Federal University of Santa Catarina
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
A federal public university on Santa Catarina island with five campuses and about 87,500 candidates a year for 6,550 places.
- Students
- 39,558
- 26,579 undergraduates
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1960
- QS World Ranking
- 901-950
- 2027 edition
About UFSC
The Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) was created on 18 December 1960 by a law signed by President Juscelino Kubitschek, bringing together seven existing faculties in Florianópolis. Its roots go back to the Polytechnic Institute of Florianópolis, and its oldest school is Law. Today it has five campuses: Florianópolis (the main Trindade campus), Araranguá, Blumenau, Curitibanos and Joinville.
According to UFSC in Numbers 2025, it counted 26,579 undergraduates and 12,979 graduate students, 120 undergraduate programmes, 91 graduate programmes, and 2,526 permanent higher-education faculty. Teaching is organised in centres such as Technology, Agricultural Sciences, Biological Sciences, Communication and Expression, Health Sciences, Law, Philosophy and Human Sciences, Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Sports, and Socio-Economic Sciences. Outside Florianópolis, the Blumenau campus covers technology and exact sciences, Curitibanos focuses on rural sciences, and Araranguá on technology and health.
All undergraduate and graduate courses are taught in Portuguese, apart from foreign-language courses and a catalogue of subjects offered in other languages. Entry is by exam: 70 percent of places go through UFSC's own Vestibular and 30 percent through the national SiSU system using ENEM scores. It suits students who read Portuguese well and want a large public research university.
Ars et Scientia
“Arts and Science” — university motto
Why students choose UFSC
Public university: the Brazilian Constitution (Article 206, IV) and the national education law LDB (Lei 9.394/1996, Article 3, VI) set free public teaching in official institutions as a general principle for public education, and UFSC's exchange students pay no fees.
A very large intake: UFSC in Numbers 2025 lists 6,550 undergraduate places offered against 87,558 registered candidates for the Vestibular and SiSU (the reference year is not stated on the sheet).
Five campuses across Santa Catarina, including specialist rural (Curitibanos) and technology (Blumenau, Araranguá) sites.
Foreign students have several entry routes: the Vestibular, ENEM/SiSU, the PEC-G programme, a special process for refugees and a school-record process for remaining places.
Admissions
Entry 2027 (Vestibular Unificado UFSC/IFC 2027); SiSU 2027 dates not yet published
Selectivity
UFSC publishes no admit rate. UFSC in Numbers 2025 (a one-page statistical sheet; the reference year of the entrance data is not stated) lists 6,550 undergraduate places offered and 87,558 registered candidates for the Vestibular and SiSU, about 13 candidates per place. This is a ratio of candidates to places, not an admit rate, and 6,550 is places offered, not students admitted, so no acceptance rate or admitted count is given. Cut-off marks by course and quota category are published with the SiSU results.
Typical entry requirements
| Completed upper secondary school (Ensino Medio) or equivalent | Required for enrolment; quota (Lei 12.711/2012) places need proof of public-school study and income where applicable |
|---|---|
| Identification for foreign candidates | Passport is accepted as identity document at Vestibular registration |
| PEC-G (foreign students from partner countries) | Applications are made through Brazilian embassies and consulates under the MRE/MEC programme, not through UFSC |
Deadlines
- SiSU (30 percent of places), previous cycle Non-binding Passed19 to 23 January 2026 (2026 entry)
UFSC's SiSU 2027 edital has not been published; ENEM 2023 to 2025 scores were accepted in the last round.
- Vestibular Unificado UFSC/IFC 2027: registration Non-binding Passed12 August to 23 September 2026 (closed; extended from 18 September)
Registration fee R$192, last payment date 30 September 2026.
- Vestibular Unificado UFSC/IFC 2027: exam Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months5 and 6 December 2026
Written exam in one stage, gates open at 13:00, exam 14:00 to 19:00 each day. 70 percent of UFSC places.
The Vestibular 2027 dates are current. SiSU 2027 dates are not yet published, so the 2026 SiSU dates are shown as the previous cycle.
How to apply
Register online for the Vestibular at vestibularunificado2027.ufsc.br and pay the R$192 fee, or apply through the national SiSU system with an ENEM score. Foreigners may register for both the Vestibular and ENEM. PEC-G applicants apply through Brazilian embassies; refugees can use a special selection process run by COPERVE.
What admissions looks for
- A high total score on the Vestibular or ENEM, weighted by course.
- Minimum scores in each discipline (published in the edital's weights and cut-off tables).
- Eligibility for quota (Lei 12.711/2012) or affirmative-action categories, checked at enrolment.
- A complete school certificate and the documents listed for enrolment.
Tips for applying to UFSC
- 1 Prepare in Portuguese: all UFSC undergraduate courses are taught in Portuguese, except foreign-language courses and a small catalogue of subjects offered in other languages.
- 2 Check the course-by-course weights and minimum scores in the edital annexes before choosing a degree.
- 3 Foreign candidates should use the passport as ID at registration and ask COPERVE about the school-record process for remaining places, introduced in 2025.
- 4 PEC-G applicants must apply through the Brazilian embassy in their home country, not directly to UFSC.
- 5 After arrival, foreign students must register with the Federal Police; UFSC's international office helps with the national migration registration (RNM).
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in BRL
UFSC's student affairs office (PRAE) runs a student scholarship, housing aid, childcare aid, a university restaurant, exemptions for restaurant, sport and language classes, and MEC's Bolsa Permanencia for indigenous and quilombola students. Its student housing in Florianópolis has 156 places, fully free of charge, for face-to-face undergraduates from outside Greater Florianópolis with per capita income of up to one minimum wage.
