Founded in 1982 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Universidad Núr was the first private university in Bolivia.
The univeristy provides 14 undergraduate majors and 21 postgraduate programmes. At the undergraduate level, students can choose from business administration, commercial engineering, marketing, systems engineering, financial engineering, public accounting, international relations, and law. The university also provides postgraduate master's degree programmes in business administration, international trade, public health, social development, and financial management.
The university has campuses in Santa Cruz and La Paz. Additionally, Universidad Núr operates remote centres that offer formal programmes through distance education. It also engages in social extension projects, collaborating with municipal governments, NGOs, and rural teachers.
Universidad Núr established the Puka Puka Centre, which was situated in an indigenous community. This centre employed a participatory curriculum-building process and focused on community development management. Full scholarships are offered to indigenous high school graduates from rural areas near Puka Puka.
Another unique initiative is the centre located in the Palmasola prison. The university offers a law programme within the prison, aiming to rehabilitate and reintegrate prisoners into society. This collaboration involves shared responsibility between the inmates, Universidad Núr, and the Catholic Church.
