Universities & Courses in Brazil

Your guide to finding the best universities and courses in Brazil tailored to your academic and career goals.

Finding a University or Course

Use these free government lists to check any university before you apply.

Lists to check

Free government lists

e-MEC (Brazil's list of approved universities and courses): Check that the Ministry of Education (MEC, Brazil's government office for education) has approved a bachelor's course.
Plataforma Sucupira (a website of CAPES, the government body for graduate study): The list of master's and PhD courses that the government has checked and approved.
PEC-G course list (Ministry of Foreign Affairs): The bachelor's courses and places offered to PEC-G students each year.

Tips for Students from India and Pakistan

Check the language of each course. The UNICAMP Vestibular (entrance exam) is only in Portuguese.

For a master's or PhD, read the programme's notice. It lists the papers you must send and the dates.

Types of Higher Education Institutions

Brazil has public and private institutions.

Public universities

Federal and state universities. Tuition is free.

Key Characteristics:

Free tuition.
Entry tests mostly in Portuguese; PEC-G for foreign students.

Best For:

Students who want free tuition

Examples:

University of São Paulo (USP)State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)

Note for International Students:Public universities charge no tuition.

Degrees in Brazil

Brazil has first degrees (graduação) and graduate degrees (master's and PhD).

First degree (graduação)

Common Examples

Bacharelado (bachelor's)
Licenciatura (teaching degree)
Tecnólogo (technology degree)

Students from India and Pakistan can get a free place through PEC-G, in all fields of study.

Master's (mestrado)

PEC-PG monthly payment up to 24 months

Common Examples

Academic master's
Professional master's

You need a bachelor's degree. Each programme runs its own selection.

PhD (doutorado)

PEC-PG monthly payment up to 48 months

Common Examples

Full PhD
Direct PhD (offered by some programmes, such as Chemical Engineering at the University of São Paulo, Lorena campus)

Each programme runs its own selection.

Academic Calendar

Two semesters a year.

First semester

You can start PEC-G and PEC-PLE here (PEC-PLE is a free first year of Portuguese in Brazil)

Second semester

You can start PEC-G here, and some master's and PhD programmes too

Two Well-Known Public Universities

Examples of large public universities in São Paulo state.

University of São Paulo (USP)

São Paulo (Butantã campus) and other campuses | Public university

Highlights

Free student housing at CRUSP (the USP student housing), about 1,600 places, for students who need money help.
A student meal costs BRL 2 (Brazilian real).

State University of Campinas (UNICAMP)

Campinas, São Paulo state | Public university