UC Chile University, Chile

Name: UC Chile University

Campuses: Multiple campuses located across Santiago, with main campuses in San Joaquín, Casa Central, and Lo Contador.

Highlights: Known for academic excellence and innovation, UC Chile ranks among the top universities in Latin America. It offers diverse programs across various fields and is recognised for its research contributions.

Student Population: Approximately 33,000 students, including a vibrant international student community.

Private/Public: Private

Website: UC Chile Official Site

2 places available.

Applicants must be in their second year and must return to LSE after the year abroad to complete their degree.

To be eligible for consideration, you must have an overall average of 60% or above from all of your first year courses. Applicants with individual module scores under 60% will be considered, as long as the overall average grade is 60% or above.

As part of your application, you must provide your marks from your first year modules at LSE and the name and contact details of one academic referee. Your referee can be any academic member of staff from your department at LSE.

Host Institution Requirements: Proficiency in Spanish is required for those taking courses in Spanish. Additional academic standing requirements may apply depending on the faculty or program.

Language of Instruction: English, with a selection of courses available in Spanish.

Available Courses: A broad range of courses offered. For detailed information, refer to the UC Chile Course Catalogue.

Academic Calendar: Semester-based, typically March - July (1st semester) and August - December (2nd semester).

Course Workload & Credit System: Standard course load per semester is approximately 30 UC credits.

Prerequisites: Some courses may have prerequisites or require departmental approval.

Grading System: Scale from 1.0 to 7.0, with a minimum passing grade of 4.0.

Support for Students with Disabilities (SEND): Accessibility for disabled students can vary between destinations. If you need extra support, the GO LSE team is available to help you explore the resources at your host institution. It’s also a good idea to discuss your needs with your Personal Tutor and LSE's Disability Service for further guidance.

UC Chile does NOT have its own university residences, please refer to UC Chile accommodation webpage for more information.

Cost of Living: Further information on the average monthly expenses include housing, food, and transportation can be found here.

Health Insurance Requirements: Health insurance coverage is mandatory for all international students.

Campus Safety: UC Chile has security personnel and systems in place across all campuses to ensure student safety.

Emergency Services & Procedures: Emergency protocols are communicated during orientation, with support and guidance provided through campus security.

UC Chile offers a variety of extracurricular activities for you to participate in during your stay. For more details, please refer to their web page.

Visa Requirements: Students must obtain a student visa before arrival.

Exchange Program Contact:

For inbound inquiries, contact the International Relations Office at UC Chile.

Email: intercambios@uc.cl

Please click here for a fill list of UC Chile social networks.

My year studying abroad in Chile has had a far greater impact on me than I could have expected. Before moving, I had little idea of what the country would be like, how the education system would operate, or what the people would be like. From the very beginning though, I have immersed myself in the culture by branching out to make friends from across the world, and soaking up the best of what Chile has to offer. The quality of the education at UC Chile is outstanding. I took classes across a variety of subjects, and found that every professor taught with enthusiasm and care. In one of my politics classes, a guest teacher was brought in from the US to lead the course. I found her to be a highly engaging professor, with brilliant insights and a strong desire to better her students. Furthermore, my professor of translation was hugely enthusiastic, often incorporating extra curricular material into the lessons which accentuated the quality of his classes. In my free time I explored much of Chile, and beyond into other parts of South America. Because of its geography, Chile offers a brilliantly broad range of landscapes. I checked out the Atacama desert in the north, where me and some friends experienced a stargazing tour. Just outside of Santiago are a few coastal towns with stunning beaches and lovely walkable streets with markets and street food to indulge in. Down south then is a beautiful collection of lakes, which are a definite must-see for students who head to Chile next academic year. As a student with little experience of Spanish, one of my greatest worries before moving was the language barrier. Though, Chilean students, and people in general, were hugely welcoming. There is a culture of strong family and community ties, which you really feel when you spend time with Chileans. Beyond this, student life in Santiago was great. As a major city, there are students from all corners of the globe who move to Santiago to study. Within the capital itself, there is so much on offer that one could never complain as a student. I would highly recommend studying at UC Chile.

By Charlie Tomalin-Reeves, GO LSE Student 2025/26

My semester in Chile reshaped how I see the world and myself. Stepping out of my comfort zone (by moving to a new country, living with a host family, learning a language from scratch) has turned out to be one of the most rewarding choices I've made. It pushed me in ways I didn't expect and helped me grow more confident in who I am. The best part was the people. Chileans welcomed me with a warmth and openness that made it easy to feel at home almost immediately. They were always eager to share their culture, their food, their language, and their stories, and that generosity shaped my entire experience. Living with a host family gave me a front-row seat to daily Chilean life, and from there I built friendships with people from all over the world. I'm especially proud of my progress in Spanish. I went from understanding only fragments to speaking fluently, and that shift opened up an entirely new world - not just in Chile, but across Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil, where I travelled and came away with an even deeper appreciation for Latin America's diversity. Volunteering with a local NGO has also shown me that struggles repeat across borders, but it also revealed how directly Chile's history (colonialism, dictatorship) shapes the inequalities people face today. My course on indigenous peoples and sustainability deepened that understanding, giving me a new lens on history, justice, and resilience. More than anything, this experience left me curious. It reminded me how many beautiful, diverse places and people there are still to learn from, and how much we can grow by listening to one another. I left Chile not just more fluent in Spanish, but more open, more curious, and more myself.

By Annie Taylor, GO LSE Student 2025/26