Study in Colombia

Are you interested in studying more about Colombia? Do you want to immerse yourself in a diverse South American culture and take advantage of opportunities to expand your mastery of the Spanish language? Try a study abroad in Colombia as it may have all of that to offer and more.

Whether you want to study for a semester, for a summer, or a full year, or pursue volunteer or internship opportunities, this country may be able to offer you the rewarding international experience you are looking for.

Colombia is home to plenty of the region’s top universities. In fact, Bogota, the capital is known as the “Athens of South America” because of it’s abundance of libraries and educational opportunities. Here no matter which city you choose, you will find a number of institutions at which to study in Colombia.

Colombia is an ethnically and geographically diverse country. Situated between the Caribbean and the Pacific, Colombia’s landscape ranges from rainforest to mountains and grasslands, rich with native biodiversity, notably bird species, amphibians, marine life, and plant life. This makes it a great country for your study abroad opportunity if you are interested in the environment and conservation. Colombia also boasts a number of indigenous cultures and a diverse population, supporting its vibrant cultural, artistic and culinary traditions.

Numerous study abroad and volunteer programs in Colombia focus on topics related to social responsibility, and on areas such as medicine, education amongst many. More so, Colombia may be an ideal study abroad destination for anyone who wishes for an immersive and diverse Spanish language experience.

Colombian Spanish may incorporate any of a number of regional dialects, however, the variety spoken in Bogota may be considered desirable by many speakers of South American Spanish.

All the information needed to prepare for the trip to Colombia can be found here. Here you can look up general information relating to different types of accommodation, culture, and entertainment, sports, and recreation offered by the country to international students. It also provides information about mobility programs, scholarships, grants and loans available.

Studying abroad exposes you to a different way of thinking and living life. You widen your horizons and open yourself up to various new avenues and opportunities. One of the happiest countries on earth, boasting its exotic and colorful locations, warm and pleasant weather, beautiful culture and people.

Megadiverse Colombia always welcomes students from all the globe to visit, study and experience a rewarding stay here. Thid is why we are here as ROCAPPLY to make that dream come true at all cost, all it takes is a few clicks on the FindPrograms icon.

The country is steadily seeing an increase in international students from all over the globe. Cities like Medellin and Bogota regularly host a number of international students, who come here for learning Spanish, internships, semester exchange programs and volunteering programs.

The government and the universities are actively taking steps and making to put Colombia on the forefront in the field of academics. This is done through initiatives like “Colombia Challenge Your Knowledge”.

Many Colombian universities have alliances with international institutions such as RocApply that bring in students from multiple countries around the world. Meeting different students from different backgrounds and culture makes the experience of an international student even more enriching. You get to meet people with a lot of varied interests and attributes. Studying here provides a medium to interact and learn about a variety of cultures and languages more so.

Students in North Cyprus

About Colombia

After everything is set and done, who doesn’t want to have an accent like Modern Family’s Gloria? Although a full year or more may be required to nail the Colombian accent, any time spent in Colombia will be memorable and admirable throughout. Andale!

Colombia’s main cities are not as dangerous as they used to be in history. The fears of rampant crime are misguided in modern Colombia. Both city officials and city dwellers have sought to remake their society relentlessly.

Many Colombians have compensated for the negative perceptions by welcoming foreigners with open arms, depicting a willingness to change and improve Colombia’s image on the global and regional stages.

This country provides a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, high quality academic environment for international students. Colombia is also a great place to master or perfect Spanish skills for non-native speakers, as the Spanish spoken in the country is standardised, very clear and easy for foreigners to appreciate.

Did you know that Colombia is South America’s second most populous country after Brazil? More than 41 of its universities have featured in Latin America rankings. Its most decorated higher education institution is arguably the University of the Andes in Bogota, the capital, but the National University of Colombia, the University of Antioquia, based mainly in Medellin, the second-largest city, and the Pontifical Xavierian University, which has campuses in Bogota and Cali, also perform well in the context of international rankings.

This gateway to both the Andes and the Amazon, is blessed with beautiful scenery. Proudly multicultural, Bogota, the capital, combines European and New World architecture. Even its oldest colonial street, Medellin, has undergone a radical transformation since the drug wars of the 1990s, with significant investment contributing to the development of what is now a far more affluent city.

This country is famously passionate about football and is also well-known for the cumbia dance. Colombia has long been one of the world’s three largest coffee producers. Famous Colombians include writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, singer Shakira and footballer James Rodriguez amongst many.

About Colombia Economy

Colombia has a track record of a prudent macroeconomic and fiscal management policy, and despite economic downturns, it has maintained its investment-grade rating since 2013. After slowing down to 1.4 percent in the year 2017, economic growth accelerated to 3.3 percent in 2019, driven by robust private consumption and stronger investment. Growth was on track to accelerate further in 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to significantly affect private consumption and investment.

In response to the COVID implications, the Government has implemented early emergency response measures – declared a State of Emergency, closed the country’s borders, and imposed a mandatory quarantine. Colombia’s wide range of climates, from hot on the coast to temperate in the mountains, means that the country produces a variety of products.

Until in recent times, sugar cane production, fresh flowers, and bananas were the only major export-driven agribusiness. However, improvements in security in recent years have resulted in a boom in large scale agricultural products such as palm oil, rubber, and soy.

