These are large institutes that offer a broad range of degrees at different levels, beginning with a 4 year bachelor’s degree, followed by a 2 year licenciatura (a level of higher education completed after a bachelor’s degree and before a master’s degree, which does not have an equivalent in the U.S. higher education system), followed by a 2 year maestría (master’s degree) and finally a 4-6 year doctorado (doctorate degree). Universities may be public or private. Some examples of this type of university would be the Universidad de Costa Rica (University of Costa Rica) and the Universidad Técnica Nacional (National Technical University). Another type of higher education institution would be the equivalent to a technical or vocational college in the U.S. These institutions have programs that last about 2 years, after which some students choose to join the job market, or they may choose to transfer to a university to finish a bachelor’s degree. These technical institutions offer courses in trades such as mechanics, electricity, auto shop, beauty and cosmetics, graphic design, and English, among others. An example of this type of institution is the Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (National Learning Institute).
There are also organizations that coordinate and streamline coursework in higher education in Costa Rica. For example, the Consejo Nacional de Rectores (National Council of Rectors) or CONARE, represents public universities.
