University of Cauca

What University of Cauca does

University of Cauca (Universidad del Cauca) is a Colombian public university founded in 1827 in Popayán, Cauca, serving approximately 10,000 students across 9 faculties plus a regional campus in Santander de Quilichao. The institution operates under the oversight of the Colombian Ministry of Education and holds High Quality Institutional Accreditation for 8 years under MEN Resolution 6218 of 2019; it was ranked 13th nationally in the Ranking ART-Sapiens 2025-2026, an ascent of 24 positions. Leadership is provided by Rector Deibar René Hurtado Herrera, and the university is preparing for its 2027 bicentennial.

The university operates an integrated digital infrastructure spanning academic, research, and administrative functions: SIMCA (enrollment and academic control), SIVRI (research management), MOODLE/EVA (learning management), SELENE (technology transfer), LVMEN (document management), SaTis (IT support), GouPagos (payments), SiVot (voting), and the Power BI-based Unicauca en Cifras dashboard. It maintains international research collaborations with USP (Brazil), UNAM (Mexico), and DAAD (Germany), and participates in multilateral networks such as the Red de Mujeres Científicas (22 countries, 94 institutions). Students have reached the Huawei ICT Competition global finals for four consecutive years.

The institution's business model is that of a public university: it is funded primarily through allocations from the Colombian Ministry of Education, supplemented by tuition and operating within the Política de Gratuidad (Free Education Policy) framework. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The university serves undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, an alumni base of approximately 900,000 graduates, and the broader regional community of southwestern Colombia.

Name

University of Cauca

Legal name

Universidad del Cauca

Website

https://unicauca.edu.co

Company type

Public

Founded year

1827

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

University of Cauca is a Colombian public university founded in 1827 in Popayán, serving approximately 10,000 students across 9 faculties plus a regional campus in Santander de Quilichao, with 8-year High Quality Accreditation and active research collaborations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

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

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Colleges (Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre) (EDAHAJAD), Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate academic programs
• Continuing education services
• Applied research programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Popayán

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Universidad del Cauca is a public university that delivers accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs across nine faculties (Arts, Agricultural Sciences, Health Sciences, Accounting/Economics/Administration, Human and Social Sciences, Natural/Exact Sciences/Education, Law/Political Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Electronic Engineering/Telecommunications). It also provides continuing education through CECAV, technology transfer services via SELENE, research support through the Vice-Rectory of Research, and community services such as legal clinics (Consultorio Jurídico) and a university health unit (Unisalud).

