University of Costa Rica facts for kids
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Universidad de Costa Rica
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Other name
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UCR |
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| Motto |
Lucem Aspicio
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Motto in English
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"In search for the light" |
| Type | Public, undergraduate, graduate. |
| Established | August 26, 1940 |
| Budget | CRC 353 711 000 000,00 (610M USD) |
| Rector | Gustavo Gutiérrez Espeleta |
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Academic staff
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3,006 |
| Students | 42,750 (2018) |
| Undergraduates | 39,801 |
| Postgraduates | 2,949 |
| Location |
,
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11501
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9°56′09″N 84°03′02″W / 9.935833°N 84.050556°W |
| Campus | Both Urban and Rural |
| Campus size | 77.5 ha, 775.000 m2 |
| Colours | Sky blue and white |
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Sporting affiliations
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CF Universidad de Costa Rica |
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The University of Costa Rica (known as UCR) is a large public university in Costa Rica, a country in Central America. Its main campus, called Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is in San Pedro Montes de Oca, San José. It is the oldest and biggest university in Costa Rica. It started as the Universidad de Santo Tomás in 1843. About 45,000 students attend UCR each year.
Contents
History of UCR: From Old to New
The first university in Costa Rica was the University of Saint Thomas. It opened in 1843. This old university was closely linked to the Roman Catholic Church. In 1888, the government closed it down. This was part of a plan to make public education more modern.
Some parts of the old university kept going on their own. These included schools for law, farming (agronomy), fine arts, and medicine (pharmacy). In 1940, these four schools joined together again. This created the modern University of Costa Rica (UCR).
For many years, UCR was the only university in Costa Rica. Then, other public universities opened. The Costa Rica Institute of Technology opened in 1972. The National University of Costa Rica opened in 1973. Later, the Distance State University opened in 1979. It was like the British Open University. Finally, the National Technical University opened in 2008. Today, Costa Rica has five public universities. There are also about 53 smaller private ones. But UCR is still the largest and has the most funding.
How to Apply to UCR
Students in Costa Rica who want to go to UCR must take an admission test. This test is like the SAT in the United States. Your score on this test is combined with your high school grades. This gives you an admission score. This score helps decide if you get into the university. It also helps decide if you get into a specific major. It can also help with financial aid.
The highest score on the test is 800. You need at least 442 points to get in. Students who score 800 often appear in Costa Rican newspapers. Getting into UCR is hard. Only about 25% of students who apply get in. In 2009, over 31,000 students took the test. Only about 16,500 scored high enough to be admitted.
Even if you get into the university, you might not get into your first-choice major. In 2007, only 60% of admitted students got into their chosen major. The other 40% had to take other classes. They hoped these classes would raise their grades. This would help them get into the program they wanted later.
Students from other countries need to get their high school certificates approved. They do this at the Ministry of Public Education. Then they can apply and take the admission test. Students applying for graduate school also need to get their college degrees approved.
UCR Campuses and Locations
The main campus is in San Pedro, San José. It is called the Rodrigo Facio campus. This campus is very large, covering about 100 hectares. UCR also has other campuses around Costa Rica. These are called regional campuses. They help more Costa Ricans get a university education.
The regional campuses include:
- Western Campus: In San Ramón, Alajuela. It has a branch in Tacares, Grecia.
- Atlantic Campus: In Turrialba, Cartago. It has branches in Paraíso, Cartago, and Guápiles, Limón.
- Guanacaste Campus: In Liberia, Guanacaste. It has a branch in Santa Cruz.
- Limon Campus: In Port Limón, Limón.
- Pacific Campus: In Puntarenas.
- Golfito Campus: In Golfito, Puntarenas, on the Southern Pacific coast.
The main campus in San Pedro offers the most types of classes and programs. It also has the Medical School and all the graduate programs.
UCR's Role in Society
UCR is a neutral and open-minded university. It encourages students to do social work and research. To graduate, most students must complete Trabajo Comunal Universitario. This means doing community service organized by the university.
UCR is highly respected in Costa Rica. It is often mentioned in the news. The university's opinions on science, ethics, and money matters greatly influence Costa Rican policies. Costa Rican law even requires the government to ask UCR's opinion on new laws.
Many important people have studied at UCR. These include Oscar Arias, who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Many former presidents, ministers, and leaders of public organizations are also UCR alumni.
UCR is also part of the Consejo Nacional de Rectores. This group checks the quality of higher education. It also approves university degrees from other countries.
