Introduction.

Research skills (RS) represent a significant challenge for universities, as they constitute a fundamental pillar in the training and development of talent capable of successfully facing contemporary social challenges.

Objective.

To determine the differences between the level of research skills in students from public and private universities.

Methodology.

Quantitative, descriptive-comparative, cross-sectional, positivist paradigm. A 36-item Likert-type questionnaire, validated by RENACYT expert review, was used. The sample consisted of 220 students from a public university and 200 from a private university, after obtaining informed consent.

Results.

The RS in public university students showed a medium level (69.1%) and in private university students a high level (66.0%). The Mann-Whitney U test showed significant differences in all six dimensions (p-value 0.00), except for the technological domain (sig. 0.093).

Conclusions.

There are significant differences in the student body of both universities, demonstrating greater intellectual and personal development (IHD) in private universities. Recommendations: Strengthen IHD through programs linked to academic activities and professional training.