Mexico's public universities start 2026 with a mere 2% budget increase from 2025, insufficient to offset inflation and a 50,400 million peso deficit. The National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) warns that this could worsen financial imbalances and lead to a 'reprivatization' of higher education. Key institutions like UNAM and IPN receive specific allocations, but student enrollment growth is not matched by funding.
Mexico's public universities are grappling with a challenging financial outlook in 2026, with a higher education budget of 218,160.2 million pesos, marking a 2% increase from the previous year. This adjustment fails to account for the GDP deflator (4.8%) or the 3.5% consumer price inflation, exacerbating a 50,400 million peso deficit.
ANUIES, headed by Luis González Placencia, notes that state public universities see only a 1.8% rise. "This situation can lead to a phenomenon I compared to 'reprivatization', in the sense that by ceasing to support public education, private institutions gain ground," warned González Placencia.
The budget is allocated across various administrative branches, such as SEP's Ramo 11, covering UNAM (53,748.5 million pesos) and IPN (22,977.7 million pesos, up 2.9%). Prior discrepancies were addressed, including 329 million for IPN and 4,371 million for the University of Guadalajara.
From 2018 to 2025, public higher education enrollment grew 16.3%, yet subsidies fell by 2%. This forces institutions to pass costs to families, compounded by pensions and retirements accounting for up to 50% of payroll. In December 2025, rectors met with SHCP to discuss issues, but planned working groups remain unestablished.
The General Law on Higher Education mandates real and increasing increments, factoring in human resources and infrastructure, but these were not applied in the Federal Expenditures Budget.