Cattle ranching occupies an estimated 25% of the country’s land. Commercial forestry is relatively underdeveloped, though there is considerable illegal logging, especially close to the Pacific Coast.

In recent years, oil production and mining have become major economic activities. The main center of oil production is the Llanos, the eastern plains of Colombia, with oil pipelines ranging from there over the Cordillera Oriental to Caribbean ports.

Oil currently represents roughly half of Colombian exports in total exports. There is also significant natural gas, which is used mostly for residential use. Large-scale mining has been focused on coal and nickel, with the most deposits in the Caribbean coastal region.

With the improvement of security conditions in the past years, many international firms, such as AngloGold Ashanti, have requested concessions for large-scale gold mining, often with opposition from the community. Illegal gold mining, often conducted with large machinery, is a severe threat to fragile ecosystems, especially in the Pacific Coast rainforest.

During the post-war period, Colombia pursued an import substitution policy, fostering the growth of domestic industries such as automobiles, appliances, and petrochemical goods amongst others. Since the early 1990s, the government has been relatively opening the economy to foreign competition and tearing down tariffs.

In recent years, Columbia signed free trade agreements with the United States and the European Union. Today, the country commands a fairly diversified industrial sector. The country is self-sufficient in energy, with hydropower supplying the bulk of electricity needs.

Why Study in Colombia

Affordable Tuition Fees in Colombia
Affordable Education

As per norm, the whole process of choosing a location for studying abroad can feel a bit daunting with the thought of carrying out huge expenses in a foreign country. However, the cost of studying in Colombia, specifically in a public university is usually very inexpensive.

Colombian public universities have tuition fees that stagger around 860 euros per semester. Private universities, however, are on the expensive end, with tuition fees ranging from 860 euros to 4700 euros per semester.

An example is when you are going to study at a university in Medellin for a semester exchange, you are likely not to pay any tuition at all. The reason for this is that many universities in the city have partnerships with other universities from all over the globe. They can send students to your university, while you can go to their university without paying any extra fees.

Affordable Accomodation in Colombia
Cultural immersion

Studying here will allow you to meet the local people, understand their traditions, and values. You will get a different perspective of how people in another part of the world live and run their life. Colombia’s history and cultural heritage are renowned all around the world.

And, with its old colonial charm to the new urban scene, Colombia has much to offer for a wonderful semester abroad. The scenic attractions, diverse and breath-gulping landscapes are hard to resist. From learning about coffee to hiking in the beautiful Tayrona National Park, there is plenty to explore in this country.

You can try the popular Ajiaco soup or visit the great variety of beautiful beaches. This country will never fail to excite you whatsoever. Undoubtedly, you will acquire a unique takeaway from your experience as an international student in Colombia.

International Environment in Colombia
University rankings
The two of the most reputable Colombian universities, the National University of Colombia ranks at 254 in the QS world university rankings. The University of Los Andes follows next with the rank 256 on the list. The ranking depicts the renown of these universities on the global level. Over 25 universities in Colombia are among the top 300 in South America and are increasingly attracting international students from all over the world. Colombian universities are widely recognized for their strength in engineering, administration, and the social sciences course programs. Tips: Read more about different universities on our List of Universities section.
Great Weather in Colombia
. Multiple opportunities to learn Spanish
Spanish is the official language of Colombia and is most widely spoken in this country. You get ample opportunities to learn this beautiful language by staying and studying here. There are numerous Spanish language schools and institutes available all over the country. Medellin and Bogota are the top city choices for students to learn Spanish in Colombia. By learning Spanish, you further enhance your skill sets which opens you up to a lot of different types of career opportunities. After all, it is the second most widely spoken language for international communication across the globe. What are you waiting for, click here and reserve your place now in the university of your dream!!

Scholarships in Argentina

Are you a student in Colombia or an aspiring one? The Colombia Government Scholarship Program is a chance for you. The Colombian government offers scholarships to foreign citizens to pursue a Specialist or Master or Ph.D. (according to the university program) in a Colombian educational institution of their choice.

Financial grants are offered to foreign citizens in exchange for the international cooperation received by Colombia under existing cooperation agreements. The Colombian Scholarships covers quite a lot, take your time and go through this content RocApply has arranged all the details you need to win the Columbia Government Scholarships for International students.

Postgraduate scholarships in Colombia have a maximum of twelve months for specialization and twenty-four months for the master’s degree and up to thirty-six months for a doctorate. The scholarship holder of doctorates that last more than three years has to assume by themselves the allowance for the rest of the program. Nevertheless, the Colombian university will cover all the tuition fees during the whole program.

Colombia Student Visa

Colombia changed its Colombian visa rules in late 2017. And these new visa rules went into effect in December 2017. So, a Colombia student visa changed and is known as a Migrant (M) visa of category 9 (an M-9 visa) or as a Visitor (V) visa. Furthermore, if you have an existing TP-3 student visa, it doesn’t change to one of the new types of student visas available.

The M student visa is designed for those studying a degree program, like for a bachelor's degree. The V student visa is intended for non-degree programs like studying Spanish. The M student visa can be for longer than one year depending on the length of studies on is engaged in.

In addition, with the new M-9 or V student visas you are not allowed to work in Colombia. This is the same as the previous TP-3 student visas. Also, a M-9 visa loses its validity if you leave Colombia for over six months without return.