Address: Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Engineering, Life Sciences, Computer Vision
UFMG is a leading federal research university founded in 1927, offering diverse programs with focus on sciences, engineering, and humanities.
UFMG is the federal university of Minas Gerais and one of the leading research universities in Brazil, with about 40,000 students and 13,000 staff. It was formed in 1927 by bringing together older faculties, among them the law school of 1892 and the engineering and medical schools of 1911. The main Pampulha campus lies in Belo Horizonte beside the Pampulha lake, close to the modernist church and casino designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
The state of Minas Gerais takes its name from its mines, and UFMG engineering reflects that history: mining, metallurgy and materials engineering are well established, alongside civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. The Department of Computer Science is one of the best known in Brazil, and the university has an active tradition in algorithms, networks and data science. The school of medicine and a large teaching hospital make it a major health sciences centre too.
Research focuses on health sciences, computing and engineering, with important work in tropical diseases, mineral processing and information retrieval. Agreements with Embrapa and with several international universities support exchange. BH-TEC, the technology park next to the campus, houses start-ups and corporate laboratories that cooperate with UFMG groups.
Tuition is free. Admission is mainly through the national ENEM and SiSU system, with quota places for public school graduates and other groups. Courses are taught in Portuguese. Federal universities subsidise meals in student restaurants, and the Pampulha campus offers sports facilities, libraries and housing support for low-income students.
Belo Horizonte is a city of about 2.5 million with a mild climate at altitude and a strong music and food culture. Living costs are lower than in Rio or São Paulo, and mining and manufacturing companies in the state recruit directly from the engineering schools. About 150,000 people have graduated from UFMG.
Domains taught:
Computer Vision, Engineering, Life Sciences
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Partnerships with EMBRAPA and several international universities
Research:
Research in health sciences, computing, and engineering
Fluminense Federal University offers a comparable education in computer vision, life sciences and engineering: it is smaller, enrolling about 21,000 students against roughly 40,000 here, and is also a public institution.
For students who like the computer vision, life sciences and engineering focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Federal University of Ceará fits well: it is slightly smaller, at about 28,000 students against roughly 40,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Federal University of São Carlos follows much the same lines as this university, with computer vision, life sciences and engineering as common ground, and it is smaller, enrolling about 14,000 students against roughly 40,000 here, and is also a public institution.
For students who like the computer vision, life sciences and engineering focus of this university but want another option nearby, University of São Paulo fits well: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
In terms of fields, Federal University of Uberlândia is the nearest neighbour, with computer vision, life sciences and engineering again at the core; it is smaller, enrolling about 25,000 students against roughly 40,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Beyond national borders, Konkuk University stands out as a comparable school for computer vision, life sciences and engineering; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and is smaller, enrolling about 20,000 students against roughly 40,000 here.
Kyungpook National University in South Korea is the nearest foreign match on life sciences and engineering; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain) works on the same fields as this university, chiefly computer vision, life sciences and engineering; it has almost the same size, at about 37,166 students, and is also a public institution.
Guizhou University in China shares the life sciences and engineering orientation of this university, and it covers agriculture and chemistry as well, and is slightly larger, at about 47,944 students against roughly 40,000 here.
For a study option in Israel with a comparable spread of computer vision, life sciences and engineering, Tel Aviv University is the reference point: it also offers mba programmes and covers finance and chemistry as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is UFMG?
The main Pampulha campus is at Av. Antônio Carlos 6627 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
How large is UFMG?
About 40,000 students and 13,000 staff.
Is UFMG free?
Yes. It is a federal university and undergraduate study is free of tuition.
How do you get in?
Mostly through the national ENEM and SiSU system, with quota places for public school graduates and other groups.
What language is used for teaching?
Portuguese.
What engineering fields are strongest?
Mining, metallurgy and materials engineering are well established, along with civil, electrical, mechanical and computer engineering.
Is computer science strong at UFMG?
Yes. The Department of Computer Science is one of the best known in Brazil, with research in algorithms, networks and data science.
What is BH-TEC?
It is the technology park next to the Pampulha campus, where start-ups and corporate laboratories work with university groups.
What are the main research areas?
Health sciences including tropical diseases, computing, engineering and mineral processing.
Is Belo Horizonte affordable for students?
Living costs are generally lower than in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, and the climate is mild at altitude.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Engineering, Health Sciences, Research and Development, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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