Ever wonder where Latin America’s most brilliant minds are shaped?

The Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, located in the Peruvian capital of Lima, is widely considered the oldest continuously operating university in the Western Hemisphere.

Founded in 1551, for nearly 500 years the so-called “Dean University of the Americas” has been a center for academic research and study. Peru’s sole Nobel Laureate, Mario Vargas Llosa, even graduated from the university in 1958.

Even setting aside the rich education systems of pre-colonial civilizations such as the Inca and Aztec empires, Latin America has a strong tradition of higher learning. Some of the region’s top universities – such as the USP – Universidade de São Paulo, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and University of Buenos Aires – are among the 100 best universities worldwide.

Others, like Colombia’s incredible Universidad de Los Andes or the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, have served as historical breeding grounds for presidents and political leaders who have then carried their countries through the decades.

From leading the way in cutting-edge research and development to bridging the gap between diverse communities, higher education today serves as one of the best tools for Latin American countries to progress and develop equitably.

However, in order for universities to reach their highest potential and attract countries’ best and brightest students, it’s vital to keep up the focus from state and federal governments. Schools such as the University of Buenos Aires or Federal University of Rio de Janeiro have reached their current positions owing to an expanding mission of widening access to students from marginalized groups—one thing that might explain why the percentage of Latin Americans with a tertiary education has skyrocketed in recent decades.

Growing opportunities for citizens young and old to pursue a better life through these universities doesn’t come cheap. However, if Nobel Prizes and world-changing inventions and great works of art are any indication, it’s worth every penny.