São Paulo State University
Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho"
A tuition-free state university in 24 cities, with half of every course's places reserved for public-school students.
- Tuition
- Free
- 2027
- Founded
- 1976
- QS World Ranking
- #513
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Mixed
About Unesp
São Paulo State University (Unesp) was created in 1976 by São Paulo state law, bringing together a set of independent public faculties scattered across the state. It celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. Today it has 34 teaching units in 24 cities, from Araçatuba and Presidente Prudente in the west to São Vicente on the coast and the state capital, where the rectorate sits. The university says that anyone living in São Paulo state will find a Unesp campus within about 100 km of home.
Unesp is public and free: there are no tuition fees. It offers 138 undergraduate programmes leading to 68 careers, plus 142 graduate programmes. It has about 34,000 undergraduates and 13,000 graduate students, and around 3,000 academic staff. About a third of its undergraduate programmes are licenciaturas (teacher-training degrees), an area in which the university considers itself a national reference.
Teaching is in Portuguese, and each campus has its own character: medicine and life sciences in Botucatu, law and international relations in Franca, engineering in Guaratinguetá, Ilha Solteira and São João da Boa Vista, arts in São Paulo and Bauru. Unesp suits students who want a free public degree with early research experience, and who are comfortable studying in a mid-sized inland city rather than a big capital.
Why students choose Unesp
There are no tuition fees at Unesp, and subsidised lunches and dinners cost students R$2.50 at 27 units across 18 campuses.
There are four routes in (the Vestibular Unesp, Unesp-Enem, the Provão Paulista and the Science Olympiads route), and you can apply through all of them if you meet the requirements.
In every programme, 50% of places are reserved for students who did all of secondary school in Brazilian public schools, and 35% of those for Black, brown and Indigenous students.
Undergraduates are encouraged to join research projects from the first year, and more than 50 student-run junior companies operate across 19 campuses.
Admissions
Entry in 2027 (Vestibular Unesp 2027 and other routes)
Selectivity
Unesp publishes no overall admission rate, but it does publish the previous vestibular's candidates-per-place ratio for each programme. These range from under 2 for some teacher-training degrees to 49.3 for Law (morning) in Franca, 56.4 for full-time Psychology in Bauru and 271.0 for Medicine in Botucatu. For 2027 there are 5,850 Vestibular places, 726 Unesp-Enem places, 929 Provão Paulista places and 200 mid-year places, plus extra places for Science Olympiad medallists.
Typical entry requirements
| Brazilian secondary education (ensino médio) | Completion of secondary school and a competitive Vestibular score for your chosen programme. You compete in the universal system (SU) and, if eligible, in the public-school reserve (SRVEBP) or its Black, brown and Indigenous sub-quota (SRVEBP+PPI). |
|---|---|
| Foreign secondary qualifications | You sit the same Portuguese-language vestibular. At enrolment you need a certificate of equivalence for studies done abroad, issued by a Brazilian state Education Secretariat. Foreign documents must be legalised (Hague apostille or Brazilian consular visa) and officially translated, except those in English, French, Spanish or Italian. |
| English language | No English test is required. All undergraduate programmes are taught in Portuguese. Exchange students must know Portuguese or Spanish, while short research or lab internships can be supervised in English. |
Deadlines
- Vestibular Unesp 2027 registration Non-binding Next deadline · In 14 days20 October 2026, 23:59 (Brasília time)
Opened 4 September 2026. Fee R$225, payable by 21 October. Fee waivers and 50% reductions had a separate application window (24-30 August 2026).
- Phase 1 (general knowledge exam) Non-binding In 47 days22 November 2026
90 multiple-choice questions, 5 hours. Results and phase-2 list on 7 December 2026.
- Phase 2 (specific knowledge and essay) Non-binding In ~2 months13-14 December 2026
Aptitude tests for the São Paulo Arts Institute run 15-22 December and for Bauru's arts and design courses on 20 December.
- Results and first call Non-binding In ~4 months27 January 2027
Classification list published on 27 January 2027. First-call virtual enrolment runs 28 January to 1 February 2027.
