Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja - UNIR

What Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja - UNIR does

Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR) is a private non-profit higher education institution headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, founded in 2017 through a collaboration agreement with Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (Spain) and operating as part of the Grupo Proeduca ecosystem. It delivers undergraduate programs (pregrados) and graduate specializations (especializaciones) entirely online across approximately nine knowledge areas, including engineering, business, law, education, health sciences, and social sciences. The academic portfolio encompasses 160+ online master's programs plus dozens of specializations, with new programs added in July 2026 spanning criminal sciences, state contracting, health auditing, social intervention, and international cooperation.

The core technology platform is a proprietary virtual campus featuring live virtual classes (approximately 1,600 hours per week delivered by faculty), personal tutor accompaniment for each student, and a continuous evaluation model aligned with European Higher Education Area standards. Students access courses, tutoring, and academic administration entirely through this LMS, supported by a network of more than 20 physical Centro de Servicio Universitario across Colombia for in-person enrollment advising. The institution holds SNIES registration and Registro Calificado from Colombia's Ministry of Education for all programs, and in 2025 received the QS Stars 5-star rating — the only Colombian institution to achieve this distinction in online learning.

The business model is tuition-driven: students pay per-program or per-semester fees (specific amounts not publicly disclosed), supplemented by educational credit through ICETEX and scholarships covering up to 60% for general applicants and 60–100% for public servants channeled through the CNSC partnership. Revenue is augmented by COSEM (a business consulting unit serving Colombian SMEs) and MIU City University Miami international continuing education certificates. Customer segments span working professionals, public servants, SENA technical graduates, K-12 educators seeking escalafón advancement, and SME clients. The institution reports 7,500+ cumulative graduates, COP 11.294 billion in total equity (December 2025), and a COP 3.394 billion fiscal surplus for 2025 allocated to reinvestment in educational quality and technology infrastructure.

Name

Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja - UNIR

Legal name

FUNDACIÓN UNIVERSITARIA INTERNACIONAL DE LA RIOJA

Website

https://unir.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR) is a Bogotá-based, 100% online non-profit higher education institution offering undergraduate programs and graduate specializations to Colombian working professionals, public servants, SENA graduates, and educators, backed by Spain's UNIR and Grupo Proeduca.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHALAA

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Distance & Online Universities

SECONDARYEDAHALAK

Online Nonprofit Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Distance & Online Universities

SECONDARYEDAIAIAL

Virtual/Hybrid International Short-Term Academic Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Summer/Winter Schools & Short-Term Academic Programs

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Virtual university programs
• Graduate specializations
• Undergraduate degrees
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Registration Fees (Matrículas y derechos pecuniarios): The institution generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged for undergraduate programs (pregrados) and specializations (especializaciones), all billed on a per-program or per-semester basis. Specific tuition amounts are not publicly disclosed on the website; prospective students must request information.
2. Educational Credit and Financing Services: Revenue is supplemented by educational credit products offered through ICETEX and other financial partners, which facilitate student enrollment by spreading tuition costs over time.
3. COSEM - Consultorio de Servicios Empresariales: The institution provides business consulting and advisory services to SMEs through its COSEM unit, generating service revenue from enterprises seeking management support and digital transformation guidance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja - UNIR is a private, non-profit online higher education institution headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia, offering 100% virtual undergraduate programs (pregrados) and graduate specializations (especializaciones) across engineering, education, health, law, economics, and social sciences. All programs are delivered through a virtual campus platform with live online classes, personal tutor accompaniment, and continuous evaluation aligned with European Higher Education Area standards, with official Registro Calificado and SNIES registration from Colombia's Ministry of Education.

Product overview

Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR) is a virtual higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate programs (pregrados) and graduate specializations (especializaciones) across five academic areas: Engineering and Technology, Education, Health Sciences, Economics and Administrative Sciences, and Social Sciences/Law. The institution's core offering is its 100% online educational methodology supported by a Virtual Campus platform featuring live virtual classes (1,600 hours weekly), personal tutoring, and continuous evaluation. The academic portfolio includes approximately 40+ programs including specializations in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Information Security, and Digital Law. Additional services include international certificates through MIU City University Miami partnership, business consulting (COSEM), scholarship programs, and SENA credit transfer options. All programs hold official SNIES registration and Registro Calificado from Colombia's Ministry of Education, and the institution maintains QS Stars 5-star certification for online learning excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COSEM (Consultorio de Servicios Empresariales): Business Consulting Services - provides business consulting, advisory services, research, technological development through virtual business accompaniment methodologies to promote growth, innovation, productivity and sustainability for the MiPymes sector.

