Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales

What Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales does

Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (U.D.C.A) is a private, non-profit higher-education institution headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, founded in 1983 (university status granted 2004) and operating four locations across Bogotá (Calle 222 main campus on 17 hectares within the Van Der Hammen environmental reserve, Avenida Boyacá, and Galerías) and Cartagena. The institution delivers undergraduate programs (pregrado) in veterinary medicine, medicine, nursing, sports sciences, agronomy, pharmaceutical chemistry, law, and business; 19 graduate specializations (several via distance learning), 7 master's programs, and 2 doctoral programs in Sustainability Sciences (2021) and Animal Science (2022); plus continuing-education offerings including the Premédico preparation course. U.D.C.A's research infrastructure is anchored by a BSL-3 molecular diagnostics center (highest biosafety level, royalty-funded in 2020) and 27 laboratory spaces, with research groups classified A1 and A by Colciencias.

The underlying technology stack consists of conventional academic systems rather than proprietary platforms: a Universitas XXI-powered Learning Management System (Portal Académico), the U.D.C.A Virtual distance-education platform, the Nexo-U student-services portal, and the SII/SIIV2 institutional information systems. The business model is tuition-driven (subscription/recurring) with publicly published per-program semester fees ranging from $3.9M to $23.7M COP (2026), supplemented by institutional credit income and continuing-education fees. Customer acquisition combines direct admissions counselors, campus tours, a referral program (Plan de Referidos), and digital channels. Revenue accessibility is broadened through financing partnerships with ICETEX, Finki, Fincomercio, and Lumni (administering the "Fondo Sembrando Tu Futuro" covering up to 60% of tuition for economically needy students), plus municipal discount agreements. U.D.C.A holds a 6-year Institutional Accreditation in High Quality (Ministry of Education Resolution 007467, May 2024), 9 accredited programs, ISO 9001:2015 certification, and ARCUSUR international accreditation for Nursing. In 2025 the university transitioned leadership, appointing Dr. Manuel Esteban Acevedo Jaramillo (formerly ICETEX president and Universidad CES rector) as the new rector, succeeding Dr. Germán Anzola Montero who served since 1986.

Name

Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales

Legal name

Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales U.D.C.A

Website

https://udca.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

U.D.C.A is a private, non-profit Colombian university founded in 1983, headquartered in Bogotá, offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in veterinary medicine, animal science, health sciences, and environmental studies, with a unique BSL-3 research lab and 6-year high-quality institutional accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH), Schools of Medical Laboratory Science & Clinical Diagnostics (EDAHAGAO), Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Applied sciences programs
• Veterinary medicine education
• Environmental sciences degrees
• Doctoral academic programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees (Derechos Pecuniarios): The primary revenue stream comes from tuition fees charged to students for undergraduate and graduate programs. The university publishes standardized tuition rates per semester for each program, with prices varying by program type and level (e.g., Medicine programs charge higher fees than technical programs).
2. Continuing Education: Revenue generated from continuing education programs, pre-medical preparation courses, workshops, and professional development offerings such as diplomados and specialized courses.
3. Educational Credit Partnerships: The university partners with ICETEX, Finki, Fincomercio, and other financial institutions to facilitate student financing. While the primary payment comes from students, these partnerships enable enrollment expansion by making education financially accessible.
4. Institutional Credit: The university offers direct institutional credit (Crédito Institucional U.D.C.A) to students, generating interest income and administrative fees from the financing arrangement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (U.D.C.A) is a private higher education institution that delivers undergraduate (pregrado) and graduate (posgrado — specializations, master's, and doctorates) academic programs in applied and environmental sciences, veterinary medicine, health sciences, and related disciplines. The university provides classroom-based, laboratory-based, and distance learning instruction across its Bogotá and Cartagena campuses, supported by BSL-3 research facilities and accredited degree offerings. Continuing education, pre-medical preparation, and professional development courses supplement the core degree portfolio for both prospective students and lifelong learners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centro ThinkGua®: Research center at the university
• U.D.C.A Virtual
• Finky
• Fondo Sembrando Tu Futuro

