Last Updated on February 14, 2025
While it’s not common for students from developed countries to pursue full degree programs in Bolivia, some participate in student exchange programs across various universities and fields of study. If you’re considering studying in Bolivia, you’ll find that the costs are significantly lower than in developed nations. However, the quality of educational services may also be lower in many cases.
In Bolivia, tuition for public universities is free for Bolivian citizens, but for international students, it ranges from approximately $5,000 to $18,000 for a full bachelor’s degree, translating to $1,000 to $4,000 per year, or $500 to $2,000 per semester. Total costs, including living expenses, typically range from $10,000 to $40,000. Scholarship discounts can range from 50% to 80%.
We are Bolivian citizens who have studied in our country and have also observed the real costs of obtaining a college degree for both native and international students. We’ll provide you with all the details regarding these costs at Bolivian universities, as well as strategies for minimizing expenses while studying here.
Is College Free for International Students in Bolivia?
College is not free for international students in Bolivia. In almost all cases, both public and private universities in the country will charge full tuition to students from overseas.
In some instances, public universities might charge foreigners only 50% to 80% of the tuition, and private universities may offer scholarship programs that allow international students to pay only 20% to 80% of the tuition. However, in general, students from other countries will need to pay a substantial portion of the tuition to study in Bolivia.
Additionally, international students will also need to cover a significant portion of their living expenses, *unless they participate in a student exchange program* that provides free housing. Overall, foreign students will need to pay a considerable percentage of the total cost of studying here.
We have a comprehensive guide on the cost of studying at Bolivian universities, including all the figures and details for international students, covering tuition, additional fees, and other living expenses: The cost of university in Bolivia: All the numbers and facts.
Ultimately, you’ll find that, with all the available study discounts in Bolivia, for a full bachelor’s degree, you’ll end up spending at least $20,000 in the best-case scenario and $40,000 in the worst-case scenario. This translates to $4,500 to $9,000 per year and $2,250 to $4,500 per semester.
Is College Free for Bolivian Students in Bolivia?
Public Universities
Regarding Bolivian students, all public universities offer free tuition ($0). Why can’t foreigners benefit from this? Because government programs are designed to assist Bolivian students with their education costs *and are not intended to support students from other countries*.
If you want to take advantage of the benefits offered by public universities, *you need to become a Bolivian citizen or obtain Bolivian citizenship*. However, don’t worry; you can also apply for student exchange programs and scholarships to reduce your overall costs when studying in our country without becoming a citizen.
When studying at a public university in Bolivia to obtain a bachelor’s degree, you’ll pay between $5,000 and $10,000 for the full tuition, averaging around $8,000. For master’s and doctoral degrees, you’ll pay between $10,000 and $20,000 for the full tuition.
Considering all study expenses, including tuition, additional fees, and living expenses, you’ll spend between $15,000 and $30,000 for a full bachelor’s degree, or from $3,000 to $6,000 per year.
Private Universities
In the case of private universities, *native students are required to pay the same tuition as students from overseas* to obtain a degree in Bolivia. Private universities don’t generally differentiate between natives and foreigners when providing educational services. At these universities, you can also take advantage of scholarships and discounts that they typically offer.
If you intend to study at a private university in Bolivia to obtain a bachelor’s degree, you’ll pay between $9,000 in the most affordable cases and $18,000 in the most expensive cases for the full tuition. For master’s and doctoral degrees, you’ll pay the same as at public universities, between $10,000 and $20,000 for tuition.
Considering all study expenses, including tuition, additional fees, and living expenses, you’ll spend between $20,000 and $40,000 for a full bachelor’s degree, or from $4,500 to $9,000 per year.
How to Save Money When Studying in Bolivia
1) Discounts Available for International Students in Bolivia
Remember that you can take advantage of various types of discounts when studying in Bolivia, regardless of whether you’re attending for a semester, a year, or a full degree program. The following options are available:
- Participating in an international student exchange program. This can significantly reduce tuition costs and living expenses, as your housing and food might be fully covered in some cases.
- Applying for a scholarship at Bolivian universities. This can save you up to 80% on tuition costs. Various types of scholarships are available in our country, such as excellence scholarships, work-study programs, exchange scholarships, and sports scholarships.
- Working for the university. If you work for the Bolivian university where you’re studying, you’ll receive a substantial reduction in tuition costs and, in many cases, a monthly salary that you can use to cover your living expenses.
2) Available Student Exchange Programs
The list below includes only the most prominent universities in our country, *but don’t hesitate to explore other potential student exchange programs*:
- ASF organization (Bolivian website Link: translated). Home website: Link.
- Bolivian Private University UPB. Link
- Bolivian Catholic University UCB. (Link: translated).
- Univalle University. (Link: translated).
- Private University of Santa Cruz UPSA. (Link: translated).
- San Simon Major University UMSS. (Link: translated).
- UniFranz University (Link: translated).
3) Choosing the Right University or Institution
It’s crucial to carefully select the Bolivian university where you’ll study or participate in an exchange experience. There are hundreds of universities and other higher education institutions in our country. *However, most of them offer such poor educational services* that you should avoid them altogether.
When choosing a university in Bolivia, *it should have a tuition cost of at least $9,000* for a full bachelor’s degree (without any discounts). In Bolivia, the more expensive a university is, the better the educational services it tends to offer. We’ve found that only universities with higher tuition fees in Bolivia meet reasonable standards for educational quality and overall features.
Furthermore, in the list of student exchange programs in the previous section, you can see that they are also some of the best universities currently available in Bolivia. You should choose one of them, *along with UMSA and UAGRM universities*, to study here.
We have a comprehensive review of the best universities in Bolivia, highlighting both the best and worst institutions based on international rankings and our own experiences, available here: link.
The Cost of University for International Students in Bolivia
As previously stated, you should anticipate spending between $15,000 and $40,000 in total costs for a full bachelor’s degree in Bolivia at both public and private universities. For tuition fees alone, you should expect to pay between $5,000 and $18,000 for a full bachelor’s degree.
This translates to an annual cost of between $3,000 and $9,000 for a bachelor’s degree, and between $1,000 and $4,000 for tuition fees alone.
On a per-semester basis, this means you should expect to pay between $1,500 and $4,500 in total costs for a bachelor’s degree, and between $500 and $2,000 for tuition fees alone.
We have a comprehensive guide detailing all the costs associated with studying at a university in Bolivia, including all the figures you need to know as an international student, as well as strategies for saving money during the process: The cost of studying in Bolivia: All the numbers and details.
Conclusions:
In this article, you’ve learned all the details about the cost of 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 here as a Bolivian will typically range from $10,000 to $40,000. As an international student, it will cost around $50,000 without discounts, but with discounts, it can be reduced to approximately $35,000.
You’ve also realized that international students will always be required to pay tuition, regardless of whether the university is public or private. However, you also have the opportunity to secure significant discounts through various scholarships, student exchange programs, working for the university, etc. 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 costs, room and board costs, additional fees, and other living expenses. Tuition costs represent only about 16% of the total cost of obtaining a degree here. Additionally, you’ve learned that tuition costs vary significantly depending on the university’s quality.
You’ve also learned that Bolivia has some of the most affordable bachelor’s degree programs, but the education you’ll receive here will be among the lowest-quality worldwide. 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 know more about the actual 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.
