Therefore, you’ll always need to rent an apartment and obtain your food and other necessities outside the university. Also, keep in mind that *student loans are not available in Bolivia*, regardless of whether you’re a Bolivian citizen or a foreigner.
| Cost (1 Bolivian Student – around 4.5 years) | Cost (1 Foreign Student – around 4.5 years) | |
| Public University | ||
| Tuition* | $0 | $8,000 |
| Additional Fees | $500 | $500 |
| Room and Board | $2,700 | $24,300 |
| Other Living Expenses | $5,400 | $16,200 |
| Total Degree Cost | $8,600 | $49,000 |
| Private University | ||
| Tuition | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| Additional Fees | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Room and Board | $5,400 | $24,300 |
| Other Living Expenses | $16,200 | $16,200 |
| Total Degree Cost | $31,100 | $50,000 |
| Other Programs | ||
| Master’s Degree Tuition | $7,000 | $7,000 |
| Doctorate Tuition | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| Student Loans | Not Available in Bolivia | Not Available in Bolivia |
*Foreigners will pay between 50% and 100% of the full tuition at Bolivian public universities.
As you can see in the table above, for Bolivian students, obtaining a degree at a public university costs about 30% of what it costs at a private university, averaging $31,100 for private universities and $8,600 for public ones.
For international students, the cost for both private and public universities is nearly identical, around $50,000 for 4.5 years of study to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Bolivia. Note that this total cost is two to seven times higher than for native college students, *and this is not simply a coincidence*.
What happens in Bolivia is that native college students typically continue to live with their families while they are studying. This results in significant savings on both room and board expenses, with almost no cost for either.
This is also common for upper-middle-class college students *and almost all students in Bolivia*. We estimate *that around 95%* of college students in Bolivia continue to live with their families while pursuing their bachelor’s degrees.
This is something that foreigners typically can’t do because they don’t have family support in the country. Therefore, they incur significantly higher room and board expenses, ultimately increasing the cost of studying here to nearly $50,000. However, *you can emulate this by living with a Bolivian family* through a student exchange program.
Cost of a Master’s Degree
You can also obtain a master’s degree in Bolivia. In this case, you’ll need to pay the full tuition, *regardless of whether the university is public or private*.
The tuition cost for a master’s degree typically averages $7,000, and you’ll need to study for at least one to two years to obtain this degree, resulting in a total cost of around $15,000 to $20,000 when factoring in all other living expenses.
Cost of a Doctorate
You can also pursue various doctoral degrees in our country. Again, in this case, you’ll need to pay the full tuition for the degree, *regardless of whether the institution is public or private*.
The tuition cost for a doctorate will be approximately $12,000, and you’ll need to study for around two years to obtain it, resulting in a total cost of around $30,000 when including all other living expenses.
Detailed Costs for a Bachelor’s Degree in Bolivia
Here, we’ll provide a granular breakdown of how much it will cost you to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Bolivia, according to the four components mentioned earlier.
1) Tuition
As you can see below, tuition costs can be divided into:
- Admission fees
- Tuition fees
- Graduation fees
Even public universities will charge some form of admission fee to all students, whether they are native or international. Also, in some cases, *some private universities will have a significant graduation fee* that you’ll need to pay before obtaining your bachelor’s degree. However, most public universities, and some private universities, do not require these graduation fees.
| Tuition Cost Type | Cost (1 Bolivian Student – around 4.5 years) | Cost (1 Foreign Student – around 4.5 years) |
| Admission Fee (Public College) | $100 | $100 |
| Admission Fee (Private College) | $300 | $300 |
| Tuition Fees (Public Colleges) | $0 | $8,000 |
| Tuition Fees (Best Private Colleges) | $18,000 | $18,000 |
| Tuition Fees (Avg. Private Colleges) | $9,000 | $9,000 |
| Tuition Fees (Poor-Quality Private Colleges) | $3,500 | $3,500 |
| Graduation Fees (Public Colleges) | $400 | $400 |
| Graduation Fees (Private Colleges) | $1,200 | $1,200 |
As you can see in the table above, regarding private universities, you can correlate the tuition cost with the quality of the institution. As you might expect:
- The best private universities in Bolivia are also the most expensive.
