Low Tuition Universities in Cuba with Tuition Fees, Student Visa Requirements and Cost of Living

See all low tuition universities in Cuba for international students with tuition fees, student visa requirements, cost of living, admission requirements and how to apply for admission.

About Cuba

Cuba is another one of the cheapest tuition fee country located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean meet. It is south of both the U.S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti, and north of Jamaica. Havana is the largest city and capital; other major cities include Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey.

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. It was once the third largest city in the Americas and was named the “Key to the New World” in recognition of its importance within the European colonies.There are more than 60 universities and colleges in Cuba, all of them public.

ELAM, a Latin American Medical School was established by former President Fidel Castro after Hurricanes George and Mitch, which devastated parts of Central America and the Caribbean in 1998. International Students whose native language is not Spanish normally spend up to a year to learn Spanish. In today’s article, we will concentrate on the list of low tuition universities in Cuba, cost of living, admission requirements, and how to apply.

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Cost of Living in Cuba

Cost of living in Cuba is very low and affordable when compared to places like Australia, Uk and the US. With $5, an international students can expect to eat a well fortified meal while studying in Cuba, have a cappuccino for just over $1, and purchase a monthly transportation pass for only $1 as well.

Again, international students can also benefit from the excellent health care that is free for everybody in Cuba.

Other items that might affect a student’s living cost include

• Rent outside the city center – $115/month for a 1 bedroom apartment
• Utilities – $4.49/month
• Internet – $155/month
• Milk (1liter) – $2.21
• Eggs (dozen) – $1.51
• Beef (1kg) – $7.32
• Tomato (1kg) – $1.58

As in most cases, these prices can differ from one location to the next. And the overall living expenses ( $500 to $700 ) can differ for individuals depending on their lifestyle. However, students living in school halls should expect to pay less per month.

Tuition Fees

The tuition fees vary from course to course hence, it is significant you check it out with the institution you wish to apply.

There is no fixed tuition for the various universities even though they are all public universities. Depending on the university and course of study, tuition can range from $5,000 to $10,000 per year. 

How to apply

The application process involves

• filling out a completed application
• submitting related paperwork (undergraduate transcripts)
• birth certificate
• 2 letters of recommendation, one from your school principal and another from a community leader for example)
• and doing an interview.

Kindly start sending your applications as early as January.

Student Visa and Requirements

Before you study in Cuba as an international student, you will need a student visa. Also, you need a passport which is valid for at least a period of six months from the date of entry. Three months before you arrive, you will be asked to supply your chosen university with: your full name, address, passport number, expiration date, date and place of birth, name of father and mother, planned residence time in Cuba, planned date of arrival in Cuba. 

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However if your total stay, including any vacation time, will exceed four weeks, when you arrive at your destination the Faculty will change your tourist card to a student visa. The conversion to a student visa costs 40 CUCs ($37.58) for four weeks. An extension for a longer period costs 25 CUCs ($24.05).

Admission Requirements

If you wish to study in Cuba, you have to satisfy these requirements;

• Be between 18 and 25 years of age when applying
• High school graduates or hold a bachelor’s (BS or BA) degree from your country of origin
• Without a criminal record and free from substance of abuse or addiction
• From a low-income or underserved communities
• Willing to abide by rules and regulations
• Able to pass admission test

***Note that much consideration is given to low-income applicants. 

Language Requirements

Since the country is a Spanish-speaking country, students must be fluent in the language. Students who cannot speak the language would be required to enroll for a 1-year intensive course in Spanish.

For more information on the admission requirements, kindly visit your university of choice’s website. The websites are written in Spanish, so you will have some knowledge of Spanish to navigate the websites or change the language to yours using the change language button at the top.

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List of Cheap Tuition Colleges and Universities in Cuba

• Agrarian University of Havana, Mayabeque
• Central University of Las Villas, Santa Clara
• Escuela Internacional de Educación Fisica y Deportes
• Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina
• Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences, Havana
• Instituto Superior de Arte, Havana
• Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas “Carlos J Finlay”, Camaguey
• Instituto Superior de Ciencias Medicas de La Habana
• Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de Santiago de Cuba
• Instituto Superior de Ciencias Medicas de Villa Clara, Santa Clara
• Instituto Superior de Diseño Industrial 
• Instituto Superior de Educación Física y Deportes “Comadante Manuel Fajardo”, La Habana
• Instituto Superior Minero Metalúrgico Dr. Antonio Núñez Jiménez, Moa
• Instituto Superior Pedagogico Enrique Jose Varona, Havana
• Instituto Superior Pedagógico “José de la Luz y Caballero” Holguín
• Polytechnic Institute “Jose Antonio Echevarria” (ISPJAE, commonly known as CUJAE)
• Universidad de Ciencias Pedagogicas Felix Varela, Santa Clara
• Universidad de Ciencias Pedagógicas “Héctor Alfredo Pineda Zaldívar”
• Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas (UCI)
• University of Artemisa
• University of Camagüey “Ignacio Agramonte”
• University of Ciego de Ávila
• University of Cienfuegos “Carlos Rafael Rodríguez”
• University of Granma (campus in Bayamo and Manzanillo)
• University of Guantanamo
• University of Havana
• University of Holguín “Oscar Lucero Moya”
• University of Las Tunas
• University of Matanzas “Camilo Cienfuegos”
• University of Pinar del Rio “Hnos Saíz Montes de Oca”
• University of Sancti Spiritus
• University of Santiago de Cuba (Universidad de Oriente)