Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

About

Located in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala is the country's largest, oldest, and only public state institution of higher learning, renowned historically for its leadership in public health, law, and agricultural sciences. Academic instruction is conducted almost entirely in Spanish, requiring prospective international students to demonstrate strong conversational and academic fluency in the language before enrolling in its comprehensive undergraduate and graduate degree programs. While the university does not feature the extensive English-taught degree infrastructure or centralized international student support offices typical of large North American or European campuses, it regularly welcomes visiting students through traditional bilateral exchange agreements and regional Latin American academic networks. A distinctive characteristic of the institution is its constitutional mandate to guide national culture and participate in the study and solution of national problems, embedding civic engagement deeply into its academic identity. International students seeking an immersive, Spanish-language educational experience embedded in the sociopolitical fabric of Central America will find a vibrant, historic campus community here.

Background

The Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC, University of San Carlos of Guatemala) is the largest and oldest university of Guatemala; it is also the fourth founded in the Americas. Established in the Kingdom of Guatemala during the Spanish colony, it was the only university in Guatemala until 1954, although it continues to hold distinction as the only public university in the entire country. The university grew out of the Colegio de Santo Tomás de Aquino (Saint Thomas Aquinas High School), founded in 1562 by Bishop Francisco Marroquín. After a series of major earthquakes in 1773, which destroyed many parts of the city of Santiago de los Caballeros, the crown authorities ordered the evacuation of the city and the relocation of its government, religious and university functions to the new capital La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, the university's present location. In the early years, from the 16th to 19th centuries, it offered studies in civil and liturgical law, theology, philosophy, medicine and indigenous languages.

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