Universidad Católica de Colombia

What Universidad Católica de Colombia does

Universidad Católica de Colombia is a private higher education institution founded in 1970 and headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, operating across three physical campuses (Sede Las Torres, Sede 4, and Sede El Claustro) under supervision of the Colombian Ministry of Education. The institution delivers undergraduate, specialization, master's, and doctoral programs through seven faculties (Law, Design, Economic and Administrative Sciences, Engineering, Psychology) and two departments (Humanities, Basic Sciences), serving primarily Colombian students from Bogotá and surrounding regions. Research output is anchored by MinCiencias-recognized centers including CEIPS (renewed until 2029), and academic publishing includes the Novum Jus journal ranked #1 in Latin America by Scopus.

The university's core digital infrastructure consists of a Moodle-based Campus Virtual (AVA), the PAW 2.0 academic portal built on Microsoft Power Platform, the AdvisER student retention system, SIGI360 for research management, and SICI business intelligence powered by Metabase. AI-powered services include BibIA, a generative AI virtual reference librarian using retrieval-augmented generation, and Crédito EVA, a conversational assistant for financial aid. The technology stack is integrated through Microsoft Office 365 single sign-on, with national tuition payments via Banco de Bogot\u00e1 and international payments via Flywire.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and registration fees structured as recurring per-period payments across degree levels, supplemented by continuing education unit-priced courses, Language Institute subscriptions (English, French, Portuguese, Spanish), and community services from the Consultorio Jur\u00eddico and Servicios Psicol\u00f3gicos. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, relying on traditional university enrollment campaigns (Vive la U, De una a la U, D\u00eda de Puertas Abiertas), educational fairs, and partnerships with regional government programs (Cundinamarca M\u00e1s Profesional). Internationalization is pursued through membership in FIUC, ODUCAL, and RUCC Catholic university networks, plus partnerships with NAFSA, FAUBAI, Fulbright, and Fundación Carolina.

Name

Universidad Católica de Colombia

Legal name

Universidad Católica de Colombia

Website

https://ucatolica.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Universidad Católica de Colombia is a private Bogotá-based Catholic higher education institution founded in 1970, offering undergraduate through doctoral programs across seven faculties to Colombian students, with diversified revenue from tuition, continuing education, language courses, and community legal and psychological services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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 Registration Fees: Primary revenue from student tuition payments including registration and academic fees for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Revenue model based on per-student subscription-style periodic payments.
2. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from short courses, workshops, diplomas, and continuing education offerings for professional development.
3. Language Institute Courses: Revenue from English, French, Portuguese and Spanish language courses for various audiences including children, adolescents, adults, and foreigners.
4. Consulting and Legal Services: Revenue from Consultorio Jurídico (free legal aid clinic) and professional psychological services provided to the community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Universidad Católica de Colombia is a private higher education institution that offers undergraduate (pregrados), graduate (especializaciones, maestrías, doctorados) academic programs across five faculties and two departments, including Law, Design, Economic and Administrative Sciences, Engineering, Psychology, Humanities, and Basic Sciences. It also provides continuing education courses, language institute programs (English, French, Portuguese, Spanish), research programs, and community extension services such as a legal aid clinic and psychological services.

Product overview

Universidad Católica de Colombia operates a multi-platform digital ecosystem serving its higher education institution. The core academic delivery infrastructure consists of the Campus Virtual (AVA) built on Moodle LMS for online and blended learning, complemented by PAW 2.0 (Portal Web Académico) on Microsoft Power Platform for admissions, enrollment, and academic self-service. Supporting systems include SICI (Metabase-powered institutional intelligence), AdvisER for student retention, SIGI360 for research management, and the Pido la Palabra participation platform. AI-powered services include BibIA (generative AI virtual librarian) and Crédito EVA (AI financial aid chatbot). Physical infrastructure includes the Centro de Convenciones with integrated Crestron audiovisual systems, and the Biblioteca Digital. The Instituto de Lenguas provides language education with remote modality capabilities. All systems are connected through Microsoft Office 365 identity infrastructure, with international payments via Flywire and national payments via Banco de Bogotá.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PAW: Portal web institucional para estudiantes
• AVA
• Campus Virtual
• Adviser
• UCatólica Tv
• Consultorio Jurídico
• Biblioteca
• Pido la Palabra

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs (Pregrados) Bachelor's degree programs across seven academic faculties serving Colombian students seeking professional education in fields such as Law, Design, Engineering, Psychology, Economics, and Administration.
• Specializations (Especializaciones) Postgraduate specialization programs for professionals seeking advanced credentials in specific fields of study.
• Master's Programs (Maestrías) Master's degree programs offered across multiple faculties for advanced graduate-level study.
• Doctoral Programs (Doctorados) Doctoral degree programs including Doctorates in Law and Psychology for advanced research-oriented study.
• Continuing Education (Educación Continuada) Short courses, workshops, diplomas, and continuing education offerings for professional development, offered in both in-person and remote formats.
• Language Institute (Instituto de Lenguas) Face-to-face and remote language courses in English, Spanish for foreigners, French, and Portuguese, with programs for children, adolescents, adults, and corporate clients.
• Consultorio Jurídico (Legal Aid Clinic) Pro bono legal aid clinic providing free legal consultation services to the community while offering supervised practical training for law students.
• Psychological Services (Servicios Psicológicos) Community psychological services providing professional consultations to the broader community while serving as practical training for psychology students.
• Research Programs and Groups Research groups, seedbeds, and certified research centers (CEIPS, CISJUC, CIFAR, CIFI) across all faculties, supported by the SIGI360 research management system and Sistema General de Regalías funding.
• Centro de Convenciones (Convention Center) A 640m\u00b2 flexible event venue located at Sede 4, with capacity for 616 people, divisible into 6 modular spaces, equipped with Crestron audiovisual control systems, JBL ceiling speakers, NEC projectors, and simultaneous translation infrastructure for conferences, seminars, and cultural events.
• Employability and Entrepreneurship Programs Career services and entrepreneurship programs supporting students and alumni with job placement, career development, and business creation through the Programa de Empleabilidad and Programa de Emprendimiento.

