Universidad Católica de Manizales

What Universidad Católica de Manizales does

Universidad Católica de Manizales (UCM) is a private Colombian higher education institution founded in 1954 and headquartered in Manizales, Caldas, operating across five faculties (Administration, Health Sciences, Education, Engineering and Architecture, and Social Sciences/Humanities/Theology). It delivers accredited undergraduate (técnicos profesionales, licenciaturas, professional careers), graduate (especializaciones, maestrías, doctorados), and continuing-education programs through three modalities — presencial, distancia (with tutorial centers across Colombia), and virtual — supplemented by the Global Academy language center and a Virtual Tour recruitment tool. Revenue is generated primarily from tuition (Derechos Pecuniarios) across program levels and modalities, with secondary streams from continuing-education courses, the language center, campus services (parking, auditorium rental, sports facilities, cafeteria), and media production (Radio UCM, Televisión UCM).

UCM's technology and platform infrastructure centers on SIGA (Sistema Integrado de Gestión Académica) for academic records and enrollment, a research information system, the UCM Conecta student/alumni portal, and operational platforms for media production and content distribution. The institution is owned and directed by the Congregación de Hermanas de la Caridad Dominicas de la Presentación de la Santísima Virgen, with governance exercised through a Superior Council led by the Vicecanciller. The university has accumulated regulatory and quality credentials including the Ministry of National Education's High Quality Institutional Accreditation, ISO 9001:2015 certification from Icontec (June 2025), the Sello No Discriminación, and a 100%-score Operaciones Bioseguras certification. The go-to-market is admissions-driven: prospective students are acquired through the website, a 360° virtual tour, the Feria Virtual UCM, in-person recruitment events, and the recently launched virtual Specialization in Strategic Tourism Management, with financial aid delivered through ICETEX partnerships and the Becas Compensatorias scholarship program.

Name

Universidad Católica de Manizales

Legal name

Universidad Católica de Manizales

Website

https://ucm.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Universidad Católica de Manizales is a private Colombian higher education institution (founded 1954) offering accredited undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education programs in five faculties across presencial, distance, and virtual modalities to domestic and international students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Distance learning education
• Continuing education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Manizales

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees (Derechos Pecuniarios): The university generates primary revenue from tuition fees charged for undergraduate programs (técnicos profesionales, licenciaturas, professional careers) and postgraduate programs (especializaciones, maestrías, doctorados). Fees vary by program level and modality (presencial, a distancia, virtual).
2. Continuing Education: Revenue from cursos, diplomados and other continuing education offerings separate from formal degree programs.
3. Campus Services: Auxiliary revenue from parking services, auditorium rentals (including Santo Domingo with 326 capacity), sports facilities, gym, swimming pool, and cafeteria services.
4. Language Center and Global Academy: Revenue from language learning programs and international academic offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Universidad Católica de Manizales is a private Catholic higher education institution in Colombia offering undergraduate (técnicos profesionales, licenciaturas, professional careers) and graduate (especializaciones, maestrías, doctorados) degree programs across Health Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Education, Administration, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology. Programs are delivered through on-campus (presencial), distance (a distancia with regional tutorial centers), and fully virtual modalities. The university also provides continuing education courses, language training through the Global Academy, applied research via the IMBA research institute, and supporting campus services including auditorium rentals, sports facilities, and parking.

