Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) logo

Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)

Mexico City, MX · Ranking #801

Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) is a public university founded in 1936 in Mexico City under President Lázaro Cárdenas. Its motto is "La Técnica al Servicio de la Patria." It has 98 academic units (upper secondary, undergraduate, and graduate) and offers about 290 programs. The main campus is Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos (Zacatenco) in northern Mexico City; there are units across the city and the country. IPN is one of Mexico's largest public institutions, with over 171,000 students, and is strong in engineering, health sciences, and technology. It ranks second among Mexican public universities in the QS ranking. Teaching is in Spanish.

Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) logo

Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)

About the university

Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) is a public university founded in 1936 in Mexico City under President Lázaro Cárdenas. Its motto is "La Técnica al Servicio de la Patria." It has 98 academic units (upper secondary, undergraduate, and graduate) and offers about 290 programs. The main campus is Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos (Zacatenco) in northern Mexico City; there are units across the city and the country. IPN is one of Mexico's largest public institutions, with over 171,000 students, and is strong in engineering, health sciences, and technology. It ranks second among Mexican public universities in the QS ranking. Teaching is in Spanish.

Key information

  • Location: Mexico City, MX
  • Ranking #801
  • QS #801
  • THE #1501
  • National ranking #2
  • Institution type: public

Popular faculties

  • Medicine (Surgery and Obstetrics)
  • Automotive Systems Engineering
  • Dentistry
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Systems Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Biotechnology

Programs (29)

  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Pharmacy
  • Business Administration
  • Economics
  • Finance and Accounting
  • Marketing
  • Tourism and Hospitality
  • Law
  • Political Science
  • International Relations
  • Philosophy
  • History
  • Linguistics
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Mathematics
  • Environmental Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Anthropology
  • Education
  • Fine Arts
  • Music

Student body

  • Total students: 171,000
  • International students: 2%

Campus life

The main campus is Zacatenco (Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos). The Dirección de Actividades Deportivas offers 34 disciplines in six categories (team sports, combat, time-and-mark, racket, competitive art, physical culture). There is a free Residencia para Investigadores for visiting academics and students. No central dormitories for regular students; private housing and residencies exist near campus. SIBOLTRA (job bank) and units such as ESCOM manage vacancies and recruitment. The Feria del Empleo y Servicio Social brings together 150+ companies and government agencies with thousands of job and service placements. Environment is technical and professionally oriented.

Housing & accommodation

Housing cost: $90 - $900 / per month

Housing options

  • Residencia para Investigadores (free for visiting researchers/students on academic projects)
  • private student residences near Zacatenco
  • off-campus rental (rooms
  • apartments) in Gustavo A. Madero and nearby

Student clubs and organizations

  • Academic and cultural activities by unit; Dirección de Actividades Deportivas coordinates sports and culture

Sports

  • Volleyball
  • soccer (association
  • seven-a-side
  • rapid)
  • American football
  • baseball
  • basketball
  • boxing
  • karate
  • taekwondo
  • judo
  • swimming
  • athletics
  • cycling
  • triathlon
  • table tennis
  • tennis
  • chess
  • archery
  • crossfit

Career & internships

Employment rate: 90%

Partner companies

  • AstraZeneca
  • Huawei
  • Unilever
  • Yakult
  • General Motors
  • Indra Group
  • Novartis Farmacéutica
  • Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana

Internships: SIBOLTRA links students and graduates with employers; each school (e.g. ESCOM) publishes vacancies. The Feria del Empleo y Servicio Social (October, Zacatenco) brings 150+ companies and government agencies offering nearly 5,000 job vacancies and 1,500+ service social placements. Employers include AstraZeneca, Huawei, Unilever, Yakult, General Motors, Indra, Novartis, and federal agencies. The Departamento de Apoyo, Seguimiento y Vinculación de Egresados promotes graduate profiles. Internships and professional practice depend on the program; many degrees include compulsory social service.

Admission requirements

Required documents

  • Application and registration via admision.ipn.mx
  • admission exam (fee approx. 525 MXN)
  • high school or equivalent certificate
  • academic records; requirements vary by program and unit

Minimum GPA: 3.5

Tuition costs

  • $50 - $250 / per year
  • Acceptance rate: 25.00%
  • Scholarships available: IPN offers economic support for upper secondary (approx. 5,700 MXN) and higher education (approx. 6,600 MXN). International mobility: ProMAI (international) and ProMAN (national). Requirements: min. GPA 8.5, 50–80% of credits completed, English B1 (B2 for non‑Spanish-speaking destinations), no prior ProMAI/ProMAN participation. Support includes travel, insurance (10,000 MXN), and monthly stipend (e.g. 23,000 or 18,000 MXN for 16–31 days depending on block); max. 5 months. Other programs: PILA, PFL, KOSPIE. Contact: [email protected], DRI (Dirección de Relaciones Internacionales).

Quick facts

  • Founded: 1936
  • Teaching languages: Spanish, spanish
  • Study formats: offline

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