The Costa Rica Institute of Technology, (Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica), also known as "ITCR" or "TEC", is a public educational institute in Cartago, Costa Rica. The Institute is one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Central America. Its mission is: "Contributing to the integral development of the country, by means of the formation of human resources, research and extension; keeping the scientific-technical leadership, the academic excellence and the strict attachment to the ethical, environmental and humanists norms, from a state university perspective of quality and competitiveness at national and international level". The ITCR is a national autonomous institution of higher education, dedicated to the teaching, research and extension in technology and associated sciences aimed at the development of Costa Rica. It was created by Law No. 4777 on June 10, 1971. Its main campus is in Cartago, 24 km east of the capital San José. The ITCR offers both undergraduate and graduate studies in a wide range of fields, including engineering (construction, industrial production, electronics, industrial maintenance), computer science and business management.