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Best universities in South America 2024

Find the best universities in South America using Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings data

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October 16 2024
Caminito Street in Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Top six universities in South America 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities in South America

South America Rank 2024  World University Rank 2024   World University Rank 2023  University Country  City/state 
1  201–250   201–250  University of São Paulo Brazil São Paulo
2  351–400   401–500  University of Campinas Brazil São Paulo
3  401–500   401–500  Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Chile  Santiago 
=4  601–800   1001–1200  Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Brazil  Porto Alegre 
=4  601–800   1001–1200  Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Brazil  Rio de Janeiro 
=4  601–800   601–800  Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil  Porto Alegre 

There are 13 universities from South America in the top 1,000 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024. 

Just under half of these South American universities are in Brazil, including the University of São Paulo in first place, in the top 250 in the world. 

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Chile has 28 universities in the full ranking, followed by Colombia with 21 institutions, Ecuador with seven, Argentina with three, and Peru with three. The main language of instruction at these South American universities is either Portuguese or Spanish.

The South America filter of the THE World University Rankings 2024 supplements a specific Latin America ranking last published in July 2023, which includes Central American universities.

Top 3 universities in South America

=2. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile has a history that dates back to 1888, making it one of the country's oldest universities.

It is one of six private Catholic institutions in the country.

The university has four campuses located in Santiago, Chile's capital, and one in Villarrica, a city in the south of the country.

When the university was first established it offered courses in law, mathematics, legal sciences, and physical sciences. The university has since expanded and today it has courses available in a wide range of subjects such as architecture, engineering, and philosophy.

=2. University of Campinas

The University of Campinas is commonly called Unicamp, and it is a public research university in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

It was opened in 1966, and although it is one of Brazil’s younger institutions it has established itself as a primary medical and scientific research centre.

The campus has a unique design, with the main library, student service buildings and restaurant in a central circular plaza, and most of the academic buildings located in blocks radiating out from the centre. 

1. University of São Paulo

The University of São Paulo is Brazil’s largest public institution of higher education and one of the largest in South America.

There are currently about 83,000 students enrolled across 11 campuses, four of which are in São Paulo.

It is unsurprising that the institution is the best South American-university in the World University Rankings 2024; it was also named the most prestigious Latin American-university in a survey of top scholars and is second in the overall Latin America rankings.

Alumni have a strong track record of becoming CEOs of the world’s largest companies. Twelve Brazilian presidents graduated from USP.

When it was founded in 1934, the university attracted famous foreign professors and created a new standard for teaching and research in the country.

More than 200 undergraduate programmes and 200 postgraduate programmes are offered across the full range of academic disciplines.

In addition to its faculties, the university operates four hospitals and 24 museums and galleries across its campuses.

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Best universities in South America 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 results

