University of Sao Paulo and 3 Other Brazilian University ranked best in Latin America

University of Sao Paulo

Four Brazilian universities were listed among the top ten in Latin America, according to a report released by a regional provider of guides to higher education.

The University of Sao Paulo is considered the best in Latin America for the third time in a row, according to the 2013 university ranking by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

The other three Brazilian universities among the top ten were State University of Campinas (3rd), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (8th) and Federal University of Minas Gerais (10th). All the four universities are government-owned and free of tuition, the QS report said.

A number of factors decide the ranking, which include academic reputation, reputation among employers, faculty/student ratio, proportion of staff with PhDs, research papers per faculty, citations per paper, and web presence.

Employers identified graduates of the University of Sao Paulo as “the most sought-after in the region” and it is also the top institution for web presence, the report said.

Of the top 300 Latin American universities on the QS list, Brazil took up 81, followed by Mexico with 49, Colombia 42, Chile and Argentina with 30 each, and Peru 17.

On a global level, the University of Sao Paulo was ranked 139th in the latest QS World University Ranking, while State University of Campinas stood at 228th.