Universidad de El Salvador (UES)
At a glance
| Fact | Universidad de El Salvador |
|---|---|
| Name | Universidad de El Salvador (UES) |
| Founded | 16 February 1841 |
| Main campus | Ciudad Universitaria «Dr. Fabio Castillo Figueroa», Final Avenida Mártires Estudiantes del 30 de Julio, San Salvador |
| Regional centres | Santa Ana, San Miguel, San Vicente |
| Type | Public |
| Accredited (Ministry, 2024) | No |
| Students in 2024 | 56,397 (-1.0% on 2023) |
| Website | www.ues.edu.sv |
Source: Universidad de El Salvador: history; Ministry of Education: higher education statistics 2024, tables on pages 19, 28 and 29 (PDF, in Spanish)1,2
History
- 1841: founded on 16 February 1841. In its first decades it taught Law, Medicine and Theology; Engineering, the Social Sciences, the Humanities and the Natural Sciences came later.
- 1980 to 1992: during the civil war the campus was occupied by the military several times, the university says.
- Today: the university describes itself as the only public higher education institution in the country, with more than 60,000 students. The Ministry counted 56,397 in 2024.
Source: Universidad de El Salvador: history; Ministry of Education: higher education statistics 2024, tables on pages 19, 28 and 29 (PDF, in Spanish)1,2
Campuses and students
- 1 San Salvador Main campus; 35,899 students in the department of San Salvador in 2024
- 2 Santa Ana Regional centre; 9,379 students in the department of Santa Ana in 2024
- 3 San Miguel Regional centre; 8,832 students in the department of San Miguel in 2024
- 4 San Vicente Regional centre; 2,287 students in the department of San Vicente in 2024
| City (department) | Site | Students 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| San Salvador (San Salvador) | Main campus | 35,899 |
| Santa Ana (Santa Ana) | Regional centre | 9,379 |
| San Miguel (San Miguel) | Regional centre | 8,832 |
| San Vicente (San Vicente) | Regional centre | 2,287 |
Source: Ministry of Education: higher education statistics 2024, tables on pages 19, 28 and 29 (PDF, in Spanish)2
In 2024 the Universidad de El Salvador was number 1 of the 24 universities by enrolment, with 56,397 students, -1.0% on 2023. The Ministry counts students by the department where they study.2
Sources
- Universidad de El Salvador: history (in Spanish)
- Ministry of Education: higher education statistics 2024, tables on pages 19, 28 and 29 (PDF, in Spanish)
Facts checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information.