Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Brazil's first official higher-education institution: tuition-free, entered via ENEM and SISU, 50,000+ undergrads.
- Students
- 67,020
- 50,935 undergraduates
- Tuition
- Free
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1920
- QS World Ranking
- #367
- 2027 edition
About UFRJ
UFRJ describes itself as Brazil's first official higher-education institution: its Escola Politécnica has taught since 1792, making it the oldest engineering school in the Americas, and the university itself was organised in 1920. Its alumni include the writers Jorge Amado, Clarice Lispector and Vinícius de Moraes, the architect Oscar Niemeyer, the physicians Oswaldo Cruz and Carlos Chagas, and Artur Ávila, the first Latin American to win the Fields Medal.
It is a very large public university: 50,935 undergraduates were registered in 2025/2, plus about 16,085 graduate students, taught by 4,652 professors in 171 on-campus bachelor's programmes. Teaching and research are grouped into six centres (Law and Economics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Philosophy and Human Sciences, Letters and Arts, and Technology), spread over the Cidade Universitária island campus, the historic Praia Vermelha campus, buildings in central Rio, and campuses in Duque de Caxias and Macaé. COPPE, its engineering graduate institute, is described by the university as the largest engineering teaching and research centre in Latin America.
Like all Brazilian federal universities, UFRJ charges no tuition. Almost all first-year places, about 9,000 a year, are filled through SISU using ENEM scores, with half of every course reserved for public-school students under affirmative action. Foreign students usually enter through the government's PEC-G programme or special transfer routes, and teaching is in Portuguese. It suits students who want a research university and don't mind a large, sprawling system.
A Universidade do Brasil
“The University of Brazil” — university motto
Why students choose UFRJ
There are no tuition fees: free public education in official institutions is guaranteed by Brazil's Constitution.
COPPE, which UFRJ describes as Latin America's largest engineering teaching and research centre, and the LabOceano deep ocean tank make it a leading place for engineering and offshore research.
With 171 on-campus bachelor's programmes, including 40 afternoon/evening or night courses, the range of options is wide.
UFRJ's alumni include Oscar Niemeyer, Clarice Lispector, Jorge Amado and Fields medallist Artur Ávila.
Admissions
Acesso 2027 (entry in 2027, using ENEM 2026)
Selectivity
UFRJ does not publish an overall admit rate. It offers about 9,000 first-year places a year through SISU, allocated by ENEM score; competition varies greatly by course and quota category.
Typical entry requirements
| Brazilian secondary education (Ensino Médio) + ENEM | Apply via SISU with your ENEM 2026 scores. In every course 50% of places are affirmative action places for students who did all of secondary school in public schools, with sub-quotas by family income and for Black, mixed-race and Indigenous candidates; the other 50% are open competition. |
|---|---|
| PEC-G (foreign students from partner countries) | Apply through the Brazilian embassy or consulate in a participating country; requires Portuguese proficiency, e.g. the Celpe-Bras certificate, or a preparatory year through PEC-PLE. |
| English language | Undergraduate teaching is in Portuguese. PEC-G candidates must prove Portuguese proficiency, usually with the Celpe-Bras certificate. |
Deadlines
- SISU 2026 regular call results (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed30 January 2026
Classified candidates had to pre-enrol online from 2 to 5 February 2026; waiting-list calls followed through August 2026.
UFRJ's basic notice for 2027 access (Edital 616/2026, published 1 June 2026) says candidates must take ENEM 2026 and follow complementary notices still to be published. SISU dates for 2027 have not been announced yet.
How to apply
Register for and sit ENEM 2026, then apply through SISU when UFRJ publishes its complementary 2027 notices. Selected candidates must complete an online pre-enrolment by the deadline or lose the place, and affirmative action candidates submit income forms and attend identity-validation procedures. Unfilled places go to waiting-list calls. Foreign nationals from partner countries can apply through PEC-G at a Brazilian embassy or consulate.
What admissions looks for
- A high ENEM score, weighted as SISU sets for each course.
- For affirmative action places, proof of secondary schooling in public schools and, where relevant, of family income and self-declared race or Indigenous status.
- For music and some arts courses, a pass in the Specific Aptitude Test (THE).
- For PEC-G applicants, secondary school completion and Portuguese proficiency.
Tips for applying to UFRJ
- 1 Register for ENEM 2026: without it you cannot compete for UFRJ's 2027 places.
- 2 Watch the pre-enrolment deadline closely; in 2026 candidates had only a few days, and missing it means losing the place.
- 3 If you studied in public schools, check which affirmative action category you qualify for, since half of every course's places are reserved.