Products and services

• Especialización en Alta Gerencia

Quantifiable outcome

• QS Stars 5-star rating — only Colombian institution to receive this distinction in the QS Online Learning rating
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Comisión Nacional del Servicio Civil (CNSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026The CNSC renewed its cooperation agreement with UNIR and the Fundación in July 2026 (originally signed two years prior). The partnership provides preferential enrollment conditions for public servants in pregraduate and postgraduate programs. CNSC president Sixta Dilia Zúñiga Lindao visited PROEDUCA headquarters in Madrid to reinforce institutional relations. The alliance supports merit-based career advancement in Colombia's public sector.
• Departamento Administrativo de la Función PúblicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026A key partner in the public servant scholarship initiative, this government body helped facilitate the 370 scholarships awarded to Colombian public servants and professionals for UNIR master's and specialization programs. The initiative aligns with the 'Servimos' program promoting access to high-level training for public employees.
• ICETEXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026ICETEX, Colombia's government student loan agency, co-sponsored the 370-scholarship program for public servants. It provides educational credit and financing options for students, expanding access to higher education through favorable loan terms.
• Grupo SantillanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Grupo Santillana participated in the public servant scholarship initiative, contributing to the funding and promotion of the program. As part of the broader Proeduca/Santillana educational ecosystem, it supports access to quality European-standard education in Colombia.
• Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR) - SpaincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026UNIR (Spain) is the original parent institution and co-founder of the Fundación, providing the academic model, methodology, faculty resources, and international brand. Through a collaboration agreement, UNIR supports the academic offering and quality standards, contributing 160+ online master's programs to the scholarship initiative.
• Unir Rioja Colombia S.A.S.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the Fundación together with Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (Spain). Contributes Colombian institutional governance and local market expertise.
• MIU City University MiamisecondaryTechnology or IntegrationThrough an agreement with MIU City University Miami (Florida, USA), the Fundación offers its students international continuing education certificates in 15 modalities (16 weeks each, 100% online, in Spanish with English option). MIU is accredited by ACICS and licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education. Certificates include areas such as Cybersecurity, Data Science, Digital Marketing, AI in Education, and Legal Tech.
• ICETEX (educational credit)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorICETEX provides educational financing and credit products for students who cannot pay tuition upfront, enabling broader access to the institution's programs through installment payment options.
• ACIED (Asociación Colombiana de Instituciones de Educación a Distancia)minorOthersACIED is listed among institutional partners supporting distance and online education standards in Colombia.
• PROEDUCA (Grupo Proeduca)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROEDUCA (also known as Grupo Proeduca) is the parent educational group encompassing UNIR, the Fundación, and multiple other educational entities. It provides the technological platform, institutional infrastructure, Openclass programming, and strategic direction. The group has presence in approximately 100 countries and includes entities such as Universidad Internacional de la Rioja S.A., Centro de Educación Superior Cunimad S.L.U., Unir Universitas S.L.U., Centro Médico Unir S.L., and others.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD): Colombia's largest public distance-learning university, offering undergraduate and graduate programs delivered fully online and at regional centers. Directly competes with Fundación UNIR for working-adult and geographically dispersed students across Colombia.
• Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina (Areandina): Private Colombian university with a strong distance/virtual modality across undergraduate and specialization programs. Closely comparable in target student (working adults), modality mix, and SNIES-registered portfolio.
• Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO): Major Colombian higher education system with a well-developed distance learning modality serving working adults nationwide. Overlaps with Fundación UNIR in flexible, regionally distributed online program delivery.
• Politécnico Grancolombiano: Large private Colombian institution offering extensive online undergraduate and continuing education programs. Competes directly with Fundación UNIR in adult-learner, virtual-modality segments with similar scholarship/financing structures.
• Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores: Colombian private university with a strong distance-learning portfolio and presence across multiple regions. Competes with Fundación UNIR for adult students seeking accredited online undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Universidad de Investigación y Desarrollo (UDI): Private Colombian university focused on virtual and distance learning. Directly comparable in modality, target student profile, and emphasis on SNIES-registered online specializations.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Sergio Arboleda: Colombian private university with online undergraduate and graduate programs. Comparable in offering accredited virtual specializations but distinguished by a stronger campus-based footprint and broader research orientation.
• Universidad EAN: Established Colombian private university with growing online offerings alongside its traditional campus. Overlaps with Fundación UNIR in business and technology specializations but offers a broader program mix including on-campus formats.
• Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga (UNAB): Well-established Colombian private university that has expanded into online programs. Competes with Fundación UNIR in continuing education and specializations while maintaining a traditional on-campus core.

Regional players

• Tecnológico de Monterrey: Mexico's leading private university with extensive online programs (Tecmilenio, LiFE) serving Spanish-speaking adult learners across Latin America. Regionally comparable in modality and adult-learner focus, but does not directly compete in the Colombian regulatory and geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/UnirNetUniversidadEnInternet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/fundacion-universitaria-internacional-de-la-rioja-unir

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Fundación Universitaria Internacional de La Rioja - UNIR