Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Quick facts

City: Bogotá
Country: Colombia
Type: Public
Founded: 1981
Students: 208,611
Tuition (local students): COP 2,377,732
Guide score: 5.5/10

Overview

The Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD) is Colombia's public open and distance university. It was created in 1981 as UNISUR and is attached to the Ministry of Education. It is by far the country's largest higher-education institution: SNIES/Observatorio figures show 208,611 enrolled students in 2025. UNAD's press material cites "more than 389,000", which likely includes non-degree and continuing-education learners. We have not verified that figure.

In 2021 UNAD became the first 100% virtual and distance institution in Colombia to earn institutional acreditación de alta calidad. That first accreditation expired in December 2025. MEN renewed it for six years on 2 June 2026 (Resolución 014898). UNAD is not listed in QS Latin America. It was 35th in U-Sapiens 2023-1, but we could not confirm its 2026-1 position.

The national headquarters is the Sede Nacional José Celestino Mutis (Calle 14 Sur # 14-23, Restrepo, Bogotá). There is no single campus to attend.

Academic programs

UNAD offers technical, technology, professional (*pregrado*), specialisation, master's and doctoral programmes through its schools:

ECACEN: business and accounting, fully virtual.
ECBTI: engineering (Systems, Industrial, Electronic and more). Labs are delivered in person, remotely or by simulation.
ECSAH: social sciences, arts and humanities, including Psychology, Communication and Philosophy.
ECAPMA: agrarian and environmental programmes.
ECEDU: education and teaching degrees.
Health programmes.
Law.

How the virtual model works. Almost all learning happens in the Campus Virtual. Each course has an e-mediator (tutor), a calendar of graded activities and forums, and follows a pedagogical model built on autonomous and collaborative learning. There are optional in-person or b-learning tutorials roughly every two weeks. Some courses include in-person labs, practicums or exams.

The year is split into four 16-week periods plus one 8-week period. You can take up to 51 credits a year, and 14–21 credits in your first period.

Campus life

Physical presence is a national network organised into eight zones:

28 CEAD (Centros de Educación a Distancia);
16 CERES;
10 CCAV (community access centres);
6 regional units.

In Bogotá the node is CEAD José Acevedo y Gómez. CEADs provide labs, computer rooms, libraries and exam venues, but little social life. Most students are working adults.

Exchange programs

UNAD does not host classic on-site semester exchanges. International activity runs through virtual mobility networks (PAME, e-Movies, PILA), collaborative online courses, and its presence in Florida (UNAD USA) and Europe. If you are abroad, you can enrol directly and study online. Information pending on formal incoming exchange — contributions welcome.

Admissions

Registration is open with no entrance exam for most programmes. Law, Psychology and a few health programmes have preselection. You need Saber 11, or an equivalent foreign exam validated through ICFES. You also complete a roughly three-hour induction.

Foreigners send their MEN-convalidated, apostilled secondary diploma and ID to Registro y Control (registro.control@unad.edu.co). From abroad you can pay through international transfer or Western Union.

Tuition is charged per credit, in SMMLV:

0.097 SMMLV per credit for professional programmes (about COP 169,800 in 2026).
0.087 SMMLV for technology programmes.
About a 10% surcharge in engineering, health and agrarian fields.

The figure above (COP 2,377,732, ≈ €640) is the minimum first period of 14 credits at the professional rate. Gratuidad pays for about 14 credits per period for eligible Colombians.

If you live in Colombia while studying, the Visa V Estudiante explicitly covers virtual and distance study. If you study from abroad, you need no visa.

Student housing

UNAD has no housing. Because the university is not tied to one city, students live wherever they already are. Near the Bogotá CEAD in the south (Restrepo, Santa Isabel), rooms cost about COP 600,000–900,000 a month (€160–245).

Career services

UNAD runs a graduate office and job board. Its main value is flexibility for working adults, public servants and rural students. Information pending on employability data — contributions welcome.

Academic programs

Psychology
Law
Business Administration
Public Accounting
Systems Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Agronomy
Animal Science
Communication
Philosophy
Teaching Degrees
Pharmacy Management
Technology Programs
Masters and Doctorates

Application deadlines

fall: Several intakes a year - four 16-week periods plus one 8-week period, dates in the UNAD academic calendar
spring: 2026 period 16-01 ran 4 February to 9 June 2026, registration and payment close in January

Exchange

Parlamento Andino partner. Mobility is mostly virtual (PAME, e-Movies and PILA networks), coordinated by the international office (VINTER), with presence in Florida (UNAD USA) and Europe.

Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Quick facts

Overview

Academic programs

Campus life

Exchange programs

Admissions

Student housing

Career services

Academic programs

Application deadlines

Exchange

Universities in Bogotá

Next steps

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