Brazil
Broad research options with Portuguese at the centre.
Study overview
Brazil has federal and state public universities alongside private institutions, often with several teaching campuses. Portuguese is central to many degree routes. The specific qualification and admission pathway distinguish undergraduate, research and specialist study.
Public Degree Tuition / Year
Public undergraduate and stricto sensu research routes commonly have no tuition. Private programmes and fee-charging specialisations differ; other course and personal costs remain.
Sao Paulo Housing Only / Month
FEA-USP's 2026 accommodation example: shared / single. This is housing, not a full living budget. Food, transport, personal spending and other charges remain outside the range.
Typical degree length: Many bachelor’s programmes take 4–6 years; master’s commonly 2. Technology, teacher-education and specialised programmes differ.
Fields: Engineering; agriculture; environmental sciences; health; business; humanities.
Official references
- https://www.gov.br/mec/pt-br/politica-regulacao-supervisao-educacao-superior/cadastro-nacional-de-cursos-e-ies
- https://www.gov.br/pt-br/servicos/estudar-o-ensino-superior-no-brasil
- https://sucupira-legado.capes.gov.br/sucupira/
- https://www.fea.usp.br/sites/default/files/arquivos/anexos/atualizado_-_fact_sheet_2026_1.pdf
- https://www.ufpe.br/international/admissions
- https://www.ime.usp.br/en/graduate/computer-science/faq/
Study and admission
Qualifications and entry routes
Portuguese proficiency, the award type and the admission pathway determine the practical shortlist.
The undergraduate award matters
Brazilian undergraduate education includes bacharelado, licenciatura and higher-technology degrees. A bacharelado prepares students across an academic or professional field; a licenciatura is directed towards teacher education for basic education. Higher-technology programmes concentrate on specialised professional areas and are higher-education qualifications, not simply secondary vocational courses. Many bachelor’s programmes last four to six years, depending on the field, while other structures differ. Confirm the exact qualification, workload and professional purpose. A similar English translation does not establish that two Brazilian awards have identical preparation or recognition outcomes.
Choose the correct admission pathway
Universities use different routes for full-degree entry, including their own vestibular examinations, selection using Enem results and specific international programmes. Sisu allocates participating public institutions’ places using Enem scores; it is a selection system rather than a separate examination. Its 2026 rules accept qualifying results from the preceding three Enem editions. International applicants should check documentary and examination eligibility directly with the institution. PEC-G is a separate cooperation route for eligible partner-country applicants. An exchange nomination from a home university is another process and does not automatically admit someone to a complete degree.
Official references
- https://www.gov.br/mec/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/perguntas-frequentes/sisu/notas-do-enem/quem-nao-fez-o-enem
- https://mecnormas.mec.gov.br/pesquisa/detalhar/959
- https://www.gov.br/pt-br/servicos/estudar-o-ensino-superior-no-brasil
- https://www.ufpe.br/international/admissions
- https://www.fuvest.br/vestibular-da-usp/2/
Portuguese and language evidence
Portuguese preparation is important for lectures, assessment and daily administration. Some universities offer selected courses in other languages, but an English webpage or exchange catalogue does not establish an entirely English-taught degree. Celpe-Bras is the Brazilian government’s Portuguese-proficiency certificate and assesses integrated communication through written and oral components. Whether it is required, and at what stage, depends on the admission route and programme. PEC-PLE provides a prescribed Portuguese-preparation pathway linked to eligible PEC-G selection; completing a language course alone is not the same as meeting the programme’s certification condition.
Research degrees and specialisations
Brazil distinguishes stricto sensu postgraduate degrees, including mestrado and doutorado, from lato sensu specialisations. A specialisation commonly marketed as an MBA leads to a certificate; it should not automatically be treated as equivalent to a research master’s diploma. Research programmes publish their own selection notices, which may consider academic records, research interests, language evidence and a proposed supervisor. A completed first degree is the starting qualification, but admission is not guaranteed by degree possession alone. Check recognised master’s and doctoral programmes through CAPES’s Sucupira system and read the individual programme’s current notice.
Official references
- https://acervoportal.mec.gov.br/sesu-secretaria-de-educacao-superior/127-perguntas-frequentes-911936531/educacao-superior-399764090/13072-qual-a-diferenca-entre-pos-graduacao-lato-sensu-e-stricto-sensu
- https://sucupira-legado.capes.gov.br/sucupira/
- https://www.ime.usp.br/en/graduate/computer-science/faq/
Budget and academic planning
A tuition-free route still requires a funded move, the right teaching location and a workable study plan.
