Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
Quick facts
- City
- Mendoza
- Country
- Argentina
- Type
- Public
- Founded
- 1939
- National ranking
- #12
- International ranking
- #1201
- Tuition (local students)
- ARS 0
- Tuition (international)
- ARS 0
- Guide score
- 7.5/10
Official website: www.uncuyo.edu.ar
Overview
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo) was founded in 1939 and is the largest public university in western Argentina, based in Mendoza at the foot of the Andes. In the QS World University Rankings 2027 (June 2026) it is in the 1201–1400 global band, level with ITBA and around 12th–13th among the 16 Argentine universities in the table (it was in the 1001–1200 band in the previous edition). Student numbers vary by source (roughly 35,000 to 46,000 depending on what is counted), and no official international-student percentage is published here.
The Centro Universitario sits beside Parque General San Martín — a real campus of faculties, comedor, sports and a small residencia. Agronomy, oenology/viticulture, engineering and medicine are the programmes that match Mendoza's economy (wine, oil, water, mountains). Undergraduate study follows the national public model: free in practice, with the Decreto 366/2025 caveat for foreigners without permanent residence.
Academic programs
Twelve faculties and several institutes cover the usual professional degrees plus regionally distinctive work in agriculture, wine and water. Undergraduate and most graduate teaching is in Spanish. The year is the Argentine cuatrimestre pattern (March and August starts). Faculty-level rules on *regularidad* and exams apply; exchange students are folded into ordinary courses, not a separate English track.
Degree-seeking internationals apply to the faculty, not to the international office. SIIP (Secretaría de Investigación, Internacionales y Posgrado) handles mobility and can advise on visas but does not enrol full-degree foreigners.
Campus life
Campus plus Quinta Sección is a livable, green student setup. The residencia universitaria is for *Beca de Residencia* holders (under 24, from 50+ km away, February call) — not an exchange hotel. Bienestar also runs comedor scholarships and sports. Most internationals rent in Quinta Sección, Centro or Godoy Cruz.
The Andes and the bodegas are the extra-curricular programme: Vendimia in late February–March, snow in winter, high-mountain roads when the pass is open. Nightlife is Arístides Villanueva rather than a Córdoba-style strip.
Exchange programs
Three inbound routes:
- Bilateral agreements — home university nominates; the common path
- PILA and AUGM — Latin American networks (Mexico/Colombia/Argentina and the Montevideo Group)
- Independent exchange — no agreement; contact Academic Mobility; fees may apply (read the current reglamento)
Once nominated, students receive access to UNCuyo's mobility system. Spanish is required for coursework. Confirm faculty-level course availability before assuming an English-friendly workload — there usually is not one.
Academic programs
- Agriculture
- Engineering
- Medicine
- Law
- Arts
- Economics
- Education
- Political Science
- Exact Sciences
- Oenology
Application deadlines
- fall: Nominations via home university for the March semester (windows set each year by SIIP)
- spring: Nominations via home university for the August semester
Exchange
SIIP handles mobility through bilateral agreements, PILA and AUGM. Independent (non-agreement) exchange exists and may carry fees. Undergraduate teaching is in Spanish. Visa advice is available; degree-seeking enrolment is handled by each faculty, not SIIP.
Next steps
Sources
- topuniversities.com/universities/universidad-nacional-de-cuyo
- uncuyo.edu.ar/relacionesinternacionales/en/foreign-students
- uncuyo.edu.ar/bienestar/residencias-universitarias
- uncuyo.edu.ar/relacionesinternacionales/la-uncuyo-crece-en-el-ranking-de-univers
- lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/la-uba-lidera-en-la-region-publicas-y-privadas-las-16-u
- es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universidad_Nacional_de_Cuyo