Dates are from the Vestibular Unesp 2027 Candidate Manual and the joint Fuvest/Vunesp calendar note. Unesp-Enem and Science Olympiads calendars for 2027 entry had not yet been published on Unesp's admissions portal ('edital será divulgado em breve').
How to apply
Register online with Fundação Vunesp (vunesp.com.br) between 4 September and 20 October 2026, choose a programme and campus, and pay the R$225 fee by 21 October. Then sit phase 1 in one of the listed exam cities in São Paulo state, Brasília, Campo Grande, Curitiba or Uberlândia; if you are called, sit phase 2. You can give your CPF so your ENEM 2026 score is considered. Places are offered in successive calls from 27 January 2027, and you must complete a virtual enrolment in the university's Sisgrad system for each call.
What admissions looks for
- A high Vestibular score relative to other candidates for the same programme: up to seven candidates per place are called to phase 2, in order of their phase-1 score.
- Broad knowledge across languages, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, as set out in Brazil's national curriculum (BNCC).
- Clear, well-argued written Portuguese: the essay is marked on thematic progression, coherence and cohesion.
- Eligibility for the public-school or Black, brown and Indigenous reserve, if it applies to you, which you prove with documents at enrolment.
Tips for applying to Unesp
- 1 Register by 20 October 2026. The previous vestibular's candidates-per-place ratio for each programme is printed in the Candidate Manual, so you can see how competitive your choice is.
- 2 Take ENEM 2026 as well and give your CPF on the Vunesp form: if your ENEM score beats your phase-1 score, it counts for a fifth of it.
- 3 Compare campuses: the same degree is often offered in several cities, and ratios vary a lot (for example Law in Franca had 49.3 applicants per place in the morning and 23.7 in the evening).
- 4 If you studied abroad, get your certificate of equivalence from a Brazilian state Education Secretariat before enrolment, because you need it for the virtual enrolment.
Costs & financial aid
2027 · figures in BRL
Unesp charges no tuition. Students with a per-capita family income of up to 1.5 minimum wages can apply at their campus for support allowances, a place in student housing, a food subsidy, and allowances for disabled students, unpaid internships and student parents. Provão Paulista entrants can receive a Seduc/Unesp academic support grant. The Vestibular fee is R$225, with full waivers and 50% or 75% reductions for eligible candidates.
- Free
- Tuition
- R$2.50 per lunch or dinner at 27 units on 18 campuses
- Subsidised meals
- 1,238 across 12 campus cities plus two rented houses in São Paulo
- Student housing places
- More than 7,000
- Students receiving support benefits in 2026
- R$225 (R$56.25 for final-year São Paulo state public-school students)
- Vestibular Unesp 2027 fee
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters: early March to mid-July and early August to early December (exact dates vary by campus)
Medicine (Botucatu)
The most competitive Unesp programme, with 271.0 candidates per place in the previous vestibular. The faculty runs the Hospital das Clínicas de Botucatu, and there are 85 places for 2027 across the three admission systems.
Law (Franca)
Offered in morning and evening classes, with 49.3 and 23.7 candidates per place in the previous vestibular. Franca's faculty also teaches International Relations, History and Social Work.
Aeronautical Engineering (São João da Boa Vista)
Taught at the São João da Boa Vista campus, created in Unesp's 2012 expansion of engineering courses; 16.1 candidates per place in the previous vestibular.
Veterinary Medicine (Botucatu, Jaboticabal, Araçatuba)
Offered on three campuses (Araçatuba, Botucatu and Jaboticabal); the university runs 3 veterinary hospitals and 5 experimental farms.
Teacher-training degrees (licenciaturas)
About a third of Unesp's undergraduate programmes train teachers, and 82% of those assessed in the latest national ENADE exam received top scores.
Music and Arts (São Paulo Institute of Arts)
Performing arts, visual arts and music degrees (including composition, conducting and voice) in the state capital, with their own aptitude tests.
Research
- In 2026, Unesp was the second-best-placed Brazilian university in ShanghaiRanking's ARWU, in the 301-400 band.
