According to recent international studies, The National University of Costa Rica ranks 85th in Latin America and 1576th in the world [citation needed].

Uladislao Gámez Solano, The Minister of Public Education under the government of José Figueres Ferrer, approved the creation of the university on 15 February 1973, through law #5182.

This phase is defined as the "Universidad Necesaria" and laid the foundation for an institution that serves the underprivileged in Costa Rica and offers access to a superior education for all.

(OVSICORI) has an international team of seismologists and volcanologists that is dedicated to research of volcanoes, earthquakes and other tectonic processes in Costa Rica, which is located in the Central America Volcanic Arc.

On February 25, 2014, A webcam from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) captured the moment a dark cloud exploded about 1,000 feet in the air from a massive crater of the Poás Volcano.