Furthermore, there will also be some low-quality private universities that charge very little. However, if you study at them, *you’ll receive one of the worst educational experiences in all of South America*.
And, of course, the most significant cost here is the tuition itself, which will be $0 for Bolivian students at public universities, but between 50% and 100% of the full cost for foreign students. However, when studying at private universities, you’ll need to pay the full tuition, regardless of whether you’re a native or a foreigner.
2) Additional Fees
Beyond tuition costs, other additional fees that you’ll have to pay at most universities in Bolivia include a) medical insurance and b) the university’s transportation service.
Of course, in all cases, you can choose not to pay these additional fees and obtain your own services and insurance. Some universities may not offer these options. Generally speaking, almost all universities will have a medical insurance program, but only a few will offer transportation services.
| Additional Fee Type | Fee Amount (per year) |
| Medical Insurance | $60 |
| University Transportation Service | $170 |
However, these costs will generally be very minor, as you can see in the table above. Medical insurance will typically cost only $60 for the entire year. Transportation service to the university is available at some private universities, but not all, and will cost around $170 for the entire year.
3) Room and Board
As you may know, no university in Bolivia offers on-campus housing where you can rent a student unit. No university provides this service, and you’ll need to find alternative accommodation. However, there are numerous apartments and studio units near universities that can be rented and are often occupied by students.
Generally speaking, if you want a small apartment in a desirable location near universities, you shouldn’t be spending more than $250 per month, and in some cases, $350, but no more. Ideally, you should be able to find a studio unit or a one-bedroom apartment for around $200.
| Room and Board Costs | Cost per Month |
| Studio Unit | $100 |
| 1-Bedroom Apartment | $200 |
| 1 or 2-Bedroom High-Quality Apartment | $350 |
| Room Provided by an Exchange Program | $0 |
| Average Board Service | $120 |
| High-Quality Board Services | $200 |
| University Campus Rental | Non-existent in Bolivia |
As we mentioned earlier, almost all college students in Bolivia *continue to live with their parents or families while they are studying* and pursuing their bachelor’s degrees. This significantly reduces their room and board expenses to nearly $0.
However, you can achieve something similar through student exchange programs that allow *you to reside in the home of your tutors*, eliminating the need to spend on room costs and reducing board expenses.
You can consult our comprehensive guide on how to rent a house or real estate unit in Bolivia, with all the details for different income levels, lifestyles, and goals you may have: How to rent a house in Bolivia? All the details and steps.
4) Other Living Expenses
When studying in Bolivia, you’ll also need to cover your monthly living expenses beyond room and board. These include additional food, healthcare, transportation services, apparel, room utilities, entertainment, etc.
Living like an upper-middle-class Bolivian student shouldn’t cost you more than $300 per month in additional living expenses.
| Other Expenses (avg. student / upper-middle-class student) | Cost/Month |
| Monthly Living Costs (excluding room and board – food, apparel, transportation, entertainment, etc.) | $100 |
| Monthly Living Costs (excluding room and board – food, apparel, transportation, entertainment, etc.) | $300 |
Of course, you might come from a very affluent family that can spend five times or more than what most upper-middle-class students spend here, or you might be on a budget and want to save as much money as possible. In that case, with just $100/month in additional living expenses, you can manage reasonably well, *like any other lower- to middle-income Bolivian student*.
Visit our dedicated guide with all the details about the full living costs in Bolivia, for different income levels, including students on a budget, here: The cost of living in Bolivia: All the details and numbers.
Total Cost
Combining all the elements of the total cost of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Bolivia, you’ll generally have the following results.
Bachelor’s Degree at a Public University
The average cost for 4.5 years of study to obtain this degree will be around $8,600 for a Bolivian student at a public university.
For international students, the total cost will be around $50,000 in most cases. This increase is because you’ll need to pay part or all of the tuition, even though the university is public, and also because you’ll need to spend significantly more on room and board.
Bachelor’s Degree at a Private University
The average cost for 4.5 years of study to obtain a bachelor’s degree will be about $31,100 for a Bolivian student at a private university.
For international students, the total cost of obtaining a bachelor’s degree at a private university in Bolivia will be around $50,000. However, this can range from $45,000 for the less expensive universities to $60,000 for the best ones.
