Equipo ViaParaguay
Universidad Central del Paraguay (UCP) plans a University District in Asunción's Historic Center, the founding heart of the capital. The first stage is scheduled for February 2027, with the move of the Medicine program, and the full build-out runs through 2032. For students, it means a university offering in the middle of the city; for residents, an area that today has just over 300 inhabitants and projects about 1,500 by 2027; and for investors, a platform looking for property owners willing to offer their units as student housing. The figures below are UCP projections.
What UCP is
According to its official website, Universidad Central del Paraguay was created by Law No. 3,153 of 2006, and in 2018 CONES (the National Council of Higher Education, the body that authorizes universities in Paraguay) approved and licensed it. It now has 27 licensed programs, branches in Pedro Juan Caballero (on the Brazilian border) and Ciudad del Este, and 12 online programs; the newest are Banking and Finance and Personnel Management.
Programs moving to Asunción
According to ABC Color (June 23, 2026), CONES approved moving all of UCP's programs from Pedro Juan Caballero to a campus in Asunción, Medicine included. The Pedro Juan Caballero campus is being closed, and the offering there returns from 2027, under permanent CONES oversight.
Medicine: what to know
UCP's Medicine program is in person and lasts 6 years. It does not hold ANEAES accreditation (the National Agency for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education); according to UCP, it is awaiting external peer evaluation. If you are Brazilian and weighing Medicine in Paraguay, read our guide on Brazilians, Medicine and revalidation, and for the broader picture, studying in Asunción and surrounding areas.
The University District: what is planned
According to Forbes Paraguay and Revista PLUS (press release of September 30, 2026), the project anticipates about 1,000 students per year and an investment of US$ 20 million of its own over 3 years and close to US$ 200 million over 5 years, attributed to UCP. PLUS says UCP "promotes the creation" of the University District within "Asunción 500 Years," the program leading up to the city's 500th anniversary, and mentions some 5,000 foreign students, mostly Brazilian. PLUS projects growth from just over 300 residents in the area to about 1,500 by 2027.
UCP's vice-rector said the aim is not "an isolated faculty" but an ecosystem with housing, shops, dining and services.
The DU platform and property owners
According to the DU's official brochure (du.com.py), it is a brand and platform separate from UCP, born from "a group of businesspeople, among them UCP's vice-rector." It is organized around four pillars: Live, Connect, Recover and Invest. The DU recruits property owners who want to offer their unit as student housing and proposes the "Sello Dorm validado," an in-house standard of 10 criteria with no external body certifying it. The digital platform is shown on screens described as "conceptual, not final": it is not yet a working product.
The Old Town tax incentive
The municipal ordinance "Equilibrio Tributario," in force since 2026, provides a property-tax reduction of "up to 52%" for the old town (zone U16), according to La Nación (October 10, 2025) and ABC Color (October 15, 2025).
Why this matters to you
If you plan to study in Asunción, the project adds an option in the center, with Medicine the first program to arrive. If you want to live near the university, look at the neighborhoods of Asunción by type, price and profile. And if you are weighing an investment, the guide to real estate investment in Asunción compares five zones. For specific questions, reach us through contact.