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (Pregrado)
• Specialization Programs (Especializaciones - Posgrado) Postgraduate specialization programs at U.D.C.A, with 19 active offerings including some delivered via distance learning. Sample specializations include Gestión de Riesgos Climáticos ($5,967,000 COP/semester), Gestión Social y Ambiental ($7,320,000 COP/semester), Sistemas Integrados de Gestión ($7,764,000 COP/semester), Medicina Familiar ($18,880,000 COP/semester), Laboratorio Clínico Veterinario (Distancia, $8,640,000 COP/semester), Nutrición Animal Aplicada ($8,653,000 COP/semester), Sanidad Animal ($7,392,000 COP/semester), and Producción Animal ($7,472,000 COP/semester). Targeted at professionals seeking advanced credentials.
• Master's Degree Programs (Maestrías - Posgrado) Postgraduate master's degree programs at U.D.C.A with 7 active programs for professionals pursuing advanced academic credentials in applied and environmental sciences and related fields.
• Doctorado en Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad
• Doctorado en Ciencia Animal
• Premédico Pre-Medical Preparation Program 16-week pre-medical preparation program priced at $4,407,000 COP total program cost, designed for prospective students preparing to enter competitive health sciences undergraduate programs (especially Medicina).
• Continuing Education (Diplomados, Workshops, and Courses) Continuing education offerings at U.D.C.A, including diplomados, workshops, and professional development courses targeted at lifelong learners, working professionals, and pre-university candidates.
• U.D.C.A Virtual Distance Learning Platform Online learning platform offering distance education programs including fully online specializations in animal sciences, extending the university's reach beyond the physical Bogotá and Cartagena campuses.
• Centro de Investigación y Diagnóstico Molecular BSL-3 Maximum biosafety level (BSL-3) molecular diagnostics and research center at U.D.C.A, funded by mining royalties, for handling high-risk biological pathogens and supporting research in human and animal health.
• Crédito Institucional U.D.C.A (Institutional Credit) U.D.C.A's direct institutional student credit product with digital approval, immediate decisions, and 1-5 installment options per semester at competitive interest rates. Enables tuition financing for enrolled students.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Universidad de São PauloflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Academic cooperation partnership for animal andrology research, involving Professor Shirley Andrea Flórez Rodríguez in a collaborative international academic mission in Brazil.
• LOGYCA LABminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Partnership providing immersive innovation and logistics experience for students from Economic, Commercial and Legal Sciences programs, offering hands-on learning in supply chain and logistics.
• ICONTECminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Innovation challenge partnership where students participate in open innovation activities at ICONTEC facilities, fostering research and market investigation skills.
• Instituto para la Economía Social (IPES)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Collaboration with IPES for transforming Bogotá market plazas, with faculty researchers Yenith Cristina Ortiz and Ángela Giraldo presenting the 'Diseño' project for market transformation.
• ASCUN (Asociación Colombiana de Universidades)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Membership in Colombia's primary university association since 1990, establishing the institution as part of the national higher education community.
• Various Municipal Governments (Chía, Cajicá, Cota, Sopó, etc.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal discount agreements providing 15% tuition reduction for pregrado students and 10% for posgrado students from partner municipalities, with varying GPA requirements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidad de la Sabana: Large private university near Bogotá offering health sciences, engineering, and graduate programs; competes for similar premium private-university applicants.
• Universidad Manuela Beltrán: Bogotá-area private university focused on applied sciences, health, and engineering programs, overlapping directly with U.D.C.A.'s applied-sciences positioning.
• Universidad de La Salle: Bogotá-based private university with a strong applied-sciences and professional programs portfolio; competes for the same applicant pool in similar disciplines including health sciences and engineering.
• Universidad El Bosque: Bogotá private university with a strong health-sciences orientation, including Medicine, Nursing, and clinical programs that overlap directly with U.D.C.A.'s health-sciences portfolio.
• Universidad Sergio Arboleda: Private Bogotá university offering a comparable mix of undergraduate and graduate programs; competes for similar student segments and price points.
• Universidad CES: Medellín-based private university with strong health-sciences and veterinary programs; the prior institution of U.D.C.A.'s new rector, indicating comparable operating model and academic focus.
• Universidad EAN: Bogotá private university emphasizing applied and professional education with broad program offerings; targets a similar applied-sciences student demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: One of Colombia's largest and most prestigious private universities; offers a much broader program portfolio but competes with U.D.C.A. for top-tier health-sciences and graduate applicants.
• Universidad del Rosario: Historic Bogotá private university with broad program coverage and strong brand; competes for similar graduate and professional student segments at premium price points.

Regional players

• Tecnológico de Monterrey: Large Latin American private university with a research-led, applied-sciences model across multiple campuses; serves as a comparable benchmark for U.D.C.A.'s applied-sciences aspirations, though operating in Mexico rather than Colombia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales