Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar

What Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar does

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar (UTB) is a private higher-education institution headquartered in Cartagena, Colombia, founded in 1970 and operating for over 50 years. It serves undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education students through 21 undergraduate programs, graduate (posgrado) offerings, the UTB Virtual online channel, and the Centro de Educación Permanente for executive and professional education. UTB holds Institutional High Quality Accreditation from Colombia's Ministry of Education — the first such credential granted to a university in Cartagena and the Bolívar department — alongside multiple program-level accreditations valid through 2026.

The institution runs a diversified service portfolio that includes the Consultorio Jurídico (legal clinic), Biblioteca UTB, UTB Global (internationalization), the ECO innovation ecosystem, Club UTB+, and a Portal de Empleo for graduate placement. Its underlying technology stack is conventional for higher education: the SAVIO learning management system, DoReTIC remote-teaching platform, Microsoft Office 365 productivity suite, a dedicated Portal Financiero, and a digital library system. Approximately 6 in 10 students are first-generation college attendees, and UTB cites a graduate earnings premium of roughly 20% above the regional average.

Revenue mechanics rest primarily on tuition and enrollment fees across degree and non-degree programs, supplemented by continuing-education and corporate-training contracts, professional-services income (e.g., legal clinic), and donor-funded scholarships such as the Ecopetrol-Refinería de Cartagena "Becas con Corazón" program. Distribution leverages approximately 2,000 employer partnerships for internships and placement and 35 national and international university mobility agreements, anchoring a B2B/B2C hybrid model dependent on Colombian private-tuition affordability and regional economic conditions in the Caribbean coast.

Name

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar

Legal name

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar

Website

https://utb.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar is a private Colombian university in Cartagena, founded in 1970, offering 21 undergraduate programs plus graduate, online (UTB Virtual), and continuing-education tracks, serving roughly 5,000–8,000 students and backed by 2,000 corporate partners and the first Institutional High Quality Accreditation in the Bolívar department.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cartagena

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate program tuition, including registration fees for academic programs
2. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from diploma programs, courses, workshops, and corporate training offered through the Centro de Educación Permanente
3. Professional Services: Revenue from legal consultancy services, continuing education, and specialized consulting services to external clients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar is a private higher education institution providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs across engineering, business, law, social sciences, architecture, and digital transformation disciplines. The university also offers continuing education courses, diplomas, and workshops through its Centro de Educación Permanente, as well as professional services such as free legal consultation through the Consultorio Jurídico and corporate training programs. It operates two physical campuses in Cartagena, Colombia, and supports online learning via UTB Virtual.

Product overview

Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar is a private higher education institution in Cartagena, Colombia offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The university operates as a multi-school institution comprising three academic schools (Escuela de Ingeniería, Arquitectura & Diseño; Escuela de Transformación Digital; Escuela de Negocios, Leyes y Sociedad) plus Basic Sciences and Humanities divisions. Its core offerings include 21 undergraduate programs (Pregrado), graduate degrees including specializations, master's, and doctorates (Posgrado), and continuing education through the Centro de Educación Permanente offering workshops, diplomas, and short courses. Supporting educational services include UTB Virtual for online learning, the Consultorio Jurídico for legal services, Biblioteca UTB for research resources, UTB Global for internationalization, and ECO ecosystem for student wellbeing. The university also provides specialized portals for graduates including Club UTB+ benefits and an Employment Portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UTB Global: Internationalization office handling student mobility, international agreements, language center, and cooperation programs.
• ECO - Ecosistema Universitario
• Consultorio Jurídico y Centro de Conciliación UTB
• Biblioteca UTB
• SAVIO
• UTB Virtual

