Universidad Católica de Costa Rica

Name

Universidad Católica de Costa Rica

Legal name

Universidad Católica de Costa Rica

Website

https://ucatolica.ac.cr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Universidad Católica de Costa Rica is a private Catholic nonprofit university founded in 1993, owned by the Costa Rican Episcopal Conference, operating four campuses across Costa Rica. It delivers approximately 53 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and continuing education programs, generating revenue primarily through recurring tuition and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHALAB

Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension)

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

SECONDARYEDAHAFAA

Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges

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

SECONDARYEDAAAEAA

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate education programs
• Continuing professional education
• Catholic university education

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: The university generates primary revenue from student tuition and academic fees across undergraduate (bachilleratos, licenciaturas), graduate (maestrías, doctorados), and continuing education programs (EDUCO courses, technical programs). Fees are structured by academic period (cuatrimestre) with installment payment options.
2. Donations: The university accepts donations via credit card and bank transfer, including tax-deductible donations for US residents, as stated on its website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Universidad Católica de Costa Rica delivers higher education academic programs including 18 undergraduate Bachilleratos, 16 Licenciaturas, 7 Maestrías, a Doctorado en Ciencias de la Educación, and a virtual Posdoctorado Internacional across four campuses in Costa Rica. The institution supplements its degree portfolio with continuing education under the EDUCO sub-brand, offering short courses, technical programs, and corporate training in both in-person and virtual modalities.

Product overview

Universidad Católica de Costa Rica is a Catholic higher education institution offering a comprehensive academic portfolio structured across four regional campuses. The core educational offerings include undergraduate Bachilleratos (18 programs), Licenciaturas (16 graduate programs), Maestrías (7 master's degrees), a Doctorado in Education Sciences, and a virtual Posdoctorado Internacional. The institution provides continuing education through EDUCO, offering short courses (Estimulación Temprana, UCAT English Program, LESCO), technical programs, and corporate training. Supporting infrastructure includes the SSBUCAT library system with eLibro and ODUCAL digital integrations, the AVATAR student management platform, and the virtual learning environment. Research is supported through Revista Humanitas academic journal and the Laudato si' Observatory for environmental studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EDUCO: Education Continua y Formación Profesional - continuing education and professional training programs including courses, technical programs, and corporate training.

Products and services

• Bachilleratos Undergraduate bachelor's-level degree programs spanning approximately 3 years (9 cuatrimestres) across 18 career paths in education, business, social sciences, and engineering disciplines; available to prospective Costa Rican students at four campus locations.
• Licenciaturas Graduate-level licentiate degree programs (4-6 cuatrimestres) providing advanced specialization across 16 areas including education specializations, psychology, law, theology, and systems engineering.
• Maestrías Master's degree programs (2-3 years) in education administration, business marketing, educational psychology, family psychotherapy, occupational psychology, psychosocial gerontology, and palliative care.
• Doctorado en Ciencias de la Educación Doctoral program in education sciences (2 years 4 months) focused on research, scientific methodology, and educational system transformation with international projection.
• Posdoctorado Internacional en Ciencias de la Educación International postdoctoral program delivered in virtual modality, focused on advanced research, epistemological exploration of education, and publication of educational studies; targeted at the international academic community.
• EDUCO Cursos Continuing education short courses including early stimulation, UCAT English Program, office tools, soft skills, LESCO (Costa Rican Sign Language), basic accounting, Excel certification, digital marketing, customer service, etiquette and protocol, healthy practices for elder care, embodied psychology, and entrepreneurship tools.
• EDUCO Técnicos Technical vocational programs including IT Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Tourism, and Conversational English; provide vocational training credentials to working adults and adult learners.
• EDUCO Cursos Empresariales Corporate training courses for businesses covering office tools, Excel certification, soft skills, customer service, digital marketing, and LESCO for customer service.

Quantifiable outcome

• First university in Costa Rica to receive SINAES accreditation in Psychology (2003)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Red Universitaria para el Cuidado de la Casa Común (RUC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020UCAT joined the University Network for the Care of Our Common Home (RUC), an initiative aligned with Pope Francis's Laudato si' encyclical. The network aims to establish agreements and encourage other educational institutions to join the Laudato si' Observatory.
• Red de Universidades Católicas de América Central (RUCAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020UCAT joined RUCAC to strengthen collaborative ties with Catholic universities across the Central American region. The current UCAT Rector previously served as President of RUCAC, and the network serves as a platform for regional academic cooperation among Catholic higher education institutions.
• Observatorio Laudato si'coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The Laudato si' Observatory was founded at UCAT in 2017 as an initiative under Pope Francis's encyclical. Its purpose is to contribute to the common good of humanity and the sustainability of the planet through responsible stewardship of our common home. UCAT hosts and leads this observatory, which is part of the broader RUC network.
• Federación Internacional de Universidades Católicas (FIUC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016UCAT joined the International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC), which brings together more than 250 universities worldwide. FIUC is a key global network for Catholic higher education under the guidance of the Holy See, promoting academic collaboration, research, and shared identity among Catholic institutions.
• Organización de Universidades Católicas de América Latina y el Caribe (ODUCAL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016UCAT joined ODUCAL, an organization dedicated to advancing knowledge and building a more just and humane world in the spirit of the Christian Gospel. ODUCAL facilitates regional collaboration among Catholic universities in Latin America and the Caribbean. UCAT's current Rector, Dr. Fernando Felipe Sánchez Campos, serves as Vice President of ODUCAL for the Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean sub-region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidad Fidélitas: Private Costa Rican university with strong STEM/engineering focus and similar scale. Competes directly with UCAT in Engineering, Business, and Technology programs across the San José metro area.
• Universidad del Valle de Costa Rica: Private Costa Rican university with comparable undergraduate/graduate offerings. Direct competitor in the domestic private higher education market with similar tuition-driven model.
• ULACIT (Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología): Private Costa Rican university with similar scale and program breadth including business, engineering, and health sciences. Direct competitor in the Costa Rican private higher education market.
• Universidad Latina de Costa Rica: Largest private university in Costa Rica, operating multiple campuses nationwide with similar undergraduate/graduate portfolio. Closest direct competitor to UCAT in the Costa Rican private higher education market, competing for the same student segments.
• Universidad Veritas: Private Costa Rican university offering undergraduate and graduate programs with similar profile. Direct competitor in the San José private higher education market.
• Universidad Católica de Honduras (UNICAH): Central American Catholic university with similar scale, regional campus network, and graduate program portfolio. Closest cross-border peer on Catholic identity and educational mission.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE): Larger Dominican Republic private university with similar Catholic heritage and broad program portfolio. Comparable institutional model in a different Caribbean market.
• Universidad Centroamericana (UCA): Central American Jesuit university with longer history and broader brand recognition. Comparative regional Catholic-affiliated institution with similar values-based positioning and graduate program offerings.
• Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM): Pontifical Catholic university in Dominican Republic with multi-campus network and graduate research focus. Comparable as a Catholic institution with Holy See-recognized status and similar academic structure.

Regional players

• INCAE Business School: Top-tier Central American business school with dual campuses in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Comparable in regional prestige and Catholic-affiliated founding principles; competes for MBA students and executive education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ucatolicacr
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucatcr

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Costa Rica