Quantifiable outcome

• Novum Jus journal ranked first in Latin America according to Scopus ranking
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• MinCienciascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinCiencias (Ministry of Science) recognition of university research centers, including CEIPS renewal as research center until 2029. Direct impact on research funding and academic credibility.
• Times Higher EducationmajorOthersParticipation in THE Impact Rankings and THE Latin America University Rankings, providing international visibility and benchmarking against global universities.
• NAFSAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in NAFSA 2026 annual conference, strengthening internationalization alliances and global partnerships for student and faculty exchange.
• FAUBAImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in FAUBAI 2026, the main internationalization association in Latin America, strengthening Latin American academic networks.
• ODUCAL (Organización de Universidades Católicas de América Latina)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity's Rector Dr. Francisco José Gómez Ortiz serves as Second Vice President of ODUCAL Andean Region. Active participation in ODUCAL assemblies and initiatives. Rector participated in audience with Pope León XIV at Vatican.
• FIUC (Fédération Internationale des Universités Catholique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, recognized at the 28th General Assembly for academic leadership and transformation.
• Eszterházy Károly Catholic University (Hungary)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial visit to strengthen international ties with Hungarian Catholic university, demonstrating commitment to global academic partnerships.
• Fundación CarolinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations including postdoctoral fellowship in Spain, short stays, and recognition events for scholarship recipients. Doctoral alumni launched books from their research.
• Gobernación de CundinamarcamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor'Cundinamarca Más Profesional' fund partnership providing financial support for students from Cundinamarca department to access higher education. Also 'La U llega a la Gober' talent development program.
• RUCC (Red de Universidades de la Iglesia Católica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of RUCC Central Node, hosting meetings and strategic planning sessions for Catholic universities network in Colombia.
• Programa DelfínmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research experience program hosting 97 student researchers, fostering cross-institutional research collaboration across Latin America.
• Fulbright ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty of Law project selected in Fulbright U.S. Specialist call. Also Fulbright scholar visiting for Data Science and AI capacity building. Faculty member pursuing postdoctoral studies.
• Secretaría Jurídica DistritalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance with Bogotá District Legal Secretariat to drive institutional modernization through academic-practical collaboration.
• Contraloría de BogotáminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance for transparency and citizen participation with Bogotá's municipal comptroller's office.
• Ministerio de AmbienteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrengthening alliances for comprehensive water resource management with the Ministry of Environment.
• IEEE Student BranchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity hosts IEEE Student Branch providing engineering students access to professional network and competitions including programming marathons.
• ASCUN (Asociación Colombiana de Universidades)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in ASCUN initiatives including RETOS program and inter-university events, strengthening Colombian university network.
• RECLA (Red de Educación Continua de Latinoamérica)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in XXX Encounter on lifelong learning in the digital era, connecting with Latin American continuing education networks.
• COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternationalization of curriculum through COIL projects with universities in Mexico and other countries, enhancing intercultural understanding.
• Convocatoria Trampolín ECOS-Nord (France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration connections in France through ECOS-Nord program enabling international research partnerships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universidad Sergio Arboleda: A private Bogotá university offering similar undergraduate and graduate professional programs. Comparable in scale, location, and target student segments within the Colombian private higher education market.
• Universidad de los Andes (Colombia): A leading private research university in Bogotá with strong international rankings and broad academic portfolio. Competes directly for high-caliber Colombian students and faculty across similar professional disciplines.
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: A prestigious private Catholic university in Bogotá offering undergraduate through doctoral programs across multiple faculties. Directly comparable as a Colombian private Catholic university competing for the same student segments and offering similar professional degrees.
• Universidad del Rosario: A historic private university in Bogotá offering undergraduate and graduate programs with strong medical, law, and biomedical sciences. Comparable in scale, Bogotá location, and Catholic institutional heritage.
• Universidad Externado de Colombia: A private Bogotá-based university with strong programs in law, economics, and social sciences. Highly comparable in Catholic heritage-adjacent positioning and professional degree offerings, sharing the same primary market.

Emerging players

• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: One of Latin America's leading Catholic universities with comparable Catholic identity and broad academic portfolio. Comparable in faith-based positioning and FIUC membership, though significantly larger and more research-intensive.
• Universidad Católica de Perú (PUCP): A leading Catholic university in Lima, Peru with similar Catholic identity, ODUCAL membership, and broad undergraduate-to-doctoral program offering. Comparable as a Latin American Catholic university with parallel internationalization and research positioning.

Regional players

• Universidad EAFIT: A leading private Colombian university based in Medellín with strong engineering, business, and design programs. Comparable in private university positioning and program portfolio, though serving a different primary geography.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad de Antioquia: A major Colombian public university with comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs. Competes for the same national student pool across research and professional disciplines, though as a larger public institution.
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia: Colombia's largest public university, also based primarily in Bogotá. Serves the same Colombian student pool with comparable undergraduate and graduate programs, though as a public institution with broader scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ucatolicacol
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UCatolicaCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucatolicaco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/universidadcat%C3%B3licadecolombia
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucatolicaco

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Católica de Colombia