At the End of the Six-Year Term There Will Be 350,000 New Places for Undergraduate Studies, Sheinbaum Says

ByEmir Olivares and Alonso Urrutia

This article by Emir Olivares and Alonso Urrutia originally appeared in the October 12, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Mexico City. President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stated that during her six-year term undergraduate enrollment will be expanded by 350,000 places, a figure equivalent “to three National Autonomous Universities of Mexico.”

Reiterating that education “is the best tool against violence,” the head of the Executive highlighted that her administration will build new high schools and universities in order to guarantee that all young people of age to pursue those studies can do so in public, quality institutions.

“Next year we are going to build more high schools and universities,” she said at this Monday’s mañanera. She said this will be done with new high school and technological campuses, as well as the expansion of existing high schools and converting middle schools that have no afternoon shift into high schools.

To this, she noted, will be added the Margarita Maza high school, “which is a new educational model,” and the strengthening of the telebachilleratos (distance high schools), “to be part of the national community high school system, because they have a very community-based vision.”

In the case of university campuses, the president specified that more places are being opened at the Technological University of Mexico, the National Polytechnic Institute and other public universities in the country.

Likewise, she noted, the push will continue for the Benito Juárez Universities for Well-Being, created during the term of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the Rosario Castellanos National University, a concept launched by the president.

The goal is to have more than 350,000 additional places by the end of the six-year term; that would be like three National Autonomous Universities of Mexico in undergraduate students.

President Claudia Sheinbaum

However, it is worth noting that according to UNAM statistics, the number of undergraduate students at that institution for this school year is 231,327 enrolled students.

On another note, the president highlighted the housing program her government has undertaken, which she said will benefit 12 million families with loans, modifications of these, deed registration, among others.

“It is a historic housing access policy. Go around the world and see where there is another program like this one.”