41 best universities in Brazil in 2026
Ranking based on the average of the three main global rankings: Shanghai (ARWU), Times Higher Education and QS.
Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Average rank: #125
No. 1Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
Brazil's largest university, founded in 1934 and consistently ranked first in Latin America.
No. 2Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
A leading Brazilian public university, founded in 1966, recognized worldwide for its research and patents.
No. 3Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
A multicampus public university in São Paulo State, present in around thirty cities.
No. 4Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
Brazil's first federal university, founded in 1920, a major research institution in Rio de Janeiro.
No. 5Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
A large federal university in Belo Horizonte, dating from 1927 and one of Brazil's very best.
No. 6Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
A major federal university in Porto Alegre, dating from 1895 and among Brazil's best.
No. 7Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)
A Jesuit university in Rio de Janeiro founded in 1940, renowned for excellence in law, engineering and computing.
No. 8Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)
A federal university in São Paulo, born from the famed Escola Paulista de Medicina, strong in health and sciences.
No. 9Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)
A federal university in Florianópolis, founded in 1960, renowned for engineering and marine sciences.
No. 10Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar)
A federal university in São Carlos, São Paulo State, founded in 1968, renowned for engineering and the exact sciences.
No. 11Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP)
A Catholic university in São Paulo, founded in 1946, renowned for its graduate programs in law, psychology and education.
No. 12Universidade de Brasília (UnB)
A federal university in Brazil's capital, founded in 1962, shaped by Anísio Teixeira and Oscar Niemeyer.
No. 13Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR)
Brazil's oldest university, founded in 1912 in Curitiba, tuition-free and multidisciplinary.
No. 14Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA)
A federal university in Lavras, Minas Gerais, founded in 1908 and a reference in agronomy and agricultural sciences.
No. 15Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA)
The largest university in Brazil's Northeast, founded in 1946 in Salvador, known for health, arts and humanities.
No. 16Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)
A federal university in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro State, founded in 1960, multicampus and strong in health and law.
No. 17Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)
A federal university in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, founded in 1926 and a national reference in agronomy and veterinary science.
No. 18Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG)
A federal university in Goiânia, founded in 1960, a pillar of higher education in central Brazil.
No. 19Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel)
A federal university in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, founded in 1969, known for agronomy and health.
No. 20Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC)
A federal university in Fortaleza, founded in 1954 and a major research institution in Brazil's Northeast.
No. 21Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF)
A federal university in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, founded in 1960, known for medicine and engineering.
No. 22Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)
A federal university in Natal, founded in 1958, among northeastern Brazil's largest research universities.
No. 23Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)
A Marist Catholic university in Porto Alegre, founded in 1948 and a leading research institution in southern Brazil.
No. 24Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUC-PR)
A Catholic university in Curitiba recognized nationally for its research output and its broad portfolio of master's and doctoral programs.