Products and services

• Pregrado Programs (Undergraduate Degree Programs) Undergraduate degree programs across engineering, architecture, business, law, sciences, and social sciences. UTB offers 21 undergraduate programs including Civil Engineering, Systems Engineering, Data Science, Law, Psychology, and Architecture, designed for high school graduates in the Caribbean region of Colombia.
• Posgrado Programs (Graduate Degree Programs) Graduate programs including specializations, master's degrees, and doctorates in areas such as Finance, Education, Project Management, Cybersecurity, Industry 4.0, Law, and Regional Development, designed for professionals seeking advanced credentials.
• Centro de Educación Permanente (Continuing Education Center) Continuing education division offering workshops, diplomas, and short courses in areas including digital marketing, data science, AI, project management, industrial maintenance, and language training for individual professionals and corporate clients.
• UTB Virtual (Online Education Platform) Virtual education platform offering online programs and courses including virtual specializations in areas such as Safety and Health at Work, Software Engineering, Educational Technology, and Human Rights for remote students.
• Consultorio Jurídico y Centro de Conciliación UTB (Legal Consultancy and Conciliation Center) Free legal consultation service providing legal advice and representation in civil, commercial, labor, criminal, family, and public law matters. Also offers conciliation services and serves as a training ground for UTB law students, serving low-income individuals in Cartagena.
• UTB Global (Internationalization Office) Internationalization office facilitating student and faculty exchange programs, international mobility, research stays, dual-degree programs, and cooperation agreements with 35 foreign universities for UTB students and faculty.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates earn 20% more than the regional average for professionals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Consorcio ColombiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary consortium partnership providing shared access to academic resources and databases across Colombian educational institutions.
• Banco de la República - Biblioteca Luis Ángel ArangominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Colombia's central bank library for research resource access and academic collaboration.
• ASOUNIESCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Colombian private universities for collaborative initiatives and shared best practices in higher education.
• Ciencia NacionalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific publication and research collaboration partnership with the Ciencia Nacional network.
• AgrosaviaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural research institute partnership for scientific collaboration and research publications.
• 35 National and International UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange agreements with universities for national and international student mobility, double degree programs, research stays, and academic collaboration.
• 2,000 Companies for Professional InternshipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive network of companies offering professional internship opportunities for UTB students, providing practical experience and industry connections.
• Ecopetrol - Refinería de CartagenamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate scholarship program Becas con Corazón providing educational support for students in the Cartagena region.
• Scotiabank ColpatriaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial services partnership enabling donations and financial transactions through bank branches and ATMs nationwide.
• Supertiendas OlímpicaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail donation collection points across Colombia allowing public contributions to university scholarship programs.
• ColpensionesminorOthersLegal consultancy assistance with pension claims, disability pensions, and labor history corrections for low-income users.
• Superintendencia de Industria y ComerciominorOthersLegal representation for consumer protection actions and intellectual property matters through the Legal Consultancy.
• Superintendencia FinancieraminorOthersLegal representation for financial consumer protection actions and claims handled through the Legal Consultancy.
• Cámara de Comercio de CartagenaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for commercial formalization, entrepreneurship support, and arbitration/conciliation services through the Legal Consultancy.
• Universidad Nacional de ColombiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with Universidad Nacional for research and educational exchange programs.
• Universidad del NorteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for faculty education and research collaboration with Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universidad Sergio Arboleda: Private Colombian university with strong law, business, and international relations programs — areas where UTB also has depth. Comparable in private higher education positioning and in producing law graduates who feed the Consultorio Jurídico's faculty.
• Universidad del Rosario: Private Bogotá-based university with a strong law school, research output, and health sciences programs. Comparable on private research positioning, law school (UTB has a Consultorio Jurídico), and selective admissions strategy.
• Universidad de Cartagena: The public university in Cartagena, sharing the same primary recruitment market as UTB. Comparable in academic portfolio (undergraduate, graduate, continuing education) and competes for the same student segment in the city.
• Universidad del Norte: Private research university based in Barranquilla, Colombia. Directly competes with UTB in the Caribbean region for students, faculty, and employer partnerships, and is already a UTB academic partner. Highly comparable on private higher education, research output, and employer-driven curriculum.
• Universidad EAFIT: Leading private university in Medellín known for business, engineering, and digital transformation programs. Directly comparable in private research positioning, executive education portfolio, and digital-focused curriculum strategy.
• Universidad Libre de Colombia: Large private university with nationwide presence and strong law school (notable because multiple UTB Consultorio Jurídico faculty trained there). Comparable in legal education and continuing professional education offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Nacional de Colombia: Colombia's largest public research university with national reach. UTB already has a partnership with it. Comparable on research intensity and program breadth, though it operates at significantly larger scale and competes with UTB for high-achieving students across the country.
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: Major private Jesuit university with multiple campuses and strong research credentials across Colombia. Comparable in private higher education positioning, institutional accreditation, and continuing education offerings.
• Universidad de los Andes (Colombia): Top-ranked private university in Colombia with strong research output and graduate programs. A premium competitor that competes for top-tier students nationally and represents an aspirational benchmark for UTB's program quality.

Regional players

• Universidad del Atlántico: Public university located in Barranquilla, Atlántico department. Competes with UTB in the broader Caribbean region for students and faculty, though as a public institution its business model and pricing differ from UTB's private structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/tecnologicadebolivar
• Facebookfacebook.com/utboficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/utboficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/utboficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@utboficial
• Xx.com/utboficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Tecnológica de Bolívar