Quick Summary
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María is a private non-profit engineering and science university founded in Valparaíso, Chile in 1931 through a philanthropic bequest from Federico Santa María. It now spans five campuses across Valparaíso, Santiago, Viña del Mar, and Concepción, enrolling roughly 19,300 students, with all 11 of its doctoral programs currently CNA-accredited. USM awarded Latin America's first chemical engineering doctorate in 1962 and operates the region's oldest university radio station, founded in 1937. Admission for Chilean students runs through the national PAES exam combined with secondary-school records, while international applicants apply through a separate track.
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Institutional Profile
Who they are
USM was established in 1931 in Valparaíso using a fortune donated by philanthropist Federico Santa María specifically to build a technical and scientific institution, which is why the university remains organized around engineering execution and applied science rather than a broad liberal-arts model. It awarded what is documented as the first doctorate in chemical engineering conferred anywhere in Chile or Latin America, in 1962, and today all 11 of its doctoral programs carry current CNA accreditation. The university operates across five campuses in Valparaíso, Santiago (two sites), Viña del Mar, and Concepción, giving students a choice of location while keeping the same accredited engineering curriculum. Its notable alumni span beyond engineering into national literature and physics, including Chile's 2000 National Literature Prize winner and 2007 National Sciences Prize winner.
Subject Strengths
Engineering and Technologyparticularly MechanicalElectricalElectronicCivil and Chemical Engineering
Founded1931
TypePrivate non-profit
Total Students19291
Intl StudentsNot Available
Faculty RatioNot Available
CampusMulti-campus, urban
Campus SizeFive campuses: Casa Central (Valparaíso), Vitacura and San Joaquín (Santiago), José Miguel Carrera (Viña del Mar), and Rey Balduino de Bélgica (Concepción/Talcahuano)
Affiliated HospitalsNot Available
AccreditationComisión Nacional de Acreditación (CNA) de Chile, institutionally accredited for 6 years (through December 2028) across Institutional Management, Undergraduate Teaching, Research, Postgraduate Teaching, and Linkage with Society
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Global Standing
Three independent ranking systems
QS World 2026
#1001-1200
Quacquarelli Symonds
Times Higher Ed
Not Available
THE World University
ARWU Shanghai
Not Available
Academic Ranking
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Academics & Research
What you can study
Undergraduate engineering and science degrees (Ingeniería Civil), technical-level degrees (Ingeniería de Ejecución), master's programs, and 11 CNA-accredited doctoral programs
Programs
11 doctoral programs, all currently accredited by Chile's National Accreditation Commission, spanning fields including chemical engineering, electronic engineering, and computer science
PhD Programs
Not Available
Online Programs
Research institutes and centers affiliated with USM's engineering and science faculties, concentrated at the Valparaíso and Santiago (San Joaquín) campuses
Research Centers
USM conferred what is recognized as the first doctorate in chemical engineering awarded in Chile and Latin America, in 1962. All 11 of the university's current doctoral programs hold CNA accreditation, a distinction the university highlights as a marker of its postgraduate research standing.
Research Output
Comisión Nacional de Acreditación (CNA) de Chile, institutionally accredited for 6 years (through December 2028) across Institutional Management, Undergraduate Teaching, Research, Postgraduate Teaching, and Linkage with Society
Accreditation
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Admissions Brief
What it takes to get in
Entry Requirements
Acceptance RateNot Available
IELTSNot Available
TOEFLNot Available
Min GPANot Available
GRENot Available
GMATNot Available
SATNot Available
ACTNot Available
Key Dates
Application deadlines are being updated. Check the official website for current dates.
Required Documents
TranscriptsSOPEnglish ScoresLORsPassport
Insider Tip
Chilean undergraduate admission for most applicants runs through PAES (Prueba de Acceso a la Educación Superior), the national standardized test, rather than a university-specific entrance exam, and USM weighs PAES scores alongside secondary-school academic records (NEM) in its selection formula. International applicants generally apply through a separate track coordinated by the Dirección de Relaciones Internacionales rather than sitting the PAES, so prospective foreign students should contact USM's international office directly to confirm the current pathway and required credential validations. Because USM operates five distinct campuses, applicants should check which campus offers their intended engineering specialty, as not every Ingeniería Civil program is available at every location. Registration (matrícula) and enrollment deadlines for the March academic-year start are typically finalized in January, with payment plans allowing tuition to be spread over monthly installments from March.
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Cost Ledger
Amounts in Chilean Peso
UG Tuition
$7,000,000/yr
per year · CLP
Scholarships AvailableChilean government tuition-free program (Gratuidad) for eligible students, plus USM-administered merit scholarships; eligibility depends on family income decile and academic performance under Chile's national financial-aid framework
Financial AidAccess to Chile's state-run Gratuidad free-tuition program and CAE (Crédito con Aval del Estado) student loan system for qualifying Chilean students, administered alongside internal USM scholarship funds
Work-StudyNot Available
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Featured & Popular Programs
A sample from Undergraduate engineering and science degrees (Ingeniería Civil), technical-level degrees (Ingeniería de Ejecución), master's programs, and 11 CNA-accredited doctoral programs programs total
| Program | Level | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Ingeniería Civil Informática | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |
| Ingeniería Civil Industrial | MASTER | 1-2 YRS |
| Ingeniería Civil Electrónica | PHD | 3-5 YRS |
| Ingeniería Comercial | MBA | 12-24 MO |
| Ingeniería Civil Mecánica | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |
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Career Outcomes
Where graduates land
Not Available
Average Salary After Graduation
Not Available
Employment Rate
Internship PlacementPráctica profesional (supervised professional internship) is a graduation requirement in USM's engineering degree plans, arranged through each department's industry-liaison contacts
Industry Connections
USM was founded in Valparaíso specifically as an industrial and technical training institution funded by philanthropist Federico Santa María's estateand its five-campus footprintincluding a Santiago presence added decades later at Vitacura and San Joaquínwas built to place engineering graduates near Chile's main industrial and mining-services corridors. The university's Ingeniería de Ejecución (technical-execution engineering) trackdistinct from the longer Ingeniería Civil degreewas designed explicitly to feed technically trained graduates into industry more quickly than a full civil-engineering degree. USM's oldest-in-Latin-America university radio stationestablished in 1937reflects an early institutional emphasis on public engineering outreach that predates most of its regional peers. Its Concepción-area campusadded in 1972extended the university's industry reach into southern Chile's manufacturing base.
Notable Alumni
Raúl Zurita, recipient of Chile's National Literature Prize (2000); Miguel Kiwi, physicist and recipient of Chile's National Sciences Prize (2007)
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Campus & Student Life
Life beyond lectures
Housing
USM does not operate centralized dormitories for undergraduates; students typically arrange private housing near each campus
Sports Facilities
Sports facilities and intercollegiate teams organized through the university's Dirección General de Vinculación con el Medio at the Casa Central campus in Valparaíso
Student Clubs
Federación de Estudiantes de la UTFSM (FEUTFSM), engineering competition teams, and campus-based cultural and technical clubs
Library Resources
Sistema de Bibliotecas USM with dedicated library facilities on each of the five campuses, plus digital databases accessible university-wide
Exchange Programs
Bilateral exchange agreements coordinated through the Dirección de Relaciones Internacionales, including partnerships with European and Latin American engineering schools
Summer Programs
Not Available