National University of Colombia
Colombia's oldest and largest public research university, founded 1867, serving 50,000 students across 9 national campuses with 94 undergraduate and 329 graduate programs, generating 28% of the country's scientific output through 931 research groups and 606 laboratories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1867
- HeadquartersBogotá, Colombia
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What National University of Colombia does
The Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL), founded in 1867 by Law 66 of the Congress of the Republic, is Colombia's oldest and largest public research university, operating as a state-owned entity under a special organic regime granted by Decree-Law 1210 of 1993 and linked to the Ministry of National Education. It serves approximately 50,000 students (41,500 undergraduate and 8,500 graduate) across 9 national campuses spanning Andean regions (Bogotá as headquarters, plus Medellín, Manizales, Palmira) and strategically positioned border campuses (Amazonia/Leticia, Caribe/San Andrés, Orinoquía/Arauca, Tumaco on the Pacific, and De La Paz in Cesar), with 2,916 professors of whom 84% hold master's or doctoral degrees. The institution offers 94 undergraduate programs (83% with High Quality Accreditation) and 329 graduate programs including 56 doctorates — 34% of Colombia's 155 doctoral programs — and supports 931 research groups, 606 laboratories, 30 research institutes, and 29 research centers, generating 28% of Colombia's scientific output according to Scopus. UNAL pioneered blockchain-verified electronic degrees (eTítulo) in 2019, operates the Hermes research information system, the DINARA academic management platform, the Mi Campus virtual education platform, and the ALEPH national library system, and runs special admission pathways (PAES and PEAMA) targeting indigenous, Afro-Colombian, and vulnerable-region students.
Revenue is generated through four principal streams: tuition and registration fees (priced on socioeconomic stratum at admission), government research funding (notably through Colciencias, which channeled 55% of national doctoral scholarships to UNAL students in 2013), extension services and consultancies to government and enterprises under Agreement 036 of 2009, and licensing/royalties through Editorial UNAL and indexed academic publications. The university maintains 433 active international agreements across 125 countries, administers admission exams at 52 consulates across five continents, and runs the integrated UNIMEDIOS media unit (news agency, newspaper, radio, television). Student welfare and healthcare are delivered through the Bienestar Universitario system and Unisalud. Go-to-market is sales-led via a centralized national admissions process; revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the institution operates with 10-year maximum institutional accreditation granted by the Consejo Nacional de Acreditación in 2010.
National University of Colombia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National University of Colombia
- Legal name
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia
- Website
- https://unal.edu.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1867
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Colombia's oldest and largest public research university, founded 1867, serving 50,000 students across 9 national campuses with 94 undergraduate and 329 graduate programs, generating 28% of the country's scientific output through 931 research groups and 606 laboratories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National University of Colombia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Higher Education and Research
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- 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), Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)
Keywords
Where National University of Colombia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bogotá
- HQ country
- Colombia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices9 records
Markets served
National University of Colombia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Registration Fees: Undergraduate semester costs are determined based on the socioeconomic level of the student at the time of admission. Graduate program tuition varies by program type. This represents the primary recurring revenue stream from students.
- Research Funding and Grants: Since 2004, 25% of investment resources and part of revenues from programs have been directed to research financing. The university receives government funding through Colciencias for doctoral fellowships and research projects.
- Extension Services and Consultancies: The extension function generates revenue through technology management, academic services (consulting, supervision), educational services, continuing education, teaching-assistance services, and professional practices and internships under Agreement 036 of 2009.
- University Press and Publishing: The Editorial Universidad Nacional de Colombia publishes academic content, contributing to 28% of Colombia's scientific output through printed publications and indexed articles in national and international journals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tuition determined by socioeconomic stratum (estrato) of the student at admission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
National University of Colombia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Universidad Nacional de Colombia is a public research university delivering undergraduate education (94 programs), graduate education (329 programs including 56 doctorates, 152 master's, 83 specializations, and 38 medical specialties), research output across 931 research groups, and extension/community services to government and enterprises. The university also operates healthcare services (Unisalud), academic publishing (Editorial UNAL), and special admission pathways (PAES/PEAMA) for vulnerable populations, supported by digital infrastructure including blockchain-verified electronic degrees.
