The U.S. company Laureate Education has bought two private universities in Costa Rica.

Universidad Latina and Universidad Americana, both based in San José, will join Laureate's network of more than 35 campus-based and online universities in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Universidad Latina, with more than 16,000 students, is recognized for its health sciences programs, including medicine and dentistry, according to a Laureate press release.

More than 4,000 students attend Universidad Americana, which specializes in business education. The two schools have a total of 13 campuses throughout the country.

Laureate spokeswoman Debra Epstein would not disclose how much the company paid for the two schools.