For the fiscal years 2023 to 2026, the Ministry of Education allocated for the policy of free tuition in higher education a little more than $10 trillion pesos. These resources were distributed among the 34 public universities and 33 official technical and technological institutions. But the official data not only show the magnitude of the investment. It is also striking how some institutions received much more money than others despite having fewer students benefited. Added to this is even an institution that reported income for free tuition without having a single student benefited.
This is evidenced in the information provided by the Ministry of Education to the National Planning Department (DNP) as part of the handover reports with the incoming government of Abelardo De la Espriella. These are the documents where the outgoing government hands over to the incoming one an account of the state of the sector.
Thus, the information (initially disclosed by the Colombian University Observatory) shows that between the years 2023 and 2026 (the four-year term of the Petro Government considering the fiscal years in which the budget allocation was made) free tuition in public higher education institutions (HEIs) cost a total of $10,084,150,524,599, which is more than $10 trillion pesos.
And, not surprisingly, the institution that received the largest portion of these resources was also the one that is today the largest university with the highest number of students in the country: the National Open and Distance University (Unad). This university received a total of 2.58 trillion pesos for this concept, benefiting a total of 1,272,096 enrollments over the four years.
What is surprising is that the next institutions that received more resources are not those with the most students. In fact, the second institution with the most enrolled students is the National University, which received $277 billion pesos to finance 345,525 enrollments during the four-year period.
On the other hand, the second place among HEIs that received the most resources is the Nueva Granada Military University, with more than double the money received by Unal ($781 billion pesos) although less than half of the enrollments financed (134,344).
And a big surprise is the case of the Antonio José Camacho University Institution, which became the third institution to receive the most resources for free tuition ($439 billion pesos) despite benefiting 119,958 enrollments (less than half of the enrollments financed at Unal).
The top 5 is completed by the Santander Technological Units ($420 billion pesos and 192,042 enrollments) and only in fifth place the third public university with the most undergraduate students in the country, the University of Antioquia: ($344 billion pesos and 184,242 enrollments financed).
But this is not what draws the most attention. In fact, this is more the case of the Public University Institution of Bello (IUPBELLO), which for the 2026 fiscal year received resources for free tuition for the first time, a total of $844 million pesos. The problem is that, according to the same information from the Ministry of Education, this money was given without the institution having any beneficiaries.
There are more data that draw attention, such as the fact that the 34 public universities concentrated $7.1 trillion pesos of all free tuition resources, while the 33 technical and technological HEIs received $2.8 trillion pesos.
Likewise, the huge differences in the cost of financing free tuition per student in different universities is highly striking. For example, at the Military University the average amount transferred per enrollment is $5,815,603, being the institution where this amount is the highest.
Next is the National Sports School with $4,291,168 and the Central Unit of the Valle del Cauca with $3,939,399.
But this contrasts with other institutions. At Unad the amount disbursed per enrollment is $2,034,466, at the National University $802,441 and at the University of Antioquia it is $515,714.
Meanwhile, the institution that receives the least resources per student is the Pacific University with $296,046.
The universities that received the most resources for free tuition between 2023 and 2026
- National Open and Distance University (Unad): $2,588,035,810,111
- Nueva Granada Military University: $781,291,407,256
- Antonio José Camacho University Institution: $439,603,075,483
- Santander Technological Units: $420,244,679,505
- University of Pamplona: $344,752,727,664
- Antioquia Technological Institute: $319,407,341,232
- National University of Colombia: $277,263,399,392
- University of Magdalena – Unimagdalena: $268,683,584,427
- Barranquilla University Institution (IUB): $247,812,843,691
- University of Tolima: $228,829,776,727
- Industrial University of Santander: $211,713,817,732
- Central Unit of the Valle del Cauca: $198,785,998,632
- University Institution (ITM): $174,336,997,312
- Technological University of Pereira (UTP): $173,784,337,087
- Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC): $168,753,730,417
- University of La Guajira: $165,274,855,589
- Popular University of Cesar: $161,851,495,727
- University of Antioquia: $136,712,289,177
- Technological University of Chocó: $134,790,546,293
- Digital University Institution of Antioquia – IU Digital: $132,966,080,793
The universities that financed the most enrollments with free tuition between 2023 and 2026
- National Open and Distance University (Unad): 1,272,096
- National University of Colombia: 345,525
- University of Antioquia: 265,093
- University of Valle: 234,408
- Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC): 211,761
- University of Magdalena – Unimagdalena: 196,965
- University of Tolima: 194,058
- Santander Technological Units: 192,042
- University Institution (ITM): 186,416
- University of Pamplona: 184,242
- University of Cartagena: 169,992
- Francisco José de Caldas District University: 167,210
- University of Atlántico: 158,776
- Industrial University of Santander: 156,842
- Nueva Granada Military University: 134,344
- University of La Guajira: 128,604
- Antioquia Technological Institute: 128,039
- University of Quindío: 124,746
- Popular University of Cesar: 124,297
- Technological University of Pereira (UTP): 121,482
The universities with the highest investment per financed enrollment between 2023 and 2026
- Nueva Granada Military University: $5,815,603
- National Sports School: $4,291,168
- Central Unit of the Valle del Cauca: $3,939,399
- Antonio José Camacho University Institution: $3,683,063
- Tolima Conservatory: $3,052,821
- Antioquia Technological Institute: $2,494,610
- Barranquilla University Institution (IUB): $2,451,578
- Envigado University Institution: $2,445,114
- Santander Technological Units: $2,188,296
- Departmental Institute of Fine Arts: $2,180,572
- National Open and Distance University (Unad): $2,034,466
- University Institution of Cultures and Popular Arts (IPC): $2,010,941
- Major College University of Cundinamarca: $1,994,021
- Santa Marta University Institution: $1,956,115
- University of Pamplona: $1,871,195
- International University of the American Tropic (Unitrópico): $1,821,508
- Débora Arango Arts Technological Institute (Redefined Institution): $1,798,469
- Digital University Institution of Antioquia – IU Digital: $1,758,043
- Major College of Antioquia: $1,731,482
- Pascual Bravo University Institution: $1,666,319
EDUCATION EDITORIAL