The National Autonomous University of Mexico was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a secular institution. Its predecessor, the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, was founded in 1551 by royal decree and closed in 1865. The motto of the university is For my people the spirit shall speak.
The main campus, Ciudad Universitaria, is in the Coyoacán district of Mexico City, on Avenida Universidad, and covers about 7.3 square kilometres. The Central University City Campus was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007 under cultural criteria i, ii and iv. The campus also includes the Central Library and the National Library of Mexico.
In 2025 the university had 372,755 students, according to its statistics, although some sources give more than 324,000. Of these, 232,106 were undergraduates, 33,851 postgraduates and 106,087 high school students in 2023. It employs 43,156 academic staff. UNAM is organised in schools and colleges rather than departments, and about twenty schools offer undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Engineering, Law, Medicine, Sciences and Economics. Six national schools offer undergraduate degrees only.
The university also runs the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria and the Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, which provide the high school stage. It has 34 research institutes, 26 museums and 18 historic sites, so that it combines teaching with a large research and cultural programme.
All three Mexican Nobel laureates in the sources studied at UNAM: Alfonso García Robles, who received the Peace Prize in 1982, Octavio Paz, Literature in 1990, and Mario Molina, Chemistry in 1995. Alumni also include the businessman Carlos Slim, the President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum, the writer Carlos Fuentes and the filmmakers Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón. Fees are very low for most programmes. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in Spanish.
The Escuela Nacional Preparatoria and the Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades prepare high school students for university entry. Mario Molina received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for work on the ozone layer. The 26 museums and 18 historic sites open part of the heritage of the university to the public.
Domains taught:
Astroscience, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, 34 research institutes, 26 museums and 18 historic sites.
Research:
34 research institutes covering sciences, engineering, medicine, humanities and social sciences, with the National Library of Mexico on the campus.
Famous Alumnis:
Octavio Paz, Mario Molina, Alfonso García Robles, Carlos Slim, Claudia Sheinbaum, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
43156
Current students***:
372755
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Largest university in Mexico, UNESCO World Heritage campus, Nobel laureates among alumni, very wide range of degrees, public and low cost.
Cons
Very large and crowded, strikes and administrative delays have occurred, teaching in Spanish.
Best For
Students seeking Mexico’s largest public university, with an enormous range of degrees on a World Heritage campus.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Most Similar Schools Abroad
If this university is on your list for finance, chemistry and physics, Cairo University in Egypt deserves a comparison, because it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers agriculture and civil engineering as well.
Seen from abroad, University of Lisbon (Portugal) is a close relative on subject matter, since finance, chemistry and physics are central to both, and it covers agriculture and civil engineering as well, and is far smaller, with about 47,794 students against roughly 372,755 here.
Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) works on the same fields as this institution, chiefly finance, chemistry and physics; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is far smaller, with about 31,722 students against roughly 372,755 here.
Seen from abroad, Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) is a close relative on subject matter, since finance, chemistry and physics are central to both, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers microbiology and genetics as well.
For finance, astroscience and chemistry outside the home country, University of Cape Town in South Africa is a natural reference; it is also a public institution and also offers mba programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is UNAM?
Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria, is in Coyoacán, Mexico City.
When was it founded?
On 22 September 1910, by Justo Sierra.
What was its predecessor?
The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, founded in 1551 and closed in 1865.
What is its motto?
For my people the spirit shall speak.
How large is the campus?
About 7.3 square kilometres.
Is the campus a World Heritage site?
Yes, the Central University City Campus was inscribed by UNESCO in 2007.
How many students does it have?
372,755 in 2025, including 232,106 undergraduates.
How many research institutes does it have?
34, plus 26 museums and 18 historic sites.
Which Nobel laureates studied there?
Alfonso García Robles, Octavio Paz and Mario Molina.
What does it cost?
Fees are very low for most programmes. Check the current tariff.
Architecture, Astrophysics, Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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