Product overview
The National University of Colombia operates as Colombia's premier public research university, offering a comprehensive academic portfolio structured around three core functions: education (formación), research (investigación), and extension (extensión). The institution provides 94 undergraduate programs (83% with High Quality Accreditation) and 329 graduate programs including 56 doctorates and 152 master's degrees, making it the national leader in doctoral education. Digital infrastructure supports academic operations through Mi Campus virtual education platform, DINARA academic information system, and the Hermes research management system. Since 2019, the university issues blockchain-verified electronic degrees (eTítulo) replacing paper certificates. Research capabilities are organized through 931 research groups, 606 laboratories, and 14 strategic Knowledge Agendas. Extension services include community outreach, technology transfer, and continuing education. Supporting operations include UNIMEDIOS media unit, Unisalud health services, SIBU student wellbeing system, and Editorial UNAL university press.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pregrado (Undergraduate Programs)
- Posgrado (Graduate Programs)
- Extension Services and Consultancies
- eTítulo (Electronic Degree System)
- Unisalud (Health Services)
- Editorial UNAL (University Press)
- Mi Campus - Virtual Education Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 28% of Colombia's total scientific production attributed to UNAL
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use National University of Colombia
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
National University of Colombia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature4 records
National University of Colombia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- 125 countries through international agreementscoreUNAL maintains 433 active international agreements and connections with 125 countries through agreements, research and extension projects enabling academic mobility of professors, researchers and students, and co-authored articles in ISI and Scopus databases (7,551 registered articles). 41 research groups have international projection.
- Ecuador (Binational Technical Fishing Committee)coreJoint technical committee for fishing established with Ecuador. UNAL's Tumaco campus leads the border integration initiative with Ecuador, working on fisheries policy and cross-border cooperation.
- Venezuela (border cooperation through Orinoquía campus)coreOrinoquía campus conducts various workshops on regional issues and is advancing international technical cooperation agreements with Venezuela. The campus is positioned as an educational entity aimed at improving productive capacity in the region.
- Colciencias (National Science and Technology Institute)coreKey national partner for research funding and doctoral program support. 55% of Colciencias doctoral scholarships nationwide (284 of 516 in 2013) were awarded to UNAL students. Colciencias categorizes UNAL's 487 research groups.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
National University of Colombia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP): Argentine public research university with multi-campus structure and strong graduate program portfolio, closely matching UNAL's profile as a state-owned multi-campus research institution in Latin America.
- Universidad de los Andes: Colombia's leading private research university, also based in Bogotá and competing head-to-head with UNAL for top faculty, doctoral students, Colciencias funding, and QS Latin America ranking positions. The closest comparable Colombian counterpart in research and graduate education.
- Universidad de Antioquia: Colombia's largest public regional university, also state-funded, multi-campus, and competing with UNAL for public research funding, doctoral program accreditation, and graduate enrollment. Highly comparable as a public research peer in the same regulatory regime.
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: Top-tier Colombian private research university with strong graduate and doctoral programs. Competes directly with UNAL for high-quality accreditation, Colciencias grants, and publication output in the same Colombian market.
Regional players
- Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA): Costa Rica's flagship public research university with comparable state-funded multi-campus research structure. Comparable in regulatory regime and public-service mandate, though smaller in scale and operating in a different national market.
Broad incumbents
- Universidad de Chile: Chile's leading public research university with strong doctoral programs and indexed publication output. Comparable in mission, scale, and positioning as a national public research flagship in the same region.
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM): Latin America's largest public research university with multi-campus footprint and national scientific dominance. Comparable as a flagship public research university with similar graduate program scale, research output share, and public-service mandate.
- Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA): Argentina's flagship public research university, similarly state-funded and concentrated on graduate education and scientific output. Comparable as a regional public research incumbent facing analogous funding and policy dynamics.
- Universidade de São Paulo (USP): Brazil's premier public research university with comparable scientific output share, multi-campus system, and concentration of national doctoral programs. A natural scale benchmark for UNAL within Latin America.
Others
- Colciencias (Minciencias): Colombia's national science and technology funding agency, which channels 55% of national doctoral scholarships to UNAL. Not a competitor but a critical funding counterpart whose budget and policy decisions materially shape UNAL's research economics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
National University of Colombia social profiles
Digital presenceNational University of Colombia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National University of Colombia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
National University of Colombia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National University of Colombia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National University of Colombia
What does National University of Colombia do?
Universidad Nacional de Colombia is a public research university delivering undergraduate education (94 programs), graduate education (329 programs including 56 doctorates, 152 master's, 83 specializations, and 38 medical specialties), research output across 931 research groups, and extension/community services to government and enterprises. The university also operates healthcare services (Unisalud), academic publishing (Editorial UNAL), and special admission pathways (PAES/PEAMA) for vulnerable populations, supported by digital infrastructure including blockchain-verified electronic degrees.
Is National University of Colombia a public or private company?
National University of Colombia is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was National University of Colombia founded?
National University of Colombia was founded in 1867. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is National University of Colombia based?
National University of Colombia is headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, in the Latin America region.
How does National University of Colombia make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are research Funding and Grants, extension Services and Consultancies and university Press and Publishing.
Who are National University of Colombia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Universidad de los Andes, Universidad de Antioquia and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Universidad de Chile, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) and Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Colciencias (Minciencias) is listed as an others.
Does National University of Colombia have an API?
No public API is recorded for National University of Colombia.
What industry is National University of Colombia in?
National University of Colombia's product category is Public Higher Education and Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAF, Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAI, Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.