Tuition is only part of the cost
Public undergraduate and stricto sensu routes commonly operate without tuition, including for admitted international students. USP’s computer-science graduate guidance, for example, states that its degrees are free of tuition for Brazilian and foreign students. This does not make every course at a public institution free: continuing-education specialisations can charge fees, and private universities have their own tuition schedules. Separate tuition from application charges, documents, travel, insurance, housing and living expenses. A place under PEC-G provides tuition-free study, but it should not be budgeted as an automatic maintenance scholarship.
Use a campus specific living budget
Living costs vary considerably by city, neighbourhood and accommodation arrangement, so a national headline range can mislead. As one current example, FEA-USP’s 2026 exchange fact sheet lists nearby residence accommodation at about BRL 2,150 monthly for shared housing and BRL 2,750 for a single option. These are São Paulo housing figures, not total living costs or national prices. Add food, transport, utilities where excluded, insurance and initial deposits. Ask the host office about current accommodation options and eligibility, then check the commute to the actual teaching campus before signing.
Attendance assessment and course planning
Brazilian institutions publish their own grading, attendance and credit rules; a familiar numerical scale does not establish the same passing threshold everywhere. UFSC undergraduate guidance uses a zero-to-ten scale, with at least 6.0 and 75% attendance required to pass. FEA-USP’s undergraduate guide instead specifies at least 5.0 and 70% attendance. Course registration can be capacity-limited, and research postgraduate work may involve substantial reading and writing beyond class time. Exchange students should agree credit recognition with their home institution and avoid assuming a universal conversion between Brazilian credits and ECTS.
Recognition and immigration checks
Use the official e-MEC database to check the institution and undergraduate course, including the location and applicable authorising acts. Master’s and doctoral recognition is checked through CAPES and Sucupira. Professional practice can involve additional requirements, including formal handling of a prior foreign qualification through the relevant recognition process. Immigration is separate: establish the appropriate visa or residence route with the Brazilian authorities for your nationality and activity. Study-visa holders must complete the required Federal Police registration after arrival. A university offer or scholarship does not itself grant residence, professional licensing or a permanent immigration outcome.
Entrance and language assessments
Enem and Sisu
Applies to: Programmes using Enem scores, including places offered through Sisu.
Enem is the examination; Sisu is the selection system. For 2026, qualifying scores from Enem 2023, 2024 or 2025 can be used under the published rules. Check future notices rather than carrying the same calendar forward.
Vestibular and institutional selection
Applies to: Universities and programmes with their own admission procedures.
Institution-specific entrance examinations and selection notices can operate alongside national-score routes. Applicants must check the provider’s current route, subjects, registration documents and any additional aptitude assessment.
Celpe-Bras
Applies to: Applicants whose programme or cooperation route requires Portuguese certification.
Government Portuguese-proficiency examination with written and oral components. Required certification level, exemptions and submission timing depend on the receiving programme and selection route.
https://www.gov.br/inep/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/perguntas-frequentes/celpe-bras
Scholarships and funding routes
PEC-G tuition-free undergraduate places
Support: A tuition-free degree place; living costs and travel need separate financing.
Eligibility: Partner-country citizens residing abroad who meet nationality, age, secondary-school and Portuguese conditions; Brazilian-nationality and family-nationality exclusions apply.
Application: Apply through the responsible Brazilian diplomatic post under the current PEC-G/PEC-PLE notice.
Conditions: Not an automatic maintenance scholarship. Financial-responsibility evidence is required. The scheme anticipates return home after graduation; verify the current call before assuming a 2027 place.
PROMISAES maintenance assistance
Support: Published support of BRL 622 per month, subject to the institution’s call. A 2026 UFCG round confirms this rate for a defined six-month award period.
Eligibility: Eligible PEC-G students at participating federal institutions; academic performance, socioeconomic need, regular immigration status and local call conditions affect selection.
Application: Apply to the host federal university’s PROMISAES selection process, supplying the evidence requested in its published notice.
Conditions: Limited maintenance assistance, not full living-cost coverage. Availability and duration are local and budget-dependent; the cited 2026 UFCG application round has closed. It is not an admission scholarship open to every international applicant.
PEC-PG postgraduate scholarships
Support: The reviewed CAPES call for 2026 starts provides BRL 2,100 monthly for master’s or BRL 3,100 for doctorate, plus BRL 400 monthly health-insurance assistance; the programme also lists return travel from Brazil funded by MRE.
