Universidad del Magdalena

What Universidad del Magdalena does

Universidad del Magdalena is a departmental public university headquartered in Santa Marta, Colombia, with one of the largest campuses in the Colombian Caribbean. It serves 28,227 currently enrolled students across six faculties (Health Sciences, Engineering, Business and Economics, Humanities, Basic Sciences, and Education), supported by 1,204 teaching faculty, and has produced 77,509 graduates historically. It is the only Latin American institution internationally accredited as an 'Engaged University' (Universidad Comprometida) and is the second public university in the Caribbean region to receive high-quality institutional accreditation from the Colombian Ministry of National Education.

The university operates a digital service stack anchored by the Campus Virtual LMS, the CREO (Centro para la Regionalización de la Educación y las Oportunidades) platform for distance and vocational training, the Repositorio Unimagdalena institutional repository, the Descubridor Tayrona (Primo-based) discovery layer, the GAIRACA graduate tracking system, the Admisiones portal, a PSE-integrated online payment system, and the Germán Bula Meyer Library on the ALMA platform. Its distribution network spans the main Santa Marta campus, four CREO regional tutorial centers (Santa Marta, Aracataca, Pivijay, Fundación), virtual/distance modes, and community service points including the Consultorio Jurídico legal aid clinic and Bienestar Universitario wellness services.

Revenue is generated primarily through regulated tuition fees (priced in SMLV units), university-administered short-term educational credits, and Colombian Ministry of Education public funding. Tuition is subsidized for socioeconomic strata 1-3, with additional support via Generación E and ICETEX programs. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across five customer segments — undergraduate students, graduate students, technical/vocational learners, continuing education participants, and vulnerable community members seeking legal aid — with student acquisition driven by online admissions portals, regional CREO centers, social media, Radio Unimagdalena 91.9 FM, and community outreach.

Name

Universidad del Magdalena

Legal name

Universidad del Magdalena

Website

https://unimagdalena.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Universidad del Magdalena is a Colombian Caribbean public university serving 28,227 students across six faculties and a regional CREO network, offering undergraduate, graduate, technical, and continuing education programs funded by government allocations and regulated tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Inbound Exchange Hosting & Visiting Student Administration (EDAIABAK)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Technical vocational training
• Distance learning programs
• Postgraduate education

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Marta

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices11 records

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 enrollment fees: As a public university, Universidad del Magdalena generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to enrolled students across undergraduate, graduate, technical/vocational, and continuing education programs. Financial support is available through a credit system (Grupo de Facturación, Crédito y Cartera) offering short-term educational credits for tuition financing. Students in lower socioeconomic strata (1, 2, and 3) receive subsidized rates. Some programs participate in governmental subsidy programs (e.g., Generación E, CATS savings accounts via ICETEX).
2. Educational credit and financing: The university operates an educational credit program (Crédito Educativo) providing short-term loans for tuition payment. This generates recurring revenue through interest-bearing installment payments. The 2020 period referenced 2,700 educational credits issued for the 2020-I academic period. Payments are processed via PSE online portal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Universidad del Magdalena is a Colombian departmental public university delivering higher education through six faculties (Health Sciences, Engineering, Business and Economics, Humanities, Basic Sciences, and Education). It offers undergraduate, graduate, technical/vocational, and continuing education programs across on-campus, distance, and virtual modalities, complemented by a regional CREO center network that extends access to underserved municipalities.

Product overview

Universidad del Magdalena operates as a departmental public university offering a comprehensive digital ecosystem of educational and administrative services. The core educational platform is anchored by the Campus Virtual for online learning and CREO (Centro para la Regionalización de la Educación y las Oportunidades) for distance and regional education programs. Supporting infrastructure includes the Repositorio Unimagdalena digital repository for research publications, the Biblioteca Germán Bula Meyer library system with academic databases, and the GAIRACA graduate tracking system. Administrative services are delivered through the Admisiones portal for enrollment and academic records, the Pagos en Línea (PSE) payment system for tuition and fees, and the Grupo de Facturación, Crédito y Cartera for educational credit and financing. Additional services include Videosferas Streaming for multimedia content, the Consultorio Jurídico legal clinic portal, Bienestar Universitario wellness programs, and the Unimap campus navigation tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs On-campus undergraduate professional, technological, and professional technical degree programs in business, health sciences, engineering, humanities, basic sciences, and education for students from the Colombian Caribbean region.
• Postgraduate Programs Specializations, master's, and doctoral programs for working professionals and recent graduates, available in-person and virtual modalities.
• Technical and Vocational Training Programs Short-cycle technical and vocational certificate programs (formación para el trabajo y desarrollo humano) for adult learners and workers, offered through CREO in weekend, distance, and evening modalities aligned with regional economic needs.
• Continuing Education and Certificate Courses Short-term diplomados (certificate courses) for professionals seeking skills updates and continuing education credits in health sciences, engineering, business, and humanities.
• CREO Distance and Virtual Education Modality Distance and virtual mode academic programs and technical/vocational training delivered through the CREO regional center network to extend educational access across the Magdalena department.
• Consultorio Jurídico y Centro de Conciliación (Legal Aid Clinic) Free legal aid clinic and conciliation center providing legal representation and dispute resolution services to vulnerable populations in the Santa Marta region, delivered by supervised law students.
• Educational Credit and Financing Program University-administered short-term educational credit program providing tuition financing to enrolled students, with installment-based repayment processed via PSE online portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28,227 enrolled students and 77,509 total graduates demonstrate large-scale educational access and completion outcomes for the region.
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidad de La Guajira: Public university in Riohacha serving La Guajira department, adjacent to Magdalena. Direct regional peer with similar public university profile, regionalization focus, and underserved population mandate.
• Universidad del Atlántico: Departamental public university in Barranquilla serving the same Colombian Caribbean region with comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs. Direct competitor for regional students and comparable in scale and accreditation profile.
• Universidad de Córdoba: Public university in Montería serving the Córdoba department in the Caribbean region. Comparable departmental public university model with undergraduate, graduate, and regional extension programs.
• Universidad de Sucre: Public departmental university in Sincelejo, Sucre. Comparable in scale, public funding model, and regional mission, serving an adjacent Caribbean department.
• Universidad del Norte: Major private university in Barranquilla with comprehensive programs across health, engineering, business, and humanities. Competes for the same Caribbean region student pool but with a private funding model and broader program offering.
• Universidad de Cartagena: Public university headquartered in Cartagena, the other major public higher education institution in the Colombian Caribbean. Directly comparable in mission, public funding model, regional orientation, and program breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad de Antioquia: One of the largest and oldest public universities in Colombia, with comprehensive programs across all major disciplines. Comparable in public university governance and accreditation profile, but operates at significantly larger national scale.
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia: Colombia's flagship public university with multi-campus national system. Represents the broader incumbent benchmark for Colombian public higher education in terms of scale, graduate programs, and research output.
• EAFIT: Major private Colombian university based in Medellín with strong accreditation profile and comprehensive program offering. Comparable in offering breadth and quality orientation, though serves a different region and operates under a private funding model.

Regional players

• Universidad Simón Bolívar: Private university in Barranquilla with strong Caribbean region presence. Comparable in target market and program mix, but operates under a different funding model and is somewhat smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unimagdalena
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/unimagdalenatv
• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversidadDelMagdalena
• Instagraminstagram.com/unimagdalena
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidad-del-magdalena

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Universidad del Magdalena