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Best universities in Latin America 2023

Explore the best universities in Latin America from data collected by Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings

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July 4 2023
Best universities in Latin America

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Top 10 universities in Latin America 2023

Latin America Rank 2023 Latin America Rank 2022  University Country/region World University Rank 2023
1  1  Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Chile 401–500
2  2  University of São Paulo Brazil 201–250
3  3  University of Campinas Brazil 401–500
4  5  Monterrey Institute of Technology Mexico 801–1000
5  4  Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Brazil 601–800
6  8  Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil 601–800
7  9  Federal University of Minas Gerais Brazil 801–1000
8  10  Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) Brazil 801–1000
9  7  University of Chile Chile 1001–1200
10  12  Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Brazil 1001–1200

If you are looking to study at one of the top universities in Latin America, heading to Brazil might be your best bet, based on the results of the 2023 Times Higher Education Latin America University Rankings. The country has an impressive 65 universities in the ranking.

The 2023 ranking includes 197 institutions in 15 countries. 

Even though Brazil is the most-represented country in the ranking, the top university for the fourth consecutive year is the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Brazil’s University of São Paulo comes second.

Colombia is another good choice for students looking to study in Latin America, with 36 universities in the ranking. Other countries with a strong presence include Chile (32 universities) and Mexico (24).  

The rest of the top five comprises the University of Campinas (ranked third), the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ranked fourth) and Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) in fifth position.

The Latin America University Rankings uses the same methodology as THE’s World University Rankings, but some of the indicators have been recalibrated to reflect the profile of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean. The full methodology can be found here.

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1. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is one of six private Catholic universities in Chile and one of two pontifical universities in the country.

Founded in 1888, the university originally taught law, mathematics, legal sciences and physical sciences. However, the course catalogue has since expanded to include subjects such as theology, philosophy, commerce and technology.

Four of the university’s campuses are located in Santiago, Chile’s capital and its cultural, political and financial centre, home to the headquarters of many multinational companies.

The fifth campus is in Villarrica next to the city’s lake.

2. University of São Paulo, Brazil 

The University of São Paulo is Brazil’s oldest and largest university. Four of its 11 campuses are in São Paulo, while the remaining campuses are in the cities of Bauru, Lorena, Piracicaba, Pirassununga, Ribeirão Preto and São Carlos, which has two.

The university has many recreational activities and facilities, including museums and galleries, two theatres, a cinema, a TV channel and an orchestra.

Five hospitals are also affiliated with the institution, including the University of São Paulo Medical School Public Hospital, which is a major training hospital for the university’s School of Medicine. 

3. University of Campinas, Brazil 

The University of Campinas, or Unicamp, is based in the city of Campinas in the São Paulo region of Brazil. 

Although it is one of Brazil’s youngest universities (it was founded in 1964), Unicamp has established itself as a primary medical and scientific research centre. The institution is responsible for about 15 per cent of academic research conducted in Brazil.

International undergraduates will need to sit an exam before acceptance. The exam requires prospective students to have a good grasp of Portuguese.

Neither Brazilian nor international students pay tuition fees, as is the case in all state-run universities in the country.

The university offers 66 undergraduate programmes and 152 graduate programmes across four main areas: exact sciences, human sciences, biological sciences, and technologies.

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4. Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico

The Monterrey Institute of Technology is a private university system founded in 1943 in Monterrey, Mexico. Today, it has 29 campuses in 25 cities. 

It offers undergraduate, master’s and PhD programmes across disciplines such as engineering, management, social sciences, arts, science and medicine.

The university encourages students to study abroad for a period of time. Its students represent more than 70 nationalities.

5. Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) is located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. 

The university was established to provide teaching and learning in the health sciences, but from 2005 it began offering courses in areas such as the humanities, computer science and engineering. 

The university has six campuses. 

The 50 top universities in Latin America 2023

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2023 results

Latin America Rank 2023 Latin America Rank 2022  University Country/region World University Rank 2023
1  1  Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Chile 401–500
2  2  University of São Paulo Brazil 201–250
3  3  University of Campinas Brazil 401–500
4  5  Monterrey Institute of Technology Mexico 801–1000
5  4  Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Brazil 601–800
6  8  Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil 601–800
7  9  Federal University of Minas Gerais Brazil 801–1000
8  10  Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) Brazil 801–1000
9  7  University of Chile Chile 1001–1200
10  12  Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Brazil 1001–1200
11  11  Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Brazil 1001–1200
12  6  Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Brazil 1001–1200
13  14  Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) Brazil 801–1000
14  13  University of the Andes, Colombia Colombia 1001–1200
15  16  National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico 1001–1200
16  17  Federal University of São Carlos Brazil 1201–1500
17  15  University of Brasília Brazil 1201–1500
18  22  Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC) Brazil 1201–1500
19  20  Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) Brazil 1201–1500
20  18  National University of Colombia Colombia 1001–1200
21  23  Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Brazil 1201–1500
22  26  University of Concepción Chile 1201–1500
23  33  Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) Brazil 1501+
24  19  Federal University of Viçosa Brazil 1201–1500
25  21  The University of the West Indies Jamaica 501–600
26  32  Universidade Federal da Bahia Brazil 1201–1500
27  44  Austral University Argentina NR
=28  37  Federal University of Pernambuco Brazil 1501+
=28  27  Federal University of Santa Maria Brazil 1201–1500
30  25  Pontifical Javeriana University Colombia 801–1000
31  30  Metropolitan Autonomous University Mexico 1201–1500
32  24  Federal University of Lavras Brazil 1201–1500
=33  43  University of Antioquia Colombia 1201–1500
=33  35  Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Peru 601–800
35  =28  Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) Brazil 1201–1500
=36  40  Fluminense Federal University Brazil 1501+
=36  48  National University of San Martín Argentina 1201–1500
38  34  University of Santiago, Chile (USACH) Chile 1201–1500
39  42  University of Havana Cuba 1501+
40  36  Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Peru 1201–1500
41  53  University of the Andes, Chile Chile 1201–1500
42  41  Federal University of Goiás Brazil 1201–1500
43  38  Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso Chile 1201–1500
44  31  University of Costa Rica Costa Rica 601–800
=45  =28  Austral University of Chile Chile 1201–1500
=45  47  Federal University of Uberlândia Brazil 1201–1500
47  39  Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná Brazil 1201–1500
48  46  National University of Córdoba Argentina 1501+
49  54  Federal University of Espírito Santo Brazil 1201–1500
50  45  Universidade Estadual de Maringá Brazil 1501+

 

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