Universidad ORT Uruguay

Universidad ORT Uruguay is a private, not-for-profit university located inMontevideo, Uruguay, recognised by the Uruguayan Ministry of Education and Culture as a degree-granting university since 1996.

The institutionoriginated in 1942as a technical school and has evolved intoone of the country’s largest and most prestigious private universities. ORT is the Uruguayan member of World ORT, an international educational network founded in 1880, which brings together non-governmental, non-profit institutions committed to expanding educational opportunity worldwide.

The university’s mission is to contribute to national development through applied research, strong links with the productive and social sectors, and the training of trustworthy professionals capable of performing effectively in a knowledge-based society.

Its educational philosophy emphasises quality, innovation, and adherence to ethical standards in professional practice. Graduates are prepared to adapt to change with flexibility and critical thinking, to work effectively in teams and tooperate confidently in international environments.

Universidad ORT Uruguay offersmore than 90 programmesat undergraduate, postgraduate and technical levels across a broad range of disciplines, including Architecture, Engineering, Biotechnology, Management, Economics, International Relations, Design, Animation, Communication, Education, and Dermatology.

Academic activity is organised intofive faculties and two institutes: the School of Administration and Social Sciences, School of Engineering, School of Architecture, School of Communication, School of Design, Institute of Education and Institute of Dermatology.

The university hasover 16,000 students enrolled, with approximately 7% in postgraduate programmes, 54% in undergraduate degrees and 39% in vocational programmes (ISCED levels 5–8). Each year, more than 1,400 students graduate, and the average employment rate for graduates in recent years is above 97%.

The alumni communityexceeds 25,000 professionals, many of whom have created and lead their own companies or social enterprises. ORT employs more than 1,800 academic staff, including professors and researchers, a significant proportion of whom work in high-dedication regimes that combine teaching and research.

Teaching at ORT isstrongly practice-orientedand complemented by laboratory work, independent study, literature review and fieldwork. The university has invested heavily in laboratories and specialised facilities for information technologies, electronics, biotechnology, audiovisual production, design, construction, 3D printing and prototyping, as well as TV production and videoconferencing. Students and staff have access to two libraries with extensive print and audiovisual collections, together with a virtual library providing full-text access to international academic databases.

Entrepreneurship and innovation arecore elements of the institutional profile. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) functions as an innovation laboratory that brings together all academic areas, promoting entrepreneurial attitudes among students and graduates and supporting the creation of new ventures. ORT co-founded Ingenio, Uruguay’s first business incubator for IT and telecommunications, and operates incubation programmes and other initiatives that foster technology-based start-ups and industry collaboration.

The university ishighly internationalised. It maintains academic cooperation agreements withmore than 200 universities and organisationsaround the world, enabling student and staff exchanges, joint research and curriculum collaboration.

ORT is a member of leading international associations such as the International Association of Universities (IAU), the Unión de Universidades de América Latina y el Caribe (UDUALC) and the Asociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Postgrado (AUIP). At faculty level it holds memberships in organisations including AACSB, EFMD, PRME, the Business Graduates Association and several discipline-specific international networks.

Universidad ORT Uruguay iswidely recognised in international rankingsand accreditation schemes. It participates in the MERCOSUR Academic Quality Accreditation Mechanism (ARCU-SUR) for several of its degrees and holds international accreditation for its MBA from the Association of MBAs (AMBA).

In rankings produced by QS, the university is placedamong the top 800 universities globallyin the QS World University Rankings 2024, ranks 82nd in the QS World University Rankings: Latin America & The Caribbean 2024, and appears among the top 550 institutions worldwide for graduate employability. ORT and its programmes are also regularly recognised in Times Higher Education rankings (World University Rankings, Latin America Rankings and Impact Rankings), as well as in regional business-school and subject-specific rankings.

The institution operatestwo main campuses in Montevideo—Campus Centro and Campus Pocitos— which together provide nearly 30,000 m² of space dedicated to teaching, laboratories, studios, and student services. These campuses house modern classrooms equipped with advanced educational technologies, collaborative workspaces and dedicated areas for innovation and entrepreneurship. The university also offers HyFlex and online learning environments that extend access and flexibility for students across Uruguay and abroad.

As a non-profit, private university with astrong emphasis on science, technology, management and design, Universidad ORT Uruguay positions itself as an innovative, entrepreneurial and socially committed institution.

Its combination of high academic standards, strong industry links, international orientation and value-based education underpins its contribution to Uruguay’s human capital development and to the broader Latin American higher education landscape.