Remember that you can obtain significant discounts through student exchange programs, working for the university itself, receiving excellence or sports scholarships, and similar strategies in Bolivia. These discounts can range from 20% to 80% of the full tuition.
Factors Significantly Impacting University Costs in Bolivia
Here, we’ll discuss the variables that will have the greatest impact on the final cost you’ll pay for a bachelor’s degree in Bolivia.
The University You Choose
The university you choose as a foreign student is very important in terms of tuition costs. At public universities, the cost will be around $8,000, regardless of whether they offer high-quality or poor educational services.
On the other hand, you have a wide range of costs depending on the quality of the private university you choose to study at. As you might expect, in Bolivia, in general, the higher the quality of education a private university offers, the higher the tuition fees it charges.
So, as you can see in the table below, almost all public universities will charge you a full tuition cost between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the discounts you may have. In contrast, private universities will range from $9,000 for the less expensive ones to $22,000 for the most costly.
| University | Tuition Fee (Bachelor’s Degree – Bolivian) | Tuition Fee (Bachelor’s Degree – Foreigner) |
| UMSA (public) | $0 | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| UMSS (public) | $0 | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| UAGRM (public) | $0 | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| UPB (private) | $18,000 | $18,000 |
| UCB (private) | $14,000 | $14,000 |
| UPSA (private) | $22,000 | $22,000 |
| USFX (public) | $0 | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Univalle (Private) | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| EMI (private) | $9,000 | $9,000 |
| UniFranz (private) | $12,000 | $12,000 |
Here, we’re including only the best and most well-known universities available in Bolivia. The universities listed in the table *are the best you can find in our country*. Of course, there are hundreds of other universities, but their educational services are of such low quality that they’re not even worth mentioning here.
We have a comprehensive review of the best universities in Bolivia, with all the details about why they are the best and the worst, respectively, available here: link.
Your Lifestyle as a Student
Your lifestyle as a student in Bolivia will also significantly impact the final cost of your bachelor’s degree. You can adopt different lifestyles, for example, living like an ordinary Bolivian student, a foreign student from a developed country, a wealthy student, a student on a budget, etc., as shown in the table below.
| Student Type | Monthly Expenses (excluding tuition) |
| Student on a Budget | $300 |
| Student from a Developed Country | $1,000 |
| Student with No Financial Constraints | $1,500 |
| As a Middle-Class Bolivian Student | $500 |
| As an Upper-Middle-Class Bolivian Student | $750 |
| Within an Exchange Program (Foreigner) | $400 |
If you live like a lower-class Bolivian student, you’ll spend only around $300 on all living expenses other than room and board. *However, we don’t recommend this*. Lower-class Bolivian students face numerous limitations in their lifestyle, to the point that these restrictions significantly *impact the quality of their education*.
On the other hand, if you want to maintain the standard of living you’re accustomed to in a developed country, you’ll need to spend between $1,000 and $1,500 per month on living expenses.
We believe that if you live like an upper-middle-class student in Bolivia, *you’ll have almost everything you need* to make the most of your study time at a university here. By spending around $750/month, you’ll be able to reside in a very decent apartment and have all your daily expenses well covered.
Programs and Discounts Included in Your Degree Plan
You can also secure significant discounts if you participate in a student exchange or scholarship program. Here’s how the following university programs in Bolivia can provide discounts on your tuition:
- Student exchange programs (20% to 50% discount on tuition costs *and significant discounts on living expenses*).
- General scholarship programs (50% to 80% discount on tuition costs).
- Working for the university (discounts of up to 80% on tuition costs and an additional salary in some cases).
- Excellence scholarships (approximately 80% discount on tuition costs).
