Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia

What Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia does

Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia is a private Catholic university founded in 1998 and headquartered in La Paz, operating six campuses across Bolivia: La Paz, Cochabamba, San Carlos-Yapacaní, Camiri, Yacuiba, and Muyurina/Montero (the latter opening in 2026). The institution is governed under the Salesian (Don Bosco) educational tradition and offers undergraduate licentiate degrees, technical superior programs, diplomas, and master's programs spanning Education Sciences, Systems Engineering, Public Accounting, Law, Commercial Engineering and Business Development, Gastronomy, and Psychomotor Skills, Health, Education and Sports. Its core academic technology stack consists of the SAF academic-financial management system, the SIAS student information system, the Plataforma MOOC USB (built on Open edX with micro-credentials), and Microsoft Teams for collaboration, with DATEC providing an integrated 24/7 online payment gateway.

The university serves primarily individual students, including traditional undergraduates, working professionals attending evening classes, technical superior students in education specialties, and students seeking pre-professional practice; pricing is denominated in Bolivianos and ranges from roughly Bs 1,800 for shorter diplomas to Bs 16,200–18,000 for master's programs, with scholarship discounts for EPDB Salesian school graduates and installment financing through Fundación Desarrollate. Distribution runs through on-campus enrollment offices, the SAF/SIAS self-serve portals, WhatsApp Business, and the Salesian church and pastoral network, complemented by an ISO 21001:2018-certified quality management system (SGCOE). Recent strategic activity — a new campus launch, MOOC platform rollout, partnerships with FENCOMIN R.L. and Asociación Centro Virgen Niña-EPDB, and adhesion to the Red de Universidades Andinas — indicates a measured expansion posture under the leadership of newly appointed Chancellor P. Marcelo Escalante Mendoza (2025).

Name

Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia

Legal name

Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia

Website

https://www.usalesiana.edu.bo

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia is a private Catholic university operating six campuses across Bolivia, offering undergraduate, technical, and postgraduate degree programs under the Salesian (Don Bosco) educational tradition, with integrated academic and financial technology platforms and an expanding online learning presence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAFAB

Graduate Schools of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D., Ph.D.)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Teacher Training Colleges (Education Schools)

SECONDARYEDAFAEAB

Higher Education SIS & Campus Management Systems

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Student Information Systems (SIS), School ERP & Administration Software

SECONDARYEDADAKAB

Academic Affairs Administration (Curriculum, Scheduling, Academic Policy)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Institutional Governance & Administration (School/College/University Admin)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Postgraduate programs
• Catholic university
• Technical superior education

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz De La Sierra

HQ country

Bolivia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia is a Catholic higher education institution that delivers undergraduate licentiate degrees, technical superior programs, postgraduate diplomas, and master's degrees in disciplines including Education Sciences, Systems Engineering, Public Accounting, Law, Commercial Engineering, Gastronomy, and Psychomotor Skills. The university operates across six campuses in Bolivia and supplements on-campus instruction with online learning through the Plataforma MOOC USB, academic/financial management systems (SAF, SIAS), and digital payment infrastructure.

Product overview

Universidad Salesiana de Bolivia is a Catholic Salesian university offering undergraduate degrees (licentiate and technical superior levels), postgraduate programs (diplomas and master's), and institutional technology platforms. The core academic portfolio includes 8 licentiate programs (Education Sciences, Systems Engineering, Public Accounting, Law, Commercial Engineering, Gastronomy, Psychomotor Skills) and 3 technical superior programs, distributed across 6 campuses nationwide. Institutional technology infrastructure centers on SAF (academic-financial management system), SIAS (student information), and the newly launched Plataforma MOOC USB for online learning. The university also operates Radio Salesiana 89.8 FM, a digital library (CRAI), CESAFE for continuing education, and INNOVA for research support. Postgraduate offerings include master's programs in Scientific Research and Higher Education, plus various diploma programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ciencias de la Educación (Licentiate in Education Sciences)
• Ingeniería de Sistemas (Systems Engineering)
• Contaduría Pública (Public Accounting)
• Derecho (Law)
• Ingeniería Comercial y Desarrollo de Negocios (Commercial Engineering and Business Development)
• Gastronomía y Gestión de Restaurantes (Gastronomy and Restaurant Management)
• Psicomotricidad, Salud, Educación y Deportes (Psychomotor Skills, Health, Education and Sports)
• Educación Parvularia (Upper Technical in Early Childhood Education)
• Educación Especial Inclusiva (Upper Technical in Special Inclusive Education)
• Pedagogía de Atención al Adulto Mayor (Upper Technical in Elder Care Pedagogy)
• Maestría en Investigación Científica con Mediación Tecnológica (Master's in Scientific Research with Technological Mediation)
• Maestría en Educación Superior (Master's in Higher Education)
• Diplomado en Educación Superior (Diploma in Higher Education)
• Diplomado en Investigación Científica Aplicada en Educación Superior (Diploma in Applied Scientific Research in Higher Education)
• Plataforma MOOC USB
• CESAFE - Centro Salesiano de Formación Específica