Eligibility: Applicants from participating countries meeting the call’s nationality, residence, academic and programme-selection requirements. Brazilian-nationality restrictions and host-programme acceptance conditions apply.
Application: Choose from the published participating places and complete the CAPES application and host-institution selection under the current notice.
Conditions: Competitive. These are the reviewed 2025 call’s benefits for 2026 entry, not a confirmed 2027 award schedule. Language evidence, allowed funding combinations, duration and return obligations must be checked in the applicable call.
Selected university profiles
Official national database of higher-education institutions and undergraduate courses, including locations and authorising acts. State-system entries may reflect their state regulators. For master’s and doctoral recognition also consult CAPES’s Sucupira system. This selected directory is not a programme-by-programme accreditation audit.
Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
USP is a multidisciplinary state university with academic activity spread across several cities. Within São Paulo, its locations include the Butantã University City, the eastern-zone EACH school, health units near Clínicas and the downtown Law School. Schools and institutes cover engineering, medicine, humanities, business and the sciences. International administration is shared between a central office and local faculty offices, making the intended school an important contact for course choices and exchange arrangements.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Medicine; Humanities; Natural sciences; Business
- Address
- Rua da Reitoria, 374, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP 05508-220, Brazil
- Website
- https://www.usp.br/
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)
Unicamp’s faculties and institutes span exact and technological sciences, biomedical disciplines, humanities and arts. Most are based in Campinas, while Piracicaba houses the dentistry faculty and Limeira hosts applied sciences and technology. Its provision includes fields such as food and agricultural engineering, computing, language studies, chemistry and medical sciences. The international office coordinates mobility and agreements, while academic units retain subject-specific responsibilities. Applicants should identify the teaching city before comparing accommodation and travel arrangements.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Computing; Biomedical sciences; Humanities; Arts
- Address
- International Office, Rua Josué de Castro, 120, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP 13083-861, Brazil
- Website
- https://www.unicamp.br/
- derime@unicamp.br
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Unesp is a distributed state university whose academic units operate across São Paulo state rather than around one principal teaching campus. Its listed locations include engineering in Bauru and Ilha Solteira, agricultural and veterinary fields in Jaboticabal and Botucatu, and arts and theoretical physics in São Paulo city. Other units cover humanities, chemistry, dentistry and biosciences. This geographical structure makes the named faculty and city essential when choosing a programme, arranging accommodation or contacting international staff.
- Subjects
- Agriculture; Veterinary medicine; Engineering; Humanities; Arts
- Address
- Rua Quirino de Andrade, 215, Centro, São Paulo, SP 01049-010, Brazil
- Website
- https://www.unesp.br/
Official references
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
UFRJ organises a broad academic portfolio through centres for technology, health, mathematical and natural sciences, humanities, arts, law and economics. Its teaching locations include University City and Praia Vermelha in Rio, as well as units in Macaé and Duque de Caxias. The institutional directory also identifies a hospital complex and teacher-education structure. International services distinguish incoming mobility, agreements and general enquiries. Students need to confirm the specific unit and teaching site rather than plan around the rectorate’s address.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Health sciences; Natural sciences; Humanities; Arts
- Address
- Rua Antônio Barros de Castro, 119, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-853, Brazil
- Website
- https://ufrj.br/
- sgri@internacional.ufrj.br
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
UFMG’s academic schools and institutes cover engineering, medicine, nursing, veterinary science, law, economics, education, arts and the natural sciences. Much of its activity is based in Belo Horizonte, while the Institute of Agricultural Sciences is located in Montes Claros. The university distinguishes academic units from complementary research and service bodies, including its hospital. International student services address incoming applications, academic records, Portuguese-language support and practical arrival matters, with separate teams for exchange and special programmes.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Health sciences; Humanities; Arts; Agricultural sciences
- Address
- Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
- Website
- https://www.ufmg.br/
- intercambios@dri.ufmg.br
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)
UFSC has its main campus in Florianópolis and further campuses in Araranguá, Blumenau, Curitibanos and Joinville. Its academic schools span technology, health, humanities, law, education, agriculture and the sciences. Regional provision includes mobility engineering in Joinville and rural sciences in Curitibanos. In Florianópolis, the agricultural school is located separately in Itacorubi. The university offers public undergraduate and postgraduate education, and its international office provides information on mobility, language requirements and settling into the chosen campus.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Health sciences; Humanities; Agriculture; Oceanography
- Address
- Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, Trindade, Florianópolis, SC 88040-900, Brazil
- Website
- https://ufsc.br/
Universidade de Brasília (UnB)
