Universidade Federal de Viçosa
A well-established university providing quality higher education. Offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs with dedicated faculty and supportive learning environment.
- Acceptance Rate
- 62.4%
- SAT Range
- 1050–1250
- ACT Range
- N/A
- Avg GPA
- 3.4
- Size
- Large (32,325 students)
- Type
- N/A
- Student:Faculty
- 1:19
- Setting
- suburban
- Graduation Rate
- 76.0%
- Retention Rate
- 80.0%
- Tuition (In-State)
- N/A
- Tuition (Int'l)
- $8,000
Academic Programs
STEM
Business
Social Sciences
Humanities
Health
Arts
English Proficiency Requirements
Student Life & Environment
Life at UFV unfolds in the small city of Vicosa, where the university dominates the local economy and culture. The close integration of campus and town means students find housing, restaurants, and services throughout Vicosa rather than confined to a separate university district. Student republicas, traditional Brazilian shared housing cooperatives, provide affordable accommodation with built-in social communities. These republicas have their own identities and traditions, and living arrangements become an important part of the UFV experience. The campus itself provides extensive recreational facilities including sports fields, gymnasium, and swimming pools. Intramural competitions and pickup games occupy students outside class hours, with traditional games attracting fierce inter-departmental rivalries. Student organizations called centros academicos operate within each department, organizing study groups, social events, and advocacy on student issues. The surrounding Zona da Mata region offers natural beauty with waterfalls, hiking trails, and the preserved Atlantic Forest that once covered much of southeastern Brazil. UFV operates a forest reserve on campus that provides both research opportunities and recreational space for walks and observation. The cultural calendar includes festivals, music performances, and the traditions that have developed over nearly a century of student life. Vicosa's limitations as a small town are real, but many students appreciate the focused environment where everyone you encounter seems connected to the university somehow.
Location & Surroundings
Universidade Federal de Vicosa sits in the city of Vicosa, a small municipality of roughly 80,000 inhabitants in the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais state. The mountainous terrain and temperate climate of this highland zone make the setting dramatically different from coastal Brazil or the agricultural plains to the west. The surrounding hillsides retain patches of Atlantic Forest, a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, while coffee plantations and mixed agriculture cover much of the region. Vicosa lies about 225 kilometers from Belo Horizonte, the state capital, accessible by bus in about three hours. The town itself exists largely because of and for the university. Streets fill with students walking between campus, housing, and local businesses. Restaurants, copy shops, and bookstores cater to the academic community. This intimate scale means everything is walkable, and the university's presence keeps the town affordable compared to larger cities. The climate is mild year-round by Brazilian standards, with temperatures rarely exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in summer or dropping below 10 in winter. Rain falls throughout the year with a drier period from May through September. The isolation from major urban centers is both limitation and feature, the limitations are obvious, but the lack of distractions helps maintain an academic focus. Bus connections link Vicosa to Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, and other destinations, and many students maintain active social lives through weekend trips to larger cities when campus life feels confining.
Costs & Career Outcomes
Universidade Federal de Vicosa operates as a tuition-free public university, eliminating the primary cost of higher education for admitted students. This makes UFV accessible to students across economic backgrounds who can demonstrate academic merit through the ENEM examination. Living costs in Vicosa are remarkably affordable compared to Brazilian major cities. Student republicas charge as little as R$300-500 monthly including utilities, and private room rentals remain well under R$1,000 monthly. The university operates subsidized cafeterias serving meals for just a few reais, and student assistance programs provide additional support for those with demonstrated need. Research scholarships called bolsas de iniciacao cientifica provide monthly stipends to students participating in faculty research projects, supplementing family support or reducing work hours. Career outcomes from UFV reflect the university's distinctive strengths. Agricultural science graduates enter Brazil's agribusiness sector, one of the world's largest, working for major agricultural companies, cooperatives, and government agencies. Food technology graduates develop products for Brazil's food industry. Forestry graduates work in sustainable forest management, paper and pulp companies, and environmental consulting. Veterinary graduates establish practices or join the large-animal medicine sector serving cattle operations across Brazil. Graduate degrees from UFV carry weight in academic hiring, and many UFV graduates go on to faculty positions at other Brazilian universities. The alumni network operates actively across Brazilian agriculture, and the UFV credential opens doors throughout the sector.
Campus Location
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