- The university has about 1,900 laboratories and clinics (dentistry, psychology, speech therapy, physiotherapy), 3 veterinary hospitals and 5 experimental farms.
- The São Paulo-based Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) is one of Unesp's research units, and undergraduates are encouraged into research projects from their first year.
Schools & faculties
- Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu (FMB)
- Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais (FCHS), Franca
- Faculdade de Engenharia e Ciências (FEG), Guaratinguetá
- Faculdade de Engenharia de Ilha Solteira (FEIS)
- Faculdade de Arquitetura, Artes, Comunicação e Design (FAAC), Bauru
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT), Presidente Prudente
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Jaboticabal
- Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE), São José do Rio Preto
- Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas (IGCE), Rio Claro
- Instituto de Química (IQ), Araraquara
- Instituto de Artes (IA), São Paulo
- Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT), São Paulo
Unesp reports that about 5,600 students graduate from its undergraduate programmes each year. It publishes no graduate employment rate.
Student life
Because Unesp is spread across 24 cities, student life is shaped by the campus you choose. Most are in mid-sized inland cities where students live in shared houses (repúblicas) or rented rooms near campus. The university's meal halls serve lunch and dinner for R$2.50 at 27 units. Students on low incomes can apply for a place in one of the student residences or for support allowances. Research projects and more than 50 junior companies give undergraduates practical experience, and Unesp runs its own radio (Unesp FM) and TV station in Bauru.
- Subsidised meals for R$2.50 at 27 units on 18 campuses.
- More than 50 student-run junior companies across 19 campuses.
- Unesp FM radio and TV Unesp are based on the Bauru campus.
- More than 7,000 students received some form of support benefit in 2026.
Housing. Student housing, with 1,238 places in total, is reserved for low-income students selected by their campus; Unesp does not provide housing for international students, who find private rooms in their campus city.
Location
Unesp's rectorate is in central São Paulo, but most students study inland: Botucatu, Bauru, Rio Claro, Franca, Presidente Prudente, São José do Rio Preto and other cities of São Paulo state, plus coastal São Vicente. These are generally quieter and cheaper than the capital, with a large student population around each campus. Travel between cities is mostly by road.
Nearest airport: São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) for the capital; inland campuses are hours away by road
Notable alumni
- AM Ana Maria BragaTelevision presenter of Globo's Mais Você; graduated from Unesp in biology and zoology
- HS Heleieth SaffiotiSociologist and feminist scholar; wrote her influential thesis on women in class society at Unesp's Araraquara faculty
- BC Bruna CaramSinger-songwriter; music degree from Unesp (2010)
- RC Rafael CoutinhoComics artist, painter and animator; arts degree from Unesp (2004)
- GD Gustavo DuarteComics artist known for silent comics; graphic design degree from Unesp Bauru (1999)
- MR Mauro RefoscoPercussionist who played in David Byrne's American Utopia; percussion degree from Unesp (1990)
- NA Néle AzevedoSculptor behind the Minimum Monument ice-figure installations; master's in visual arts from Unesp's Arts Institute
Frequently asked questions
Is Unesp free for international students?
Yes. Unesp is a public, tuition-free university, and international students pay only for their own insurance, transport and living costs in Brazil.
When is the Vestibular Unesp 2027?
Registration runs until 20 October 2026 through Fundação Vunesp. Phase 1 is on 22 November 2026, phase 2 on 13-14 December 2026, and results are published on 27 January 2027.
Can I get into Unesp with my ENEM score?
Yes, through Unesp-Enem, which has 726 places for 2027 entry and accepts ENEM scores from the current and previous year. ENEM 2026 can also raise your Vestibular phase-1 score if it is higher.
Are Unesp courses taught in English?
No. All undergraduate programmes are taught in Portuguese, and the vestibular is in Portuguese. Only short research or lab internships may be supervised in other languages.
How competitive is Medicine at Unesp?
Very. Medicine at Botucatu had 271.0 candidates per place in the previous vestibular, the highest of any Unesp programme.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Unesp in the QS World University Rankings 2027.