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Brazil Colleges and Universities
Colleges and Universities
The system of colleges and universities expanded rapidly
in the 1970s and 1980s, reaching a total of 893 in 1993. Of these,
ninety-nine were universities and 794 were isolated colleges or
schools. Nearly all states have federal universities. The state
universities are less widespread, while the few municipal universities
or colleges are concentrated in large cities in the Southeast and
South. The Southeast Region has nearly two-thirds of the country's
colleges and universities. The number of undergraduate students
admitted in Brazil in 1990 was 407,148, of which 14.1 percent were
in federal universities, 10.9 percent in state universities, 5.9
percent in municipal universities, and 69.0 percent in private institutions.
The total number of students enrolled was about 1.5 million, and
the number of graduates was 230,000.
The best universities in Brazil generally include the University
of São
Paulo (Universidade de São Paulo--USP), the Campinas
State University (Universidade Estadual de Campinas--Unicamp), the
Federal University of Rio
de Janeiro (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro--UFRJ), the
University of Brasília (Universidade de Brasília--UnB),
and the Federal University of Minas
Gerais (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais--UFMG), all of
which are public. The private Pontifical Catholic University of
Rio de Janeiro (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do
Rio de Janeiro--PUC-RJ) is also highly ranked. Public universities
are free and do not charge tuition. Private colleges and universities,
which charge tuition, grew very rapidly during the 1970s to meet
the enormous demands of a growing middle class.
Because of the great demand for higher education and the limited
resources, both public and private colleges (faculdades ) and universities
in Brazil require an entrance examination (vestibular ). Passing
these examinations often necessitates private college-preparatory
courses, which only the upper and middle socioeconomic strata can
afford. On completion of a full academic course of study, university
students may obtain a bachelor's degree (bacharelado ) and may also
study an additional year to receive a teaching degree (licenciatura
).
The choice of majors or specialties is not well-aligned with the
job market. According to a 1993 IPEA study, two out of three students
were in the social sciences or humanities, as opposed to scientific
or technical fields. The study also concluded that four out of ten
students dropped out before graduation and that those who graduated
took an average of eight years to finish. Many of these had difficulty
paying for tuition, or living expenses, and many who gave up before
graduation realized that they were not being well prepared for the
job market (see Research and Development, ch. 6).
Graduate study grew rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1991
Brazil had 973 master's programs in almost all areas, with 39,401
students, as well as 465 doctoral programs with 12,862 students.
Because of this growth, along with budget constraints, the government
restricted fellowships for university study
abroad, which had made it possible for about 20,000 Brazilians
to obtain their advanced degrees in the United
States and Europe.
Data as of April 1997
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