Product overview

Universidad Católica de Manizales (UCM) is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and institutional services. The core educational offerings include Pregrados (undergraduate careers - technical, professional, and licentiate programs) and Posgrados (graduate programs including specializations, master's, and doctoral degrees), complemented by Educación Continuada (continuing education courses and diplomas) and the Global Academy language center. Supporting infrastructure includes SIGA (academic management system), Radio UCM (radio and podcast platform with programming such as 'Venga le cuento', 'Sabías que', and 'Una voz hermana'), the Estudio de Televisión UCM (TV and audiovisual production studio), Centro de Innovación Inneo (innovation and entrepreneurship center), and UCM Conecta (career services platform). The institution also operates the Instituto de Investigación en Microbiología y Biotecnología Agroindustrial (IMBA) for research, and offers a Virtual Tour for prospective students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pregrados (Undergraduate Degree Programs) Undergraduate professional career programs at the technical professional, licentiate, and professional levels across Health Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Education, Administration, Humanities, Social Sciences, Theology, and related disciplines. Delivered on-campus (presencial), at a distance with regional tutorial centers, and virtually.
• Posgrados (Graduate Degree Programs) Postgraduate programs including specializations, master's degrees (maestrías), and doctoral programs in various academic fields, offered across modalities including virtual. New programs include the Specialization in Strategic Tourism Management approved by MEN in June 2025.
• Educación Continuada (Continuing Education) Short courses, diplomas (diplomados), and professional development programs for working professionals and lifelong learners, separate from formal degree programs.
• Global Academy (Language Center) Language learning programs and international academic offerings, including English-taught courses and global mobility opportunities through the Centro de Idiomas and Global Academy.
• UCM Conecta (Career Services Platform) Digital platform connecting students, graduates, and the university community with job opportunities and career services.
• Centro de Innovación Inneo (Innovation Center) Innovation center focused on entrepreneurship support, business development, and regional development initiatives, supporting startups and social innovation projects.
• Instituto de Investigación en Microbiología y Biotecnología Agroindustrial (IMBA) Research institute focused on microbiology and agroindustrial biotechnology research and development, supporting postgraduate training and industry collaboration.
• Radio UCM University radio station and podcast platform producing content including programs such as La vida es bella, Minutos contados, Nuestra voz nuestro voto, Palabra de Dios, Sabías que, Una voz hermana, and Venga le cuento covering academic, cultural, and social topics.
• Estudio de Televisión UCM (Television and Audiovisual Studio) Television and audiovisual production studio creating institutional videos, commercials, training videos, documentaries, product launches, fiction, and video clips for internal and external clients.
• Campus Facility Rentals (Auditoriums, Parking, Sports) Campus services including Santo Domingo de Guzmán auditorium rental (326 capacity), parking for vehicles and motorcycles, gym, swimming pool, sports campus, and cafeteria facilities. Differentiated rates apply for UCM community members and external clients.
• Especialización en Gestión Estratégica del Turismo (Specialization in Strategic Tourism Management) New virtual postgraduate program under the Faculty of Administration, with a curriculum of 25 academic credits, received qualified registration from the Ministry of National Education via resolution dated June 4, 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• High annual student retention rate
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ministry of National Education (MINEDUCACIÓN)coreOthersGovernment oversight and accreditation body that grants institutional and program-level recognition, quality accreditation, and qualified registration for academic programs.
• ODUCAL (Organización de Universidades Católicas de América Latina y el Caribe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of Catholic universities spanning 36 countries, enabling student and faculty mobility, international events, and academic collaboration across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• UDUAL (Unión de Universidades de América Latina)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Latin American universities promoting higher education collaboration, research exchange, and regional academic integration.
• SUMA (Sistema Universitario de Manizales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal university system alliance in Manizales for collaborative projects, shared resources, and regional development initiatives.
• Congregation of Sisters of Charity Dominicans of the Presentation of the Most Holy VirgincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding religious congregation providing institutional guidance, charism, and connection to 36-country international network. The congregation directs UCM through the Vice Chancellor and Provincial Superior.
• Universidad de CaldasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance selected by Ministry of Education to lead the Foreign Language Immersion Centers (CILE) project, forming 1,200 teachers in English through joint collaboration.
• University of Guadalajara (México)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration in tourism with professors from Centro Universitario Costa Azul participating in mobility programs with UCM's Tourism Business Administration program.
• INPEC - Instituto Nacional Penintenciario y CarrocenariomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvenio with INPEC for training prison inmates in soft skills, barbering, bakery, pastry, and food handling to support social reintegration and labor market reentry.
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad de Caldas, Universidad Católica Luis Amigó, Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Universidad Católica de Pereira, Universidad Tecnológica de PereiramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic consortium including National University, multiple regional universities, and Peace, Conflict and Human Rights Researchers Network (Eje Cafetero) organizing the I Coloquio de Memoria, Narrativas y Transiciones.
• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Río de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for ODUCAL Intercontinental Pastoral University Network meeting in June 2026, where UCM's Pastoral University professional represented the institution.
• Icontec (Instituto Colombiano de Normas Técnicas)coreOthersColombian technical standards institute providing quality certifications including ISO 9001:2015, Sello No Discriminación, and Operaciones Bioseguras certifications.
• University of Sao PaulomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem BT collaboration involving Incubar, University of Manizales, and University of Sao Paulo for science, technology and innovation projects funded by the General Royalties System.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidad del Rosario: Private Bogotá-based university with comprehensive health sciences, social sciences, and graduate programs. Comparable in scope and private-sector positioning, though concentrated in Bogotá rather than regionally.
• Universidad de Manizales: Local Manizales-based private university, the most direct geographic peer of UCM. Competes head-to-head for the same regional student pool in Caldas.
• Universidad CES: Private university in Medellín anchored in health sciences with expansion into engineering and social sciences. Comparable to UCM's health-sciences strength and private-sector scale (~similar size).
• Universidad EAFIT: Private Colombian university based in Medellín with strong emphasis on research, postgrad programs, and continuing education. Comparable to UCM as a private multi-modality institution competing for graduate and professional students outside Bogotá.
• Universidad El Bosque: Private Bogotá university with strong health-sciences orientation, similar in size and discipline mix to UCM. Comparable as a private Colombian university focused on Health, Engineering, and graduate programs.
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: Colombia's leading private Catholic university, with multiple campuses, comprehensive undergraduate and graduate offerings, and international accreditations. Highly comparable to UCM in religious-affiliated private university positioning, multi-modality delivery, and emphasis on Jesuit/Catholic formation.
• Universidad Autónoma de Manizales: Another private university in Manizales, sharing the same regional labor market and student demographics. Comparable as a private regional Colombian university competing with UCM in the Eje Cafetero.

Regional players

• Universidad de Caldas: Public university headquartered in Manizales, the same city as UCM. Closest public-sector regional peer competing for the same student demographic in Caldas and serving as UCM's institutional partner (e.g., CILE foreign-language immersion project).

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Externado de Colombia: Established private Bogotá university with strong social-sciences and law programs. Comparable as a private Colombian university with national reach, though broader and longer-established than UCM.

Emerging players

• Konrad Lorenz Universidad Fundación Universitaria: Smaller private Bogotá-based university focused on psychology and social sciences. Comparable in private-sector positioning and educational services model, though significantly smaller and more niche than UCM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ucm_manizales
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ucmtelevision
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucatolicamanizales
• LinkedInco.linkedin.com/school/ucatolicamanizales
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucatolicamanizales
• TikToktiktok.com/@ucatolicamanizales

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Universidad Católica de Manizales