The oldest institution of higher education in Nicaragua is the

National Autonomous University of Nicaragua The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua ( es, link=no, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, UNAN) is the main state-funded public university of Nicaragua. Its main campus is located in Managua. The original campus, UNAN-Leon, is ...

, which was founded in León in 1812, during the Spanish colonial period. In

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

, there are ten core public and private non-profit universities that receive state funding, and these constitute the members of the National Council of Universities.Tunnermann Bernheim C, La educación superior en Nicaragua. Avaliação, 13:2, 2008, This body is responsible for strategic planning for higher education in Nicaragua, and it is also the organization that provide accreditation to other universities.The Europa World of Learning 2010. Volume 2, 60th edition. P. 1500-1502 The members of the National Council of Universities are the oldest universities in Nicaragua, with the last one founded in 1992. Since the early 1990s, a large number of new private universities have been established in Nicaragua, responding to a greatly increased educational demand fueled by the increasing student enrollment in elementary and secondary schools during the 1980s. Most private universities that are not part of the National Council of Universities are members of either the Federation of Nicaraguan Private Universities (FENUP) or the Superior Council of Private Universities (COSUP). The major focus of these private universities are on business, computers and law, but together they span most areas of academic study. The majority of higher education institutions are in

Managua ) , settlement_type = Capital city , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Nicara ...

. Higher education has financial, organic and administrative autonomy, according to the law. Also, freedom of subjects is recognized. Nicaragua's higher education system consists of 58 universities, and 113 colleges and technical institutes in the areas of

electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...

computer systems A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

and

sciences Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, agroforestry, construction and trade-related services. In 2005, almost 400,000 (7%) of Nicaraguans held a

university degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...

Academic degrees

Admission to higher education is on the basis of the ''Bachillerato'', the leading

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

qualification. Students are also subject to an entrance examination. The ''Licenciado'' (or ''Ingenierio'' in the case of engineering programs), is the main

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

degree and a four or five-year course of study. A professional title may also be awarded depending on the subject. Following the ''Licenciado'', the first

postgraduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

degree is the ''Maestria'', which lasts two years and culminates with the submission of a

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

. Institutions of higher learning also offer two or three year courses in

technical Technical may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle * Technical analysis, a discipline for forecasting the future direction of prices through the study of past market data * Technical drawing, showing how something is co ...

and

vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...

. The main qualification studied for is the ''Técnico Superior''.

List of universities

This is a list of the 58

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

accredited by the National Council of Universities in

.Instituciones legalmente acreditadas por el CNU al 01/12/2008
/ref> Notes: *Names in bold indicates that the university is a member of the National Council of Universities (CNU). *Main campus first on universities with multiple locations.

References

{{North America topic, List of universities in

Universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Nicaragua, list of schools in

br>Sitio Oficial UNIAG

Academic degrees

List of universities

See also

References