Berkley Center

In the 1940s, the Costa Rican government passed a series of laws that aimed to foment a greater quality of life for all citizens and guarantee their rights by law. The most powerful effects of this legislation were the creation of social security, a worker’s code, and perhaps the most famous societal element of this Central American nation: the abolition of the army. With this remarkable and progressive decision also came the establishment of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). Currently, UCR has approximately 40,000 students, and, despite its youth, it is one of the most prestigious universities in all of Latin America. Its founding marked the government’s official recognition of the right to acquire superior education if desired. The money that would have been used to support the military was instead invested in education at all levels. After decades of allocating funds to educational efforts throughout the country, it is now possible to travel around Costa Rica and find well-established public schools (including universities) in all seven provinces. The education offered in some rural areas in Costa Rica is not always of the same caliber due to geographic isolation, harsh climates, and poor infrastructure, but the government is working to improve these conditions and provide better educational opportunities in nearby communities. What is certain is that education is one of this developing nation’s main priorities and has been for decades.

The University of Costa Rica’s main campus is located in the highly-developed San José province, but there are smaller campuses located throughout the country. There are four other public universities and over fifty private universities from which Costa Rica’s small population of 4.8 million can choose, but UCR is still the most highly-esteemed and attended. As an “Education, Inquiry and Justice” minor and pacifist, I am very attracted to Costa Rica’s education system. Although the locals often criticize the secondary education here, they laud the university system. Perhaps the most alluring aspect of UCR is its tuition fee. Having grown up in the United States, where education can cost an arm and a leg without scholarships or federal financial aid, I was blown away by the figures. On average, UCR students spend approximately US$400–600 per year on tuition! I wondered how it could be possible that students attending such a high-quality university could receive a year’s worth of education for what many American students would pay just for textbooks. An interesting fact is that the Costa Rican constitution includes an entire chapter on education and its value, while nothing similar appears in the US constitution. The United States is also remarkably more capitalist and developed than socially-inclined Costa Rica. Our government allocates hundreds of billions of dollars, or about one fifth of the federal budget, to the Department of Defense, whereas a mere 3 percent is invested in education.

Skeptical Americans might argue that the reason a university education in Costa Rica is so cheap is that the quality of education is poor when compared to that of the average American university. After being in classes for four weeks, I must disagree. The professors at UCR are very qualified, all possessing or currently working towards master’s and/or Ph.D. degrees. The classroom environment is stimulating and challenging, and the students are given more freedom and respect than they might receive at a typical American university. For example, on the first day of classes, professors must go through the syllabus with their students and ask them if the assignments seem unfair or if they would like to modify anything before moving on. I personally have never been given this opportunity in the United States, so it came as a pleasant surprise. Moreover, there is something called Semana Universitaria (University Student Week) in which professors are not allowed to assign homework. In the intense workaholic culture of the United States, I cannot imagine this happening. But to be honest, my classes at the UCR do not seem very different from those I have taken at Georgetown. UCR offers over 100 majors, master’s degree and doctoral programs, research and volunteer opportunities, and a plethora of extracurriculars. The student body is generally much happier and less stressed, and in a learning environment, this is important. One thing for sure is that education is clearly linked to Costa Rica’s prosperity, as it boasts levels of human development that are comparable with those of countries with much higher GDPs. I can only imagine that the system will keep improving with time.