Study in Cuba

Who this applies to

Students at Cuban universities. Spanish-medium; entirely public, free, state-planned.

Governing authority

Ministerio de Educación Superior (MES).

Degree system

Licenciatura (5 yrs) · Maestría · Doctorado. Spanish-medium; all institutions public & tuition-free.

Admission

How

Pre-universitario + national entrance exams (historically; some recently adjusted) + state-planned enrollment by career quotas; international students via bilateral agreements (esp. medicine — ELAM).

Language

Spanish.

Tuition

Public

Free for Cuban nationals (socialist system).

International

Via scholarships/bilateral programmes (e.g. ELAM Latin American School of Medicine).

Note

All higher education is public and free; strong in medicine.

Student visa & residence permit

Student visa for non-nationals.

Scholarships

State scholarships; ELAM medical scholarships for international students.

Sources & references

• MES/free public — https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000140477 (2026-06-12)
• UH — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Havana (2026-06-12)