UnB is a public university in Brazil’s Federal District, with the Darcy Ribeiro campus in Brasília and additional campuses in Ceilândia, Gama and Planaltina. Its teaching and research span technology, medicine, humanities, natural sciences and international relations. The regional campuses include dedicated health and engineering structures, while the university also maintains dispersed units and research facilities. Its international office manages cooperation and mobility relationships. Prospective students should separate full-degree admission from a temporary exchange arranged through a partner institution.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Health sciences; International relations; Natural sciences; Humanities
- Address
- International Affairs Office, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Reitoria, Asa Norte, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil
- Website
- https://www.unb.br/
- intweb@unb.br
Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR)
UFPR combines a broad university offering in Curitiba with teaching in other Paraná locations, including Matinhos, Pontal do Paraná, Palotina, Jandaia do Sul and Toledo. Listed programmes range from engineering and medicine to law, ecology, design, education and economics. Its international structure includes teams for mobility, language policy, and the reception of international and migrant students. Portuguese-language support and programme contacts are provided through the international portal, while postgraduate funding possibilities depend on the individual programme and call.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Law; Health sciences; Environmental sciences; Humanities
- Address
- International Relations Office, Rua Dr. Faivre, 405, 2nd floor, Curitiba, PR 80060-140, Brazil
- Website
- https://ufpr.br/
- internacional@ufpr.br
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)
PUC-Rio brings together scientific and technological fields with social sciences, humanities, design and theology. Its academic departments include economics, informatics, engineering, law, psychology and international relations, alongside arts and communication. The international cooperation office coordinates mobility and has dedicated student and accommodation contacts. Students considering this private institution should distinguish regular degree admission from exchange arrangements and establish programme-specific tuition. The university’s central Gávea address is a useful starting point, but some specialist activities occur off campus.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Economics; Computer science; Design; International relations
- Address
- Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22453-900, Brazil
- Website
- https://www.puc-rio.br/
- incoming@puc-rio.br
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)
PUCRS is a private, non-profit community university connected to the Marist educational network. Its schools cover business, law, technology, communications and design, humanities, medicine, and health and life sciences. Teaching includes undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing-education provision, with research organised through academic schools and other units. The international office is based on the Avenida Ipiranga campus in Porto Alegre. Applicants should distinguish a research master’s or doctorate from a specialisation or MBA certificate when comparing qualifications and fees.
- Subjects
- Business; Law; Technology; Health sciences; Humanities
- Address
- Avenida Ipiranga, 6681, Partenon, Porto Alegre, RS 90619-900, Brazil
- Website
- https://portal.pucrs.br/
- internacional@pucrs.br
Further institutions
| Institution | Location and type | Official website | Book page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universidade Federal da Bahia | Salvador / Public federal university | https://ufba.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Pernambuco | Recife / Public federal university | https://www.ufpe.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal do Ceará | Fortaleza / Public federal university | https://www.ufc.br/pt | 285 |
| Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte | Natal / Public federal university | https://www.ufrn.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal do Pará | Belém / Public federal university | https://ufpa.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal do Amazonas | Manaus / Public federal university | https://ufam.edu.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo | Vitória / Public federal university | https://www.ufes.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal Fluminense | Niterói / Public federal university | https://www.uff.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de São Carlos | São Carlos / Public federal university | https://www.ufscar.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Viçosa | Viçosa / Public federal university | https://www.ufv.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Lavras | Lavras / Public federal university | https://ufla.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal do ABC | Santo André / São Bernardo do Campo / Public federal university | https://www.ufabc.edu.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Santa Maria | Santa Maria / Public federal university | https://www.ufsm.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Pelotas | Pelotas / Public federal university | https://portal.ufpel.edu.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Goiás | Goiânia / Public federal university | https://ufg.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Uberlândia | Uberlândia / Public federal university | https://ufu.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora | Juiz de Fora / Public federal university | https://www2.ufjf.br/ufjf/ | 285 |
| Universidade Estadual de Londrina | Londrina / Public state university | https://portal.uel.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Estadual de Maringá | Maringá / Public state university | https://www.uem.br/ | 285 |
| Universidade Federal de Campina Grande | Campina Grande / Public federal university | https://www.gov.br/ufcg/pt-br | 285 |