The Latin American Universities Fueling a Nearshore Boom

The world economy seems to be speeding towards a digital-dominated world. Yet one problem that has been acerbated is the thinness of professionals – the weight of the talent pool not individual professionals! 

Technical skills, competencies with digital tools, familiarity with remote work – all are needed to elevate the level of digital work. And aiding in this leveling-up process is the university. 

More specifically, universities across Latin America are sidestepping infrastructural challenges and are cultivating pools of tech talents. 

This has had a sizeable impact on business in North America. More specifically, it has spurred a boom in nearshoring, with regional talent pools filtering into a sea of tech supply for businesses in the US. 

So, what and where are these universities in Latin America? Let’s take a look at some of the best. 

Argentina 

Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) 

Four out of five of Argentina’s Nobel Prize winners were graduates of the University of Buenos Aires, as well as 17 of their presidents. According to the 2022 QS rankings, UBA is in 8th place in Latin America, and 69th worldwide.  

With the same size as a bustling city (with 328,000 students) it is one of the largest universities in the world, and the largest in South America. It is at the forefront of regional tech teaching – in engineering, systems analysis, data science, and computer science. 

Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN) 

The campus of UTN stretches across the whole country, offering courses that include business management and systems engineering, in addition to courses such as UX design, both at an undergrad and postgrad level. 

Major digital players such as Mercado Libre, the region’s answer to eBay, tap into the top tech talent from UTN, as well as companies such as Globant. 

Chile 

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile 

One of the slower-growing nearshoring markets in the region – likely due to its already more advanced level of integration of nearshoring practices – yet its universities continue to develop leading talent in the region. 

Its QS ranking is impressive; it is the leading university in Latin America and offers courses such as software engineering, information systems and computing – the core ingredients for sustained digital growth. 

Colombia 

Universidad Nacional de Colombia 

Colombia is one of the more booming nearshoring destinations, helped by strong educational institutions such as UNC, which is the leading light for technology studies. 

Its degrees range from applied mathematics and computer science to computer systems engineering. 

Universidad de Los Andes 

This university, which was established only in 1948, is one of the leading institutes to provide tech companies. They offer degrees in systems engineering and software engineering as well as specialized courses fitted to the needs of data-driven companies. 

Its history in the QS rankings regularly sees it in the top 5 within Latin America. 

Costa Rica 

Universidad de Costa Rica 

Costa Rica is a high tech-exporting country and a lot of that is channeled through the university. Its School of Computer Science and Informatics acts as a reference for those companies that are in search of software engineers and app developers.  

According to the current QS rankings, the Universidad de Costa Rica sits in 20th place within Latin America. 

Mexico 

Tecnológico de Monterrey 

This private university has 25 campuses all across the country and is dedicated to degrees to prepare students for business and technology. Tec students are also known for their bilingual capabilities. 

Their courses cover everything from software engineering and computer sciences to applied artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. In addition, it often ranks within the top 5 in Latin America as well as the global top 200. 

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