- R$ 192, with an exemption process open 12 August to 3 September 2026
- Vestibular 2027 registration fee
- 156 places, free of charge, means-tested
- Student housing (Florianópolis)
- No fees at UFSC, except for outreach, extracurricular or non-regular activities
- Exchange (Incoming) students
Academics
Academic calendar: Semester-based; UFSC publishes an undergraduate academic calendar.
Law
UFSC's oldest school; the Law faculty dates to 1932, before the university was created in 1960.
Aquaculture
A dedicated Department of Aquaculture in the Centre of Agricultural Sciences on a coastal island campus.
Textile Engineering (Blumenau)
The Blumenau campus houses a Department of Textile Engineering.
Rural Sciences (Curitibanos)
The Curitibanos campus is built around the Centre of Rural Sciences.
Journalism and Communication
Journalism sits in the Centre of Communication and Expression alongside Arts and Libras.
Energy and Sustainability (Araranguá)
A dedicated department at the Araranguá campus of technology and health.
Research
- UFSC in Numbers 2025 counts 839 research groups and 3,743 research projects.
- It lists 5,630 scientific outputs and 1,048 intellectual-property records for the year reported.
- It operates a university hospital, a museum of archaeology and ethnology, and a planetarium on the Trindade campus.
Schools & faculties
- Centro Tecnologico (CTC)
- Centro de Ciencias Agrarias (CCA)
- Centro de Ciencias Biologicas (CCB)
- Centro de Comunicacao e Expressao (CCE)
- Centro de Ciencias da Educacao (CED)
- Centro de Ciencias da Saude (CCS)
- Centro de Ciencias Juridicas (CCJ)
- Centro de Filosofia e Ciencias Humanas (CFH)
- Centro de Ciencias Fisicas e Matematicas (CFM)
- Centro de Desportos (CDS)
- Centro Socioeconomico (CSE)
UFSC in Numbers 2025 reports 3,024 undergraduate degrees awarded in the year covered.
Student life
UFSC's main Trindade campus is in Florianópolis, with a central square, a university restaurant, a library, a museum and a planetarium. PRAE runs a student scholarship, housing aid and free student housing for eligible students, and exemptions for the restaurant, sport and language courses. The university lists competition teams, an arts and culture office, language courses, and a Portuguese-as-a-foreign-language programme (NUPLE) open to students and the public. UFSC in Numbers 2025 counts 1,298,078 meals served at its university restaurant.
- University restaurant with 1,298,078 meals served in the year reported.
- Free student housing (156 places) for eligible students from outside Greater Florianópolis.
- Portuguese courses for foreigners through NUPLE, open to UFSC students and the public.
- Competition teams, an arts and culture office and a students' academic-support programme.
Housing. Free means-tested student housing with 156 places for face-to-face undergraduates on the Florianópolis campus from outside Greater Florianópolis, plus housing aid through PRAE.
Location
Florianópolis is the capital of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil, mostly on an island, with beaches and hills close to the Trindade campus. The city is home to UFSC's largest campus, while the other four campuses (Araranguá, Blumenau, Curitibanos and Joinville) are in different cities in the state. Expect a mild, humid subtropical climate.
Nearest airport: Florianópolis-Hercílio Luz International Airport (FLN)
Notable alumni
- MD Michel DoukerisCEO of AB InBev; degree in chemical engineering from UFSC
- EA Esperidião AminPolitician; twice governor of Santa Catarina; studied business administration (ESAG/UDESC) and law at UFSC (per Portuguese Wikipedia)
- MD Manoel DiasPolitician; law graduate of UFSC who practised law in Criciúma
- DB Dário BergerPolitician; mayor of Florianópolis 2005 to 2012 and senator for Santa Catarina from 2015; business administration degree from UFSC (per Wikipedia)
- LA Lola AronovichFeminist blogger and professor; master's (2005) and doctorate (2009) in letters at UFSC (graduate study)
- LM Liane Marcia RossiChemist and professor at the University of São Paulo; graduate research at UFSC (graduate study)
- SN Susana NaspoliniTelevision presenter and journalist (1972 to 2022); passed the UFSC entrance exam for social communication in 1990 but left after a year to study theatre (non-degree study)
Frequently asked questions
Is UFSC free for international students?
UFSC is a federal public university. The Brazilian Constitution (Article 206, IV) and the LDB (Article 3, VI) set free public teaching in official institutions as a general principle, and neither text mentions nationality. UFSC's pages fetched do not state a tuition rule for foreign degree students, so confirm with COPERVE and the international office. Exchange students pay no fees at UFSC (except for outreach, extracurricular or other non-regular activities).
Can foreigners apply to UFSC?
Yes. UFSC states foreigners can register for the Vestibular and for ENEM (for SiSU), and it also admits students via the PEC-G programme (through Brazilian embassies) and a special process for refugees. Since 2025 there is also a school-record process for remaining places.
What is the UFSC application deadline for 2027?
The Vestibular 2027 registration closed on 23 September 2026, with the exam on 5 and 6 December 2026. SiSU 2027 dates for the remaining 30 percent of places have not been published.
Are UFSC courses taught in English?
No. All undergraduate and graduate courses are taught in Portuguese, apart from foreign-language courses and a catalogue of subjects offered in other languages.
How competitive is UFSC?
UFSC in Numbers 2025 reports 87,558 registered candidates and 6,550 undergraduate places for the Vestibular and SiSU (reference year not stated), about 13 candidates per place. That is a ratio of candidates to places, not an admit rate.
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.
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