- 4 International students from PEC-G countries should apply through the Brazilian embassy; those without Celpe-Bras can do a Portuguese preparatory year through PEC-PLE.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in BRL
Tuition is free. Students admitted through affirmative action have access to support such as access and retention grants, free transport, computing facilities and academic support. UFRJ runs university restaurants and a student residence. PEC-G students may receive grants from Brazil's education and foreign ministries in some cases.
- 245 (Cidade Universitária)
- Students in the student residence
- About 30%
- Students with family income of 1.5 minimum wages or less
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Engineering (Escola Politécnica)
Teaching since 1792, which UFRJ calls the oldest engineering school in the Americas, with COPPE for graduate study.
Naval and Ocean Engineering
Ranked best in the Americas in the 2021 Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, and supported by the LabOceano deep ocean tank.
Architecture and Urbanism (FAU)
Architecture was among the world's top 100 in the QS subject rankings 2022, and UFRJ counts Oscar Niemeyer among its alumni.
Anthropology
Also in the global top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022.
Medicine
Taught within the Center for Health Sciences, UFRJ's largest centre; the university's alumni include the physicians Oswaldo Cruz and Carlos Chagas.
Research
- COPPE (Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute) is, according to UFRJ, the largest engineering teaching and research centre in Latin America.
- LabOceano has the world's deepest ocean tank for testing offshore oil and gas structures and equipment.
- UFRJ has 136 stricto sensu graduate programmes, 1,486 laboratories and a 350,000 m2 technology park.
- The Maternity School is the world's third-largest centre for treating gestational trophoblastic disease, according to Expertscape.
Schools & faculties
- Center for Legal and Economic Sciences (CCJE)
- Center for Mathematical and Natural Sciences (CCMN)
- Center for Health Sciences (CCS)
- Center for Philosophy and Human Sciences (CFCH)
- Center for Letters and Arts (CLA)
- Technology Center (CT), including the Escola Politécnica and COPPE
- Duque de Caxias campus
- Macaé campus
Student life
UFRJ is almost a city in itself: around 80,000 students and staff, 44 libraries, 19 museum units, nine health units and university restaurants. The Cidade Universitária campus hosts engineering, sciences and the technology park, while the Praia Vermelha campus keeps the historic Palácio Universitário. About a third of students live outside the city of Rio, and many commute. The university runs 1,863 outreach projects, arts activities and courses open to the public.
- 44 libraries and 19 museum units, including the Museu Nacional.
- The Palácio Universitário at Praia Vermelha is one of 40 listed historic buildings.
- A 350,000 m2 technology park with startups and established companies on the Cidade Universitária campus.
- 1,863 outreach projects, arts activities and public courses.
Housing. UFRJ has one student residence on the Cidade Universitária campus, housing 245 students, so most students live at home or rent privately.
Location
Rio de Janeiro is Brazil's second-largest city, set between mountains, beaches and Guanabara Bay. UFRJ's main Cidade Universitária campus and the historic Praia Vermelha campus are both in the city, with other units in central Rio, Duque de Caxias and Macaé. About a third of UFRJ's undergraduates live outside the city of Rio, so many commute, and only 245 students live in the university residence.
Nearest airport: Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport (GIG)
Notable alumni
- ON Oscar NiemeyerArchitect of Brasília's landmark buildings
- CL Clarice LispectorNovelist and short-story writer
- JA Jorge AmadoNovelist, author of Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon
- VM Vinícius de MoraesPoet and lyricist of bossa nova
- OC Oswaldo CruzPhysician and pioneer of public health and epidemiology in Brazil
- CC Carlos ChagasPhysician who discovered Chagas disease
- AÁ Artur ÁvilaMathematician, first Latin American to win the Fields Medal
- FB Fátima BernardesJournalist and television presenter
Frequently asked questions
Is UFRJ free?
Yes. UFRJ is a federal public university and charges no tuition; free public education in official institutions is guaranteed by Brazil's Constitution.
How do I get into UFRJ?
Take ENEM and apply through SISU. For entry in 2027, you must sit ENEM 2026. Some courses, such as music, also require a Specific Aptitude Test.
Can foreigners study at UFRJ?
Yes. Students from countries in the PEC-G programme can apply through the Brazilian embassy or consulate for a free undergraduate place, but they need Portuguese proficiency, usually the Celpe-Bras certificate.
How many places does UFRJ offer through SISU?
About 9,000 undergraduate places a year, across 171 on-campus programmes. Half of each course's places are reserved for students who studied in public schools.
Does UFRJ have student housing?
Only a little: its student residence on the Cidade Universitária campus houses 245 students, so most students live at home or rent privately.
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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