Product overview

The University of Cauca operates as a comprehensive public university with a platform-based digital infrastructure consisting of academic management systems (SIMCA), research information systems (SIVRI), virtual learning environments (MOODLE/UniVirtual, EVA), and specialized administrative platforms. The technology portfolio includes student information management, online payment processing, technical support ticketing (SaTis), library catalog services, online voting systems, and graduate program management. The university also maintains a Power BI-based statistics dashboard (Unicauca en Cifras) for institutional data visualization, and continuing education through CECAV. These systems serve approximately 10,000 students across multiple faculties in Popayán and regional locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (Pregrado) Accredited undergraduate degree programs delivered across nine faculties: Arts, Agricultural Sciences, Health Sciences, Accounting/Economics/Administration, Human and Social Sciences, Natural/Exact Sciences/Education, Law/Political Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Electronic Engineering/Telecommunications. Targeted at prospective and enrolled undergraduate students seeking higher education degrees.
• Graduate Programs (Posgrado) - Specializations, Master's, and Doctorates Advanced academic degree programs including especializaciones, maestrías, and doctorados, managed through the Centro de Posgrados. Targeted at students pursuing advanced academic degrees and research training.
• Continuing Education (CECAV) Center for continuing, open, and virtual education offering extension courses, workshops, and virtual programs for professionals, graduates (egresados), and the general public. Targeted at lifelong learners and working professionals seeking continuing education.
• Research and Technology Transfer Services Applied research and technology transfer services managed through the Vice-Rectory of Research (Vicerrectoría de Investigaciones) and the SELENE technology portfolio platform. Targeted at researchers, industry partners, and external stakeholders seeking collaboration and access to the university's developed technologies and research outcomes.
• Legal Clinic (Consultorio Jurídico) Legal advisory services offered by the Faculty of Law, providing legal assistance to the community while training law students. Targeted at community members in the Cauca region requiring legal assistance.
• University Health Unit (Unisalud) Medical and health services provided by the University Health Unit (Unidad de Salud) to students, faculty, staff, and the broader community. Targeted at the university community and the general public requiring primary healthcare services.
• Regionalization Programs (Centro de Regionalización) Regionalization programs bringing university education and outreach to underserved communities across the department of Cauca, including the regional campus at Santander de Quilichao. Targeted at geographically dispersed communities in the Cauca region.
• Centro Universitario de Salud Alfonso López University health center linked to the Faculty of Health Sciences (Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud) providing community health services. Targeted at community members and patients in the Popayán region.
• Unilingua Language Center Foreign language training center operated by the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences. Targeted at students, faculty, and community members seeking language instruction.
• Bolsa de Empleo (Job Placement Service) Employment and job placement services for university graduates (egresados). Targeted at alumni seeking employment opportunities and employers seeking qualified candidates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 13th nationally in Ranking ART-Sapiens 2025-2026, ascending 24 positions from the previous period
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad de São Paulo (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration through the #ConSelloUnicaucano program. Professor Richard F. D'Vries conducted a research stay at the Instituto de Física de São Carlos of Universidad de São Paulo, representing the university's international research mobility initiatives.
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mobility partnership through the #ConSelloUnicaucano program. Professor Alfonso Ramírez Sanabria from the Department of Chemistry and the Catálisis research group conducted academic mobility at the Instituto de Química de UNAM, focusing on circular catalysis and artificial intelligence research.
• Universidad Nacional de ColombiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research collaboration on the Malaria Cauca project, which developed and tested a mosquito repellent efficacy against malaria. The project presented results demonstrating the effectiveness of the developed repellent in collaboration with researchers from Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
• Red de Mujeres Científicas (International)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad del Cauca joined the international network Red de Mujeres Científicas (Red de Mujeres Científicas de América Latina y el Caribe) which includes approximately 4,000 academics across 22 countries and 94 institutions. Professor Elizabeth Castillo from the Department of Estudios Interculturales participated as an international guest in the Education and Humanities working groups. The university joined to promote equity in social and scientific research.
• DAAD - Servicio Alemán de Intercambio AcadémicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers from Universidad del Cauca have been beneficiaries of DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarships for international academic mobility and research stays.
• Universidad Francisco de Paula SantanderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative participation in the 11th Semana Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación 2024, an international science and technology event.
• Universidad de Purdue (implied through Huawei ICT Competition)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent participation in the Huawei ICT Competition global finals, indicating international academic competition and networking relationships with global institutions.
• FENADECO - Federación Nacional de Estudiantes de EconomíaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Unicauca chapter was recognized as 'Capítulo Revelación' (Revelation Chapter) at the 45th national economics competition, demonstrating student leadership and academic projection through national professional networks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universidad del Valle: Public university based in Cali, Valle del Cauca — the same macro-region (southwestern Colombia) as Universidad del Cauca. Both are accredited public research universities with comparable faculty mixes in engineering, health, and sciences, competing for similar regional applicants and government funding.
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia: Colombia's flagship public university, with national coverage and a large research portfolio. Direct peer for faculty collaboration (joint Malaria Cauca research), graduate student exchange, and competition for national research funding and accreditations.
• Universidad de Antioquia: Major Colombian public university in Medellín with similar multi-faculty structure, research output, and public-accreditation profile. Comparable scale and a like-for-like comparison for regional public-university performance in Colombia.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad de los Andes (Colombia): Top-ranked Colombian university (private, Bogotá-based) with comprehensive faculties including engineering, law, business, and arts. Operates in the same higher-education market with overlapping disciplines, but is private, better-funded, and serves a more affluent, national student base.
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: One of Colombia's leading private universities with strong research profile and broad faculty coverage. Competes for the same top applicants as public universities and sets benchmarks for accreditation, research output, and graduate education.

Emerging players

• Universidad EAFIT: Private Colombian university in Medellín with strong engineering, business, and innovation programs. An emerging challenger in research and applied innovation that competes for faculty, students, and corporate partnerships in overlapping disciplines.
• Universidad de São Paulo (USP): Brazil's flagship public research university and an active international research partner of Universidad del Cauca. Comparable as a Latin American public research university with similar faculty-mobility and research-collaboration dynamics.
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM): Mexico's largest public university and an active academic-mobility partner of Universidad del Cauca. Comparable as a Latin American comprehensive public research university with broad faculty coverage and significant research output.

Regional players

• Universidad del Cauca (peer: Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander): Public Colombian university in Cúcuta that participated with Universidad del Cauca in the Semana Internacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación 2024. Comparable as a regional Colombian public university operating outside the main Bogotá/Medellín/Cali axis.
• Universidad Técnica de Ambato: Public Ecuadorian university with comparable multi-faculty structure and Latin American public-university operating context. Adjacent regional peer for understanding Andean public-university operating models outside Colombia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unicauca
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@unicaucapopayan
• Facebookfacebook.com/unicauca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/universidad-del-cauca
• Instagraminstagram.com/universidadelcauca
• TikToktiktok.com/@unicauca_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Cauca