Top 10 Universities in Brazil 2018

The QS BRICS World University Rankings 2018, released today, sees Brazil claiming an impressive 61 of the 300 possible positions, including 16 in the top 100. The BRICS ranking has been released annually since 2013 and aims to showcase the top universities in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, five major developing economies which boast a large number of strong universities.

Read on to discover the 10 top universities in Brazil this year, including information on each university’s subject strengths in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, and how the institutions performed on a regional scale in the recently published QS Latin America University Rankings 2018.

1. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)

Overtaking Universidade de São Paulo to be the highest-ranked university in Brazil both in the QS BRICS World University Rankings 2018 and the QS Latin America University Rankings 2018, the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) is ranked 12^th in this year’s BRICS and second in Latin America.

Unicamp was founded in 1966 in São Paulo and is noted for its research, claiming around eight percent of Brazil´s articles in scientific journals. The university also features among the world’s best for 36 out of a possible 46 subjects in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, with positions in the global top 50 for agriculture & forestry and dentistry.

2. Universidade de São Paulo (USP)

Down three places to rank joint 13^th this year with Russia’s Saint-Petersburg State University, the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) is also ranked third in Latin America in 2018. USP is considered one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America and is the largest public university in Brazil, with around 95,000 students enrolled in 11 campuses.

It’s currently ranked among the world’s best for 41 subjects in the latest subject rankings, with top 50 positions for agriculture & forestry, law, architecture, art & design, mineral & mining engineering, sports-related subjects and more.

3. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) is ranked joint 31^st in this year’s BRICS ranking and is seventh in Latin America. Established in 1792 as the Royal Academy of Artillery, Fortification and Design, UFRJ is the oldest of these top universities in Brazil and now teaches more than 67,000 students. It’s mainly located in Rio de Janeiro, but has a presence in 10 other cities, and also owns a number of museums, hospitals and research centers.

4. Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho"

Established in 1976, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", also known as UNESP, is ranked 34^th in this year’s BRICS and 10^th in Latin America. In the BRICS ranking, it achieves one of the highest scores for its number of staff with a PhD, ranking 11^th out of the 300 institutions featured.

UNESP is made up of 24 campuses in São Paulo state, and is currently ranked among the world’s best for 17 subjects, including the top 100 for agriculture & forestry, dentistry, veterinary science and sports-related subjects.

5. Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP)

Next in our look at the top universities in Brazil in 2018 is Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP), which is up 10 places to rank 42^nd this year. It also received a similar rank (41^st) in the Latin America rankings in 2018. Founded in 1946, PUC-SP has nine colleges, 45 departments, 39 undergraduate courses and 28 postgraduate programs. As of the latest subject rankings, it’s currently in the global top 300 for both linguistics and modern languages.

6. Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) retains its position of 46^th in the BRICS ranking this year, and was also ranked 13^th in the QS Latin America University Rankings. Established in 1940, PUC-Rio is a private, non-profit Catholic university located in the Gávea district of Rio de Janeiro, in a pleasant area at the edge of the Tijuca National Forest, a stone’s throw from the beach. PUC-Rio is ranked internationally for 11 subjects, including the top 150 for philosophy.   

7. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Ranked joint 47^th in the BRICS, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) is up six places this year and is also placed joint 11^th in Latin America.  The largest public university in the country, UFMG educates around 49,000 students, and is free of charge. It was founded in 1927 and today offers 77 undergraduate courses and 80 postgraduate programs, with more than 900 research centers. UFMG appears in the latest subject rankings for 20 subjects, including the global top 50 for sports-related subjects.

8. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

The last of these top universities in Brazil to feature in the top 50 BRICS universities, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) is ranked 50^th in the BRICS ranking and 14^th in Latin America this year. As a public university, UFRGS does not charge tuition fees to its 33,200 students, although all students do need to sit a difficult exam, known as the vestibular exam, to gain admission. UFRGS is currently ranked for 23 subjects, including the top 100 for sports-related subjects.

9. Universidade de Brasilia (UnB)

The Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), the only university in this list located in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, is ranked 56^th in BRICS this year and 18^th in the Latin America ranking. UnB is a public institution with around 40,000 students in 26 faculties, and it also runs 18 specialized research centers across its four campuses. The university is currently ranked among the world’s best for 12 subjects, including the top 150 for agriculture & forestry and anthropology.

10. Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)

Concluding our look at the top universities in Brazil in 2018 is the Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), ranked 57^th in BRICS and 29^th in Latin America. Founded in 1968 as the first public university in São Paulo state, UFSCar has three campuses, with its main campus in the city of São Carlos, and currently has 24,825 students enrolled. Like other Brazilian universities, UFSCar achieved a top-100 position for sports-related subjects, and ranks among the world’s best for a further seven subjects.

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