The Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) was founded on 12 August 1821 and describes itself as an autonomous and public higher education institution. Free tuition was established in the mid-20th century, alongside unrestricted access. UBA is governed by the University Assembly, the Rector and the Superior Council, which comprises the Rector, the deans of its 13 faculties and representatives of professors, graduates and students.
UBA states it has more than 330,000 students, more than 23,000 teaching staff and more than 13,400 non-teaching staff. It offers more than 110 undergraduate and more than 550 graduate programmes, and runs six secondary schools, five public hospitals and a veterinary teaching hospital. Ricardo Jorge Gelpi is Rector and Emiliano Yacobitti is Vice-Rector.