For many years, UCR worked closely with the government. It trained the professionals needed for new public organizations. These included the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
UCR's Reputation and Rankings
| University rankings | |
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| Global – Overall | |
| QS World | 511-520 |
| THE World | 601-800 |
| Regional – Overall | |
| QS Latin America | 19 |
| THE Latin America | 37 |
The University of Costa Rica is ranked very highly. It is the best university in Central America and the Caribbean. It is ranked 19th in Latin America. Worldwide, it is ranked between 511th and 520th by QS World University Rankings. In the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, it is 4th in Central America and the Caribbean. It is 28th in Latin America and 844th globally.
Working with Other Countries
UCR works with many international groups. These include the DAAD (a German academic group). It also works with the governments of Japan, France, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, and the European Union. The OAS and U.S. research groups like the Organization for Tropical Studies also partner with UCR. The main office for the Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica is on UCR's central campus.
Other universities that work with UCR include:
- University of Florida
- State University of New York at Albany
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Illinois
- University of Maryland
- Rutgers University
- University of Kansas (This is the oldest agreement between two universities in the Western Hemisphere!)
UCR has academic ties with over 41 countries. These include Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
How UCR is Organized
UCR is divided into six main academic areas. These are:
- Agricultural Sciences
- Arts and Letters
- Basic Sciences
- Engineering
- Health
- Social Sciences
These areas are further divided into colleges, schools, and departments. There are also many research centers and institutes. The Graduate Studies System offers master's and doctorate degrees in many different subjects.
UCR Research Institutes
The university has 42 research institutes. These institutes study many different topics. Some examples include:
- Center of Studies on Latin American Identity and Culture (CIICLA)
- Institute of Linguistic Research (INIL)
- Agronomical Research Center (CIA)
- National Research Center on Food Science (CITA)
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Research Center (CIBCM)
- Research Center on Materials Science & Engineering (CICIMA)
- Research Center on Sea Sciences (CIMAR)
- Environmental Pollution Research Center (CICA)
- Research Center on Geophysics (CIGEFI)
- Research Center on Pure and Applied Mathematics (CIMPA)
- Center for Research on Sustainable Development (CIEDES)
- Research Center on Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC)
- Central American Population Studies Center (CCP)
- Center for Research and Training on Public Management (CICAP)
- Research Center on Communication (CICOM)
- Center on Women Studies (CIEM)
- Center for Central American Historical Studies (CIHAC)
- Institute of Social Research (IIS)
- Research Center on Tropical Diseases (CIET)
- Clodomiro Picado Institute (ICP)
UCR Events and School Year
The school year at UCR runs from March to December. It is divided into two main semesters. There is also a summer term from January to February. This summer term might be required for some students, depending on their major.
Semana U is an event held during the first semester. Different student groups take part. There are concerts, talks, exhibits, and other fun activities.
The Expo UCR, also called la Expo, happens every two years. It shows off the university's work and new ideas in many different areas.
Getting Around UCR
There is a free shuttle bus that moves students around the main campus. It goes to the research campus, sports areas, and other labs. These areas are sometimes separated from the main campus by a river or neighborhoods.
Notable People from UCR
Many famous people have studied or worked at the University of Costa Rica.
UCR Alumni
- Josette Altmann Borbón: Former First Lady of Costa Rica (1994–1998)
- Oscar Arias: Former president of Costa Rica (1986–1990; 2006–2010) and Nobel Peace Laureate
- Laura Chinchilla: Former president of Costa Rica (2010–2014)
- Luis Guillermo Solís: Former president of Costa Rica (2014–2018)
- Carlos Alvarado Quesada: Former president of Costa Rica (2018–2022)
- María Luisa Ávila Agüero: Minister of Public Health of Costa Rica (2006–2011)
- Helio Fallas: Vice President of Costa Rica (2014–2018)
- Jeanette Benavides: Doctor in physical chemistry, worked at NASA
- Daniel Salas Peraza: Minister of Public Health of Costa Rica (2018–)
UCR Faculty
- Marco Antei: Mathematician
- Fernando Baudrit Solera: Former dean of the UCR College of Law
- Juan Bernal Ponce: Artist
- Margarita Bertheau: Artist
- Dinorah Bolandi: Artist
- Bélgica Castro: Actress
- Francisco Dall'Anese: Attorney-General of Costa Rica
- Lola Fernández: Artist
- Helio Gallardo: Philosopher
- Mirta González Suárez: Professor of psychology
- Virginia Grutter: Writer
- Dora Emilia Mora de Retana: Botanist
- Alejandra Mora Mora: Lawyer
- Alice L. Pérez Sánchez: Former Vice-Dean of Research
- Montserrat Sagot: Sociologist
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Costa Rica para niños