- Sports scholarships (approximately 80% discount on tuition costs).
| Additional University Program or Discount | Final Tuition Fee (Private Universities) | Total & Final Degree Cost |
| No Additional Program | $8,000 | $50,000 |
| With a 50% Scholarship | $4,000 | $46,000 |
| With an 80% Scholarship | $1,600 | $43,400 |
| Student Exchange Program | $8,000 | $41,000 |
| Working for the University | $1,600 | $46,000 |
| Exchange + Excellence Scholarship* | $1,600 | $34,400 |
| Exchange + Working for the College* | $1,600 | <$34,400 |
| 80% Sports Scholarship | $1,600 | $26,100 |
| 80% Excellence Scholarship | $1,600 | $26,100 |
*We recommend that you 1) utilize an exchange program to lower your living expenses and, additionally, 2) achieve excellent grades to apply for an Excellence Scholarship. You’ll obtain substantial discounts with this strategy, *around 80% off tuition per semester and over 50% less in living expenses*. You can also *earn an additional salary* by working for the university.
How to Save Money When Studying in Bolivia
As we just mentioned, you have several strategies to minimize your expenses when studying in Bolivia. You can utilize exchange programs and various types of scholarships, *and you can even combine these discounts*. For example:
- Utilize a student exchange program and subsequently secure an Excellence Scholarship at your university in Bolivia to receive discounts on both tuition and living costs.
- Utilize an exchange program and then work for the university where you’re studying, obtaining tuition discounts and potentially earning an additional salary.
- Apply to universities with the most generous scholarship programs, which can save you around 80% and, in some cases, 100% of tuition.
- Live with relatives here in Bolivia to reduce your housing expenses and also obtain an Excellence Scholarship at the university to lower your tuition costs.
There are numerous strategies you can employ to lower the total cost of your bachelor’s degree here. *Remember that scholarship programs, student exchange programs, university employment programs, etc., exist in Bolivia*, just as in almost any other country.
Warning: Bolivian Universities Are Known for Having a Poor Quality of Education
You might be unaware of this, but Bolivia is well-known for having one of the lowest-quality academic experiences in the world. *Our best universities have very poor ratings in international rankings*. UMSA, UMSS, and other similar public universities here rank between 2,000th and 5,000th among the best universities globally.
The situation is similar for private universities. The best ones available in Bolivia rank around 2,500th in global university rankings. This is without mentioning that many other Bolivian private universities don’t even appear in these rankings.
Additionally, you should be aware that the bachelor’s degree you obtain in Bolivia *will rarely be a valid degree in developed countries*.
Beyond student exchange programs, *it’s very uncommon to find students from developed countries*, such as the US or European nations, pursuing degrees in Bolivia. This is primarily due to the lower quality of educational services that our universities typically provide.
What you’ll typically find instead are *students from other South American countries*, like Brazil, Argentina, and Peru, coming to study specific fields such as:
- Medicine
- Certain engineering fields
- Management and Law
We’ve also observed some students arriving from Asia and Africa, as Bolivian universities, compared to those in their home countries, may offer higher quality education at a relatively lower cost.
Conclusions:
In this article, you’ve gained a detailed understanding of the costs associated with studying in Bolivia, both for Bolivian and international students. You’ve seen that the total cost of obtaining a 4.5-year bachelor’s degree in Bolivia for a Bolivian student typically ranges from $10,000 to $40,000. For a foreign student, the cost is approximately $50,000 without discounts, but with discounts, it can be reduced to around $35,000.
You’ve also learned that international students will always be required to pay tuition, regardless of whether the institution is public or private. However, you also have the opportunity to secure substantial discounts through various scholarships, student exchange programs, or by working for the university. These can reduce your tuition and living expenses by 50% to 80%.
Furthermore, you’ve seen that the total cost of obtaining a degree in Bolivia can be divided into four components: tuition, room and board, additional fees, and other living expenses. Tuition costs represent only about 16% of the total cost of obtaining a degree here. Additionally, you’ve noted that tuition costs vary significantly depending on the university’s quality.
You’ve also learned that Bolivia offers some of the most affordable bachelor’s degree programs, but the quality of education you’ll receive here is among the lowest globally. Primarily, students from South America and some from Asia and Africa come to Bolivia to study medicine, certain engineering fields, and some social sciences.
We hope this information has been helpful. If you’d like to learn more about the overall cost of living in Bolivia, including expenses for food, clothing, housing, entertainment, etc., with all the figures and details, please visit our dedicated guide: The cost of living in Bolivia: All you need to know.
CasasenBolivia.com, information on living, working, investing, and traveling in Bolivia.