Quantifiable outcome

• 24 years of continuous operation since founding
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FENCOMIN R.L. (Federación Nacional de Cooperativas Mineras de Bolivia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Strategic cooperation agreement enabling student internships, directed work projects, degree projects, and undergraduate thesis in mining cooperative sector. Links academic training with productive sectors of Bolivian economy.
• Asociación Centro Virgen Niña-EPDBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Framework cooperation agreement and two specific agreements for: 1) Development of diploma programs, courses, and continuing education; 2) Pre-professional internships and degree projects. 4-year cooperation agreement.
• Colegio de Informáticos de CochabambaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Inter-institutional agreement strengthening professional formation through academic linkage, professional development, and technological innovation.
• Hospital Arco IrisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-institutional agreement providing medical discounts for regular students and first-degree family members at Hospital Arco Iris healthcare facility.
• Fundación DesarrollateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation providing financing options for diploma programs through installment payment plans (Bs 250 inscription + 5 installments of Bs 250).
• Hermanas Misioneras Cruzadas de la IglesiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity residence partnership providing safe, comfortable housing for female students near campus in Zona Norte, Av. Armentia.
• Dirección Distrital de Educación de YacuibaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCESAFE partnership for specific cooperation in educational training and certification programs.
• Federación Regional de Trabajadores de Educación Urbana de YacuibaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCESAFE partnership for educational worker training and professional development.
• Parlamento AndinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdhesion to Andean Universities Network enabling 30 student parliamentarians to promote regional integration, democratic participation, and youth leadership.
• Fundación Arco IriscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-institutional agreement strengthening pre-professional practices for students while supporting foundation's work with vulnerable children and adolescents.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo: Bolivia's leading Catholic private university with multi-city campuses (La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Tarija). Closest direct peer: shares Catholic identity, multi-campus national footprint, and a similar mix of professional programs (engineering, law, business), but is significantly larger and more established.
• Universidad Privada Boliviana (UPB): Major secular private university in Cochabamba and La Paz offering engineering, business, law, and health programs. Directly competes with USB for the same working-adult and traditional undergraduate segments in Bolivia's two largest cities.
• Universidad del Valle (Univalle): Private Bolivian university headquartered in Cochabamba with multiple campuses offering engineering, business, health, and social sciences. Competes for the same Cochabamba-based students and employs a similar multi-campus national expansion strategy.
• Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA): One of Bolivia's largest private universities, based in Santa Cruz with additional campuses. Competes directly for traditional undergraduate students in the Santa Cruz department where USB is headquartered and is expanding into San Carlos-Yapacaní territory.
• Universidad Nur: Private Bolivian university with multiple campuses offering business, law, engineering, and health sciences. A secular alternative in the same private-university tier as USB, competing for similar student profiles in La Paz and Santa Cruz.
• Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar (UASB): Postgraduate-focused university in La Paz (Bolivian headquarters) affiliated with the Andean Community. Directly competes with USB's postgraduate and master's programs and overlaps with USB's participation in the Andean Universities Network.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA): Bolivia's largest public university, based in La Paz with broad program coverage including engineering, law, accounting, and education. Represents the dominant incumbent against which USB competes for students in La Paz; tuition is heavily subsidized, pressuring USB's pricing.
• Universidad Salesiana de Ecuador: Larger sister Salesian university in Quito and Cuenca with broad undergraduate and graduate programs. Most comparable global Salesian-network peer: shares Don Bosco pedagogical tradition, Catholic identity, and similar program portfolio, but operates at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Universidad Técnica de Oruro (UTO): Public Bolivian university specializing in engineering and technical fields, headquartered in Oruro with national reach. Competes with USB for engineering students in Bolivia's mining-belt regions, an area where USB's FENCOMIN partnership is strategically important.

Emerging players

• Universidad Franz Tamayo (UNIFRANZ): Fast-growing private Bolivian university with multiple campuses in La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and El Alto, emphasizing practical and hybrid-learning formats. An emerging competitor that mirrors USB's multi-campus national strategy and could pressure USB's working-adult segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCi3srOpsjeCFR5K35oyh2AA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversidadSalesianadeBolivia
• Instagraminstagram.com/usalesiana?lang=es
• TikToktiktok.com/search?q=universidad%20salesiana%20de%20bolivia&t=1726235842014
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidad-salesiana-de-bolivia-scz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Salesiana de Bolivia