Universidad Nacional de Rafaela

What Universidad Nacional de Rafaela does

Universidad Nacional de Rafaela (UNRaf) is a public, tuition-free national university in Rafaela, Santa Fe province, Argentina, established in 2014 under Argentine Law 27.062. It serves prospective and enrolled students in the central Santa Fe region, delivering undergraduate technical programs (Tecnicaturas), bachelor's and engineering degrees (Licenciaturas e Ingeniería), graduate programs (Posgrados), complementary curricular cycles, and short-cycle diplomas (Diplomaturas), alongside professional formation courses for working adults. The university is organized into three faculties: Facultad de Estudios Profesionales (entrepreneurship, business management, public administration), Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades (communication, education, cultural studies), and Facultad de Tecnologías e Innovación para el Desarrollo (technology and applied research). Supporting services include a student welfare office (Bienestar Universitario) covering scholarships, internships, sports, and cultural programs, an employment portal (Portal de Empleo), a shared language center with UTN (Gabinete de Idiomas), a library (Biblioteca UNRaf), and a university merchandise e-commerce store (TU|Tienda UNRaf).

The underlying technology stack is anchored by SIU Guaraní, the standardized student management system used across Argentine public universities, which handles enrollment, academic records, and student administration. The institution also maintains an online distance-learning modality for selected complementary curricular cycles, and operates a multi-platform digital presence (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, multilingual website) for student recruitment and engagement. New academic offerings such as the Diplomatura en Inteligencia Artificial y Transformación Organizacional, alongside academic partnership in hackathons such as the C:>DIR Global "Agentic Regulator" Hackathon 2026, point to a nascent applied-AI curriculum track.

UNRaf's business model is that of a state-funded public university: it does not charge tuition and is financed through the Argentine national education budget rather than commercial revenue. It is governed under national education legislation, subject to quality oversight from CONEAU, and is a member of the CIN inter-university council. Institutional revenue derives from sovereign budget allocations, supplemented by ancillary activities such as continuing education programs, merchandise sales through TU|Tienda UNRaf, and industry collaboration. The customer base is a distributed long-tail of individual students and, indirectly, regional employers and industry partners (notably through CCIRR and internship channels) seeking trained graduates and research collaboration.

Name

Universidad Nacional de Rafaela

Legal name

Universidad Nacional de Rafaela

Website

https://unraf.edu.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Universidad Nacional de Rafaela (UNRaf) is a public, tuition-free Argentine national university founded in 2014 in Rafaela, Santa Fe, offering undergraduate, graduate, technical, and diploma programs across three faculties, serving prospective and enrolled students in central Santa Fe province with state-funded operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges (EDAHADAF)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Public university
• Academic programs
• Professional training
• Undergraduate degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Universidad Nacional de Rafaela (UNRaf) is an Argentine public, tuition-free national university offering undergraduate degrees, technical programs, graduate degrees, complementary curricular cycles, and diploma programs across three faculties: Faculty of Professional Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and Faculty of Technology and Innovation for Development. It also provides student support services including scholarships, internships, employment portal, library, and a language center, along with research and technology transfer activities serving the Rafaela and broader Santa Fe region.

Product overview

Universidad Nacional de Rafaela (UNRaf) is an Argentine public university offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs across three faculties: Facultad de Estudios Profesionales (focused on business, entrepreneurship, and public administration), Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades (covering communication, education, and cultural studies), and Facultad de Tecnologías e Innovación para el Desarrollo (dedicated to technology and innovation). The university provides undergraduate degrees, technical programs, graduate degrees, diploma programs, and professional training through its School of Professional Formation. Supporting services include a student welfare office (scholarships, internships, sports), an employment portal, language center, library, and a merchandise e-commerce store. The institution also coordinates research and technology transfer through its Research Secretariat.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tecnicaturas (Technical Degrees)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborative agreement for shared Language Cabinet (Gabinete de Idiomas) offering English, German, Portuguese, and Italian courses to students of both universities. This joint initiative supports foreign language training for professional development and international academic mobility.
• Municipalidad de RafaelacoreOthersMunicipal government of Rafaela, linked on UNRaf website as a key institutional partner in the regional university network. Collaboration on community development and public service initiatives.
• Provincia de Santa FecoreOthersProvincial government of Santa Fe, linked as an institutional partner supporting the regional university system.
• CONICETcoreOthersNational Scientific and Technical Research Council (Argentina), linked as institutional partner supporting research activities.
• CIN (Consejo Interuniversitario Nacional)coreOthersNational Interuniversity Council connecting Argentine national universities for coordinated policy and academic initiatives.
• CONEAUcoreOthersNational Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation, linked as institutional partner for quality assurance.
• CCIRR (Cámara de Comercio, Industria y Servicios de Rafaela)coreOthersChamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Rafaela, linked as institutional partner supporting industry-academia collaboration.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA): Major Argentine private university with a broad portfolio across social sciences, engineering, and professional programs. Comparable for program-mix and postgraduate offerings but operates on a tuition-funded model unlike UNRaf's public funding base.
• Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM): Public Argentine university created in the 1990s that has scaled rapidly into research and postgraduate education. Relevant comparable for UNRaf as a relatively new national university pursuing research-intensive growth and technology-focused programs.

Regional players

• Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR): Large public national university located in Rosario, Santa Fe province. Operates in the same province and labor market as UNRaf, competing for the same regional student pool across social sciences, professional, and technology programs.
• Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo): Public national university serving the Cuyo region of Argentina with full faculty structure. Comparable to UNRaf as a province-anchored public university building out professional, social science, and technology programs to serve regional demand.
• Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE): Public national university serving northeastern Argentina with multiple faculties and regional campuses. Comparable as a regional public university with a multi-faculty structure aimed at serving a non-capital provincial catchment.

Direct peers

• Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL): Public Argentine national university headquartered in Santa Fe city with multiple faculties and regional campuses. Closest direct peer to UNRaf because both are public national universities serving Santa Fe province with overlapping professional, social science, and technology offerings.
• Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN): National polytechnic university system focused on engineering and applied technology, and an active UNRaf partner (shared Gabinete de Idiomas since 2019). Highly comparable on the engineering, mechatronics, and applied-technology side of UNRaf's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP): Large public national university with a broad faculty structure and strong research base. Comparable to UNRaf in offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs but at significantly greater scale and brand recognition.
• Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC): One of the oldest and largest public universities in Argentina, offering a comprehensive faculty portfolio including engineering, social sciences, and applied research. A broad incumbent that competes with UNRaf for top students and faculty within Argentina.
• Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA): Argentina's flagship public university with comprehensive faculties spanning all major disciplines. Sets the national benchmark for research output, brand, and graduate employment, against which newer institutions like UNRaf must differentiate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZydEGW-pFaPteuZMqWHAow
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNRafRafaela
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unraf/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/unraf.rafaela
• Xx.com/unraf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Nacional de Rafaela