Organization

According to the constitution, all Venezuelans have the right to an education, and thus in principle all public institutions are free. There are 120 public and private universities throughout the country. The education budget amounts to 16.6% of the total national budget.
The higher education establishments include universities, institutes, university schools, and Institutes of Technology.
According to the CNU (Consejo Nacional de Universidades www.cnu.gov.ve) 61.34% of students are enrolled in public institutions and 38.66% are enrolled in private institutions.
The studies are organised according to credits, units and "prelaciones". Credits correspond to academic abilities, units are more for personal and practical abilities. The "prelaciones" are for the compulsory subjects in order to continue with the degree program.

University calendar:
the university year starts in the first week of October and finishes mid-July. This calendar varies according to the university which can choose between a quarter, a semester or an annual system.
The university calendar can also be in relation to the study program, for example, the first level of studies at the Metropolitana University start on October 2nd and finish on March 5th, and the second and third level of studies start on September 2nd and finish January 8th.