Central American University, San Salvador

José Simeón Cañas Central American University

Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas
Seal of UCA El Salvador
Other name	La UCA
Motto	Universidad para el Cambio Social (Spanish)
Motto in English	University for Social Change
Type	Private Catholic Research Non-profit Coeducational Higher education institution
Established	1965; 59 years ago (1965)
Religious affiliation	Catholic Church (Society of Jesus)
Academic affiliations	AUSJAL
Endowment	m
Rector	Mario Cornejo, S.J.
Academic staff	421
Students	8,993
Location	Antiguo Cuscatlán , El Salvador
Campus	Urban, 38 acres (15 ha)
Colors	Black, white, blue
Mascot	Owl
Website	www.uca.edu.sv

José Simeón Cañas Central American University (Spanish: Universidad Centroamericana "José Simeón Cañas"), also known as UCA El Salvador, is a private Catholic university with nonprofit purposes in Antiguo Cuscatlán, El Salvador. It is operated by the Society of Jesus.

UCA was founded on September 15, 1965, at the request of a group of Catholic families who appealed to the Salvadoran government and the Society of Jesus in order to create a university as an alternative to the University of El Salvador, becoming the first private institution of higher education in the country.^[1] The Jesuits also run Central American University in Nicaragua (UCA Managua), opened in 1960.