Admission standards

University admission in Chile

Official minimum entry requirements and the school system, from the country's UNESCO classification and national sources.

Official entry requirements

As classified by the country with UNESCO (ISCED 2011), reference year 2021. Universities may set higher requirements.

School-leaving qualification (upper secondary)

Sciences and Humanities Upper Secondary Education2 years, from age 16
Awards: High School Certificate
Artistic Upper Secondary Education2 years, from age 16
Awards: High School Certificate

Short-cycle tertiary (diplomas)

Higher Technical Education2 years, from age 18
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)
Awards: Higher Technical Degree

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), ISCED 2011 mappings (country file). CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UIS terms).

School system (official durations)

Primary: 6 years from age 6
Lower secondary: 2 years from age 12
Upper secondary: 4 years from age 14
Compulsory education: 12 years
Tertiary enrolment (gross): 110.2% (2024)

Data year 2025. Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), https://api.uis.unesco.org/api/public, extracted 2026-11-10. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Licence.

Regulators and quality agencies

ADC Agencia Acreditadora (ADC Acreditadora)Listed by INQAAHE
Agencia Acreditadora de Chile (Acreditadora de Chile)Listed by INQAAHE
National Accreditation Commission (CNA)Listed by INQAAHE
Centro Interuniversitario de Desarrollo (CINDA)Listed by INQAAHE
Accrediting Agency AcreditAccion (AcreditAcción)Listed by INQAAHE
Consejo Nacional de Educación (CNED)Listed by INQAAHE

From INQAAHE. Network membership is not government recognition: confirm a body's role with the education ministry.

Universities and colleges

98 institutions in Chile

All countries