Cut scores by career
What ICFES score do you need to study Civil Engineering in Colombia?
Civil Engineering cut scores change from one university to the next, and so does the rule: some admit on your global Colombian ICFES Saber 11 score, others weight the areas, and others run their own exam. Here is the data for 8 universities, split by system.
Short answer
For Civil Engineering, cut scores run from 280 to 390 out of 500 at universities that admit on your global Colombian ICFES Saber 11 score. The rest weight the exam areas or run their own entrance exam, so the number you need depends on where you apply.
Universities admitting on your global ICFES score
These universities select directly on the global Colombian ICFES Saber 11 score, on a 0–500 scale. They are the only figures on this page you can compare to each other.
| University | City | Historical cut | Scale | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Univalle | Cali | 372 | 0–500 | 2025 |
| Uninorte | Barranquilla | 360–390 | 0–500 | 2025–2026 |
| U. Distrital | Bogotá | 280–350 | 0–500 | 2024–2026 |
Universities that weight the ICFES areas
Here your global score decides nothing. Each university assigns a weight to every Saber 11 area and computes its own score, almost always on a 0–100 scale. Two students with the same global score can land far apart depending on how their points were spread.
| University | City | Historical cut | Scale | Period | See detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UIS | Bucaramanga | 67–74.8 | 0–100 | 2015–2026 | See detail |
| U. de Cartagena | Cartagena | 67–68 | 0–100 | 2025-2 | See detail |
Universities with their own entrance exam
At these universities the ICFES is a graduation requirement, not the entry filter: admission is decided by their own exam. The scores below come from that exam, not from Saber 11.
| University | City | Historical cut | Scale | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNAL Manizales | Manizales | 680–700 | 500–900 | 2024–2025 |
| UNAL Bogotá | Bogotá | 579 | 500–900 | 2025 |
| UdeA | Medellín | 65–66 | 0–100 | 2025-1 |
Frequently asked questions
For Civil Engineering, cut scores run from 280 to 390 out of 500 at universities that admit on your global Colombian ICFES Saber 11 score. The rest weight the exam areas or run their own entrance exam, so the number you need depends on where you apply.
No. A cut score is the last admitted applicant's score in that round, so it moves every semester with how many people apply and how well they do. Aim above the highest Civil Engineering cut you see, not right at the number.
It depends on how the university admits. Where they select on the global score, landing below that round's cut leaves you out. Where they weight the areas, a low global score can be offset if you did well in the areas that matter most for Civil Engineering. And where there is an own exam, Saber 11 only qualifies you to sit it.
Is your score enough for Civil Engineering?
Work out your global Saber 11 score from your five area results and compare it against the cuts on this page. It takes under a minute and needs no account.