Since few years ago, the knowledge about free software and open source software has been extended to a bigger percentage of population. One of the groups that can obtain many benefits from this type of software is the university, due to its special characteristics. This paper shows the different meanings of 'free software and the type of licenses that can be used. Later, we will analyse the deep rate of free software in the University in the last two years, as well as the main inputs and benefits of using free software. Finally, we will analyze some alternatives to proprietary software and we will give some migration experiences. We hope that this paper will serve as a state of the art of free software and open Source in the Universities.