Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Valdivia

Located in southern Chile, Valdivia offers students an immersive academic experience in one of the country's most scenic and environmentally rich regions. Students enroll directly at the Universidad Austral de Chile, studying alongside Chilean peers in courses taught entirely in Spanish while participating fully in university life. Guided by the Middlebury Language Pledge, participants strengthen their language skills through daily engagement with classmates, host families, and the local community while gaining a deeper understanding of Chilean culture and society.

The Universidad Austral de Chile is one of the country's leading research universities and is especially recognized for its strengths in ecology, marine biology, forestry, environmental sciences, and the fine arts, while also offering a broad range of courses across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Situated on the picturesque Isla Teja between the Calle-Calle, Cruces, and Cau-Cau rivers, the university provides an exceptional learning environment that reflects Valdivia's close relationship with its surrounding natural landscapes.

Known for its rivers, parks, vibrant arts scene, and strong German influence, Valdivia is a welcoming university city where students experience a slower pace of life. The city's cafés, museums, public markets, and year-round cultural festivals offer abundant opportunities to practice Spanish beyond the classroom, while the surrounding forests, wetlands, and Pacific coastline make it an ideal destination for students interested in environmental studies and outdoor recreation. Together, the academic excellence of the Universidad Austral de Chile and Valdivia's distinctive cultural and natural setting create an outstanding environment for language immersion and intercultural learning.