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Top Universities in Latin America 2015: USP Vs Unicamp
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Top Universities in Latin America 2015: USP Vs Unicamp
By Laura Bridgestock
Updated March 20, 2018 Updated March 20, 2018Click here to view a more recent version of this article.
This year’s QS University Rankings: Latin America sees the top two spots claimed by Brazilian rivals Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). Both have improved their positions by one place this year, pushing 2014’s leading institution – the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile – into third place. So how do these top two Brazilian universities compare, and what makes them the region’s higher education leaders?
As the table below shows, the two are closely matched in all of the seven indicators assessed in the QS University Rankings: Latin America. Each is rated among the region’s top 10 by both academics and employers, and they’re among Latin America’s most significant players online, reflected in their leading scores for “web impact”, based on the Webometrics ranking.
These are also Latin America’s two leading producers of research (in terms of papers published per faculty member), and high research production rates are supported by high proportions of staff members with a PhD or equivalent.
However, both USP and Unicamp have yet to see high publication rates translate into equally high levels of research impact (assessed by measuring citations per paper via Scopus). And while their faculty members are well-qualified, the ratio of full-time academic staff members to students enrolled is a relative weak point for both institutions.
Comparison based on the QS University Rankings: Latin America 2015
Universidade de São Paulo
(USP)
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
Academic reputation
2nd
6th
Employer reputation
4th
10th
Faculty/student ratio
94th
122nd
Papers per faculty
2nd
1st
Citations per paper
43rd
52nd
Staff with a PhD
2nd
3rd
Web impact
1st
6th
Overall ranking
1st
2nd
Compare more of the top universities in Latin America >
Subject strengths
Both of these two top universities in Latin America are well-ranked among the world’s best institutions across an impressive range of subjects. In the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, USP features in 35 out of 36 tables, while Unicamp is ranked in 25 disciplines. They’re relatively equally matched in many areas, sharing several key strengths – both are ranked among the world’s top 20 for dentistry, and the top 30 for agriculture and forestry.
USP also stands out among the world’s top 50 universities for philosophy, architecture, civil and structural engineering, pharmacy and pharmacology and veterinary science, while Unicamp claims a further top-50 placing for electrical and electronic engineering.
Comparison based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015
Universidade de São Paulo
(USP)
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
Arts & humanities
Art & design
51-100
51-100
English language & literature
201-250
--
Geography
51-100
101-150
History
51-100
51-100
Linguistics
101-150
51-100
Modern languages
51-100
51-100
Philosophy
37
51-100
Engineering & technology
Architecture
33
--
Chemical engineering
51-100
51-100
Civil & structural engineering
47
151-200
Computer science
51-100
51-100
Electrical & electronic engineering
51-100
47
Mechanical, aeronautical & manufacturing engineering
51-100
51-100
Life sciences & medicine
Agriculture & forestry
24
30
Biological sciences
101-150
151-200
Dentistry
12
17
Medicine
101-150
201-250
Pharmacy & pharmacology
46
51-100
Psychology
101-150
--
Veterinary science
36
--
Natural sciences
Chemistry
51-100
51-100
Earth & marine sciences
51-100
--
Environmental sciences
51-100
51-100
Materials sciences
51-100
101-150
Mathematics
51-100
51-100
Physics & astronomy
51-100
101-150
Social sciences
Accounting & finance
51-100
--
Business & management
51-100
--
Communication & media studies
51-100
--
Development studies
--
--
Economics & econometrics
101-150
--
Education
51-100
101-150
Law
51-100
--
Politics & international studies
51-100
101-150
Sociology
51-100
51-100
Statistics
51-100
101-150
Location
Both are large public universities, though the Universidade de São Paulo is significantly the larger of the two, with more than 70,000 students enrolled compared toapproximately 25,000 at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas.
While both are located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, their respective locations offer distinct settings. USP’s main campus is within the center of São Paulo – Brazil’s largest city, and one of the most populous urban areas on the planet. The city comes with a warning for newcomers: expect to be overwhelmed at first! But its vast size is accompanied by a huge array of venues and activities, with cultural and recreational scenes to rival those anywhere in the world.
While most of the university’s facilities are based in central São Paulo, USP also has branches spread across the state, including campuses in Bauru, São Carlos, Lorena, Piracicaba, Pirassununga, Ribeirão Preto and São Sebastião.
Unicamp, as its name suggests, is based in the city of Campinas, around 100km to the north-west of São Paulo city center. Much smaller than São Paulo, Campinas nonetheless offers a full spectrum of urban activities, including several major theatres; dozens of galleries, museums and other cultural venues; and a number of sports stadiums.
So, USP or Unicamp: which would you choose – and why?
This article was originally published in June 2015 . It was last updated in March 2018
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The former editor of TopUniversities.com, Laura oversaw the site's editorial content and student forums. She also edited the QS Top Grad School Guide and contributed to market research reports, including 'How Do Students Use Rankings?'
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