Latin America University Rankings 2026: out now

• University of São Paulo in Brazil is number one for second consecutive year 

• Brazil dominates top 10 with seven universities 

• Mexico has two top-10 universities for the first time since 2017 

• Chile has one top-10 university, after University of Chile drops out of this elite group for the first time 

• Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Brazil also drops out of the top 10 

• Ecuador joins the top 20 for the first time with UEES, Espiritu Santo University in 16th place 

• Costa Rica doubles its representation 

• Panama joins the rankings for the first time  

• 16 debut universities  

• 223 Latin American universities ranked, up from 214 last year 

• 16 countries ranked this year  

Top 10 universities overall in the THE Latin America University Rankings 2026 

= joint  

If you reproduce any part of these ranking tables or charts, please attribute it to “Times Higher Education Latin America University Rankings 2026” and link to the full list on our website.

University of São Paulo in Brazil is number one for the second year running in the Times Higher Education (THE) Latin America University Rankings 2026. Brazil dominates the top 10 with seven universities and performs strongly overall at the top of the rankings. 

Brazil’s University of Campinas retains second place, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) rises to joint fourth up from fifth, and Federal University of Minas Gerais joins the top 10 in 10th place, up from 13th. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is also joint fourth, down from third. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) retains sixth place, and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul has slipped to eighth place from seventh. 

Brazil performs strongly at the top of the table with 13 top-20 universities and 28 top-50 institutions. Overall, Brazil has 69 ranked institutions, making it the most represented country in the rankings, followed by Colombia with 38. Brazil has five newly ranked universities, led by Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP) in 28th place. 

Chile and Mexico are the only other countries represented in the top 10. Chile’s leading university, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, rises one place to third, but its second highest ranking university, University of Chile, drops out of the top 10 to 13th place, down from ninth. It is the first time that the University of Chile does not feature in the top 10 since the rankings were launched in 2016.  

Chile is the third most represented country in the rankings with 31 universities ranked. It retains a strong presence at the top of the table with 12 top-50 universities and 24 top-100 institutions. 

Mexico has two universities in the top 10 for the first time since 2017, up from one last year, but overall has experienced a lot of drops in the table, partly due to methodological changes (see below). Of Mexico’s 25 ranked universities, 20 have slipped down in the rankings. 

Mexico’s leading university is Tecnológico de Monterrey, retaining its position in seventh place. National Autonomous University of Mexico is Mexico’s second highest ranked institution, rising to join the top 10 in ninth place up from 15th. 

Colombia’s top two universities slip down the table, but overall Colombia achieves a strong performance at the top of the rankings with 14 top-100 universities, double the number from last year. Its leading institution is University of the Andes, Colombia in 14th position down from 12th. 

Argentina has suffered some drops in this year’s rankings with only three top-100 universities, down from eight, primarily due to methodology changes (see below). Its top university is National University of La Plata in joint-62nd place, down from 28th. However, it has four newly ranked universities all in the band 151+, and its overall representation has increased to 12, up from nine.  

Panama is the only new country to join the rankings with University of Panama in band 151+. 

Altogether there are 223 universities ranked from 16 countries, up from 214 universities from 16 countries last year. In terms of representation, Ecuador, Argentina and Costa Rica do well in increasing their institution counts. Ecuador and Argentina each increase their overall totals by three institutions respectively, and Costa Rica doubles its representation with four ranked institutions up from two. 

Previously in the Latin America University Rankings methodology, scoring was based on comparison to other universities in the Latin America region only. This year, as part of THE’s efforts to streamline its rankings, a change in the methodology has meant the scoring has been done on a global basis, as it is in the World University Rankings. This has meant some significant drops in scores and ranks across the table and we would advise caution when making comparisons with previous years’ results.  

This year’s release is named the Latin America University Rankings 2026 because it uses data from the World University Rankings 2026 edition and is part of the same annual data cycle. Last year’s Latin America rankings was named the 2024 edition but no years have been skipped since the inaugural Latin America University Rankings in 2016. 

Ellie Bothwell, THE’s rankings editor, said: “While Brazil dominates at the very top of the rankings, it is inspiring to see increasing diversity and strength in depth across the Latin America region. More Latin American universities than ever before are included in the rankings, and there have been some encouraging developments this year, including Ecuador’s first regional top-20 institution.  

“Universities in Latin America have been operating under difficult conditions in recent years, particularly when it comes to the funding of higher education, but the results show the sector’s strength and resilience in the face of these challenges.” 

Latin America University Rankings 2026: country representation and top-ranked institutions 

= joint  

If you reproduce any part of these ranking tables or charts, please attribute it to “Times Higher Education Latin America University Rankings 2026” and link to the full list on our website.

Methodology 

The methodology behind the Latin America University Rankings is based on the same comprehensive and trusted framework as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.  

The Latin America University Rankings is calculated based on broadly the same set of performance indicators as the World University Rankings, but the weightings are recalibrated to reflect the priorities of institutions in the region.   

There are 16 performance indicators grouped into five pillars: research quality (research strength, research excellence and research influence); teaching (the learning environment); research environment (volume, income and reputation); international outlook (staff, students, research); and industry (income and patents).  

Previously in the Latin America University Rankings methodology, scoring was based on comparison to other universities in the Latin America region only. This year, as part of THE’s efforts to streamline its rankings, a change in the methodology has meant the scoring has been done on a global basis, as it is in the World University Rankings. This has meant some significant drops in scores and ranks across the table and we would advise caution when making comparisons with previous years’ results. 

This year’s release is named the Latin America University Rankings 2026 because it uses data from the World University Rankings 2026 edition and is part of the same annual data cycle. Last year’s Latin America rankings was named the 2024 edition but no years have been skipped since the inaugural Latin America University Rankings in 2016. 

View the full methodology for the Latin America University Rankings 2026.

Notes to editors 

1. For more information, or to arrange an interview, please email media@timeshighereducation.com 

1. THE is the trusted global data partner for higher education. Drawing on five decades of expertise in the sector, millions of individual data points and with more unique institutions participating in our flagship university rankings than any other, we offer deeper and richer insight into university performance than anyone else. From powerful data-driven insights and strategic consultancy support to agenda-setting events, student recruitment and hiring solutions, our products and services enable everyone in higher education to make smarter, more informed decisions. For more information, visit Times Higher Education or find us on Twitter/X: @timeshighered @THEworldunirank