South America Rank 2024  World University Rank 2024   World University Rank 2023  University Country  City/state 
1  201–250   201–250  University of São Paulo Brazil São Paulo
2  351–400   401–500  University of Campinas Brazil São Paulo
3  401–500   401–500  Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Chile  Santiago 
=4  601–800   1001–1200  Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Brazil  Porto Alegre 
=4  601–800   1001–1200  Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Brazil  Rio de Janeiro 
=4  601–800   601–800  Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil  Porto Alegre 
=7  801–1000   1001–1200  University of the Andes, Colombia Colombia Bogotá
=7  801–1000   1001–1200  University of Chile Chile  Santiago 
=7  801–1000   NR  University of la Costa Colombia Barranquilla
=7  801–1000   801–1000  Federal University of Minas Gerais Brazil  Minas Gerais 
=7  801–1000   1001–1200  Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Brazil Florianópolis
=7  801–1000   601–800  Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Brazil São Paulo
=7  801–1000   801–1000  Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) Brazil  Rio de Janeiro 
=14  1001–1200   801–1000  Universidad Autónoma de Chile Chile Temuco, Talca and Santiago
=14  1001–1200   601–800  University of Desarrollo Chile Concepción
=14  1001–1200   801–1000  Diego Portales University Chile  Santiago 
=14  1001–1200   1201–1500  Federal University of São Carlos Brazil São Carlos
=14  1001–1200   601–800  Icesi University Colombia  Cali 
=14  1001–1200   601–800  Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia Peru  Lima 
=14  1001–1200   801–1000  Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) Brazil  Porto Alegre 
=14  1001–1200   1001–1200  Universidad San Francisco de Quito Ecuador  Quito 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Adolfo Ibáñez University Chile  Santiago 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  University of the Andes, Chile Chile  Santiago 
=22  1201–1500   601–800  University of Antofagasta Chile Temuco, Talca and Santiago
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  University of Antioquia Colombia Medellín
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Austral University of Chile Chile  Valdivia 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  University of Brasília Brazil  Taguatinga 
=22  1201–1500   NR  Universidad de Cartagena Colombia  Cartagena 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  University of Concepción Chile Concepción
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Del Rosario University Colombia Bogotá
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral Ecuador  Guayaquil 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Brazil  Rio de Janeiro 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC) Brazil São Paulo
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Universidade Federal da Bahia Brazil  Salvador 
=22  1201–1500   1501+  Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) Brazil  Fortaleza 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federal University of Espírito Santo Brazil Espírito Santo
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federal University of Goiás Brazil Goiás
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federal University of Lavras Brazil  Lavras 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) Brazil Paraná
=22  1201–1500   1501+  Federal University of Pernambuco Brazil  Recife 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federal University of Rio  Grande do Norte (UFRN) Brazil  Natal 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federal University of Santa Maria Brazil  Santa Maria 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federal University of Uberlândia Brazil  Minas Gerais 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federal University of Viçosa Brazil Viçosa
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Federico Santa María Technical University Chile  Valparaiso 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  University of La Frontera Chile  Temuco 
=22  1201–1500   1001–1200  National University of Colombia Colombia Bogotá
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Pontifical Catholic University of Peru Peru  Lima 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso Chile Valparaiso
=22  1201–1500   801–1000  Pontifical Javeriana University Colombia Bogotá
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná Brazil Paraná
=22  1201–1500   801–1000  University of La Serena Chile  La Serena 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  University of Talca Chile  Talca 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  University of Tarapacá Chile  Arica 
=22  1201–1500   1201–1500  Unisinos University Brazil São Leopoldo
=56  1501+   1501+  University of the Andes, Venezuela Venezuela Mérida
=56  1501+   1201–1500  Universidad Andrés Bello (UNAB) Chile  Santiago 
=56  1501+   NR  Antonio Nariño University Colombia Bogotá
=56  1501+   NR  Bernardo O’Higgins University Chile  Santiago 
=56  1501+   1501+  University of Bío-Bío Chile Concepción
=56  1501+   NR  University of Caldas Colombia Manizales
=56  1501+   1501+  Catholic University of Brasília Brazil  Taguatinga 
=56  1501+   1201–1500  Catholic University of the North Chile  Antofagasta 
=56  1501+   NR  Universidad Católica del Maule Chile  Talca 
=56  1501+   NR  Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción Chile Concepción
=56  1501+   1501+  University of Caxias do Sul Brazil  Caxias do Sul 
=56  1501+   1501+  Ceará State University Brazil  Fortaleza 
=56  1501+   NR  Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca (CEFET-RJ) Brazil  Rio de Janeiro 
=56  1501+   NR  CES University Colombia Medellín
=56  1501+   1501+  EAFIT University Colombia Medellín
=56  1501+   1201–1500  El Bosque University Colombia Bogotá
=56  1501+   1501+  Escuela Politécnica Nacional Ecuador  Quito 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina Brazil  Santa Catarina 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro Brazil  Rio de Janeiro 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Estadual de Maringá Brazil Maringá
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste) Brazil Paraná
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) Brazil  Porto Alegre 
=56  1501+   1501+  Federal University of Itajubá Brazil Itajubá
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora Brazil  Juiz de Fora 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Federal do Maranhão (UFMA) Brazil São Luís
=56  1501+   1501+  Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul Brazil  Campo Grande 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP) Brazil  Ouro Preto 
=56  1501+   1501+  Federal University of Pará Brazil  Belem 
=56  1501+   1501+  Federal Rural University of Pernambuco Brazil  Recife 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Arido Brazil Mossoró
=56  1501+   801–1000  Universidade Federal de Sergipe Brazil São Cristóvão
=56  1501+   1501+  Fluminense Federal University Brazil  Rio de Janeiro 
=56  1501+   1001–1200  University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR) Brazil  Fortaleza 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas – ESPE Ecuador  Quito 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) Colombia  Santander 
=56  1501+   1201–1500  Londrina State University Brazil  Londrina 
=56  1501+   NR  University of Los Lagos Chile  Osorno 
=56  1501+   1501+  Mackenzie Presbyterian University Brazil São Paulo
=56  1501+   NR  Universidad Mayor Chile  Santiago 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidad Nacional del Litoral Argentina  Santa Fe 
=56  1501+   1501+  National University of Córdoba Argentina Córdoba
=56  1501+   1201–1500  National University of San Martín Argentina  Buenos Aires 
=56  1501+   1201–1500  University of the North, Colombia Colombia  Barranquilla 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Nove de Julho (Uninove) Brazil São Paulo
=56  1501+   1501+  Nueva Granada Military University Colombia Bogotá
=56  1501+   1501+  Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia Colombia  Tunja 
=56  1501+   1501+  University of Pernambuco Brazil  Recife 
=56  1501+   NR  Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) Peru  Lima 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidad Politécnica Salesiana Ecuador  Cuenca 
=56  1501+   1501+  Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais Brazil  Minas Gerais 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) Colombia Medellín
=56  1501+   1501+  Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Ecuador  Quito 
=56  1501+   1501+  University of La Sabana Colombia  Chia 
=56  1501+   1501+  San Sebastián University Chile  Santiago 
=56  1501+   1201–1500  University of Santiago, Chile (USACH) Chile  Santiago 
=56  1501+   NR  State University of Bahia Brazil  Bahia 
=56  1501+   1501+  State University of Ponta Grossa Brazil Paraná
=56  1501+   1501+  State University of Santa Cruz Brazil  Bahia 
=56  1501+   1501+  Technical University of Loja Ecuador  Loja 
=56  1501+   1201–1500  Technological University of Pereira Colombia  Pereira 
=56  1501+   1501+  Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR) Brazil Paraná
=56  1501+   1501+  Temuco Catholic University Chile  Temuco 
=56  1501+   NR  Universidad del Valle Colombia  Cali 
=56  1501+   1501+  University of Valparaíso Chile Valparaíso

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