The Universidad de Chile is an institution of higher education of national and public character, which assumes with commitment and vocation of excellence the formation of people and the contribution to the spiritual and material development of the Nation, building leadership in the innovative development of science and technology, humanities and arts, through its functions of teaching, creation, and extension, with special emphasis on research and postgraduate studies.

In the exercise of these functions, it promotes prepared, critical citizenship, with a social conscience and ethical responsibility, in accordance with the values of tolerance, pluralism and equity, intellectual independence and freedom of thought, as well as respect, promotion, and preservation of diversity in all areas of its work.

It is the oldest institution of higher education in the country and one of the most prestigious and traditional in Latin America, as evidenced by various national and international awards. At the national level, the Universidad de Chile receives in relative terms the largest number of students with the highest entrance scores, has an academic body of excellence, with high productivity in the scientific field and in artistic and cultural creation, and is permanently linked to reflection and action regarding national problems.