Address: Av. Paulo Gama, 110, 90040-060 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Engineering, Materials, Physics
Established in 1934, UFRGS is a traditional research-oriented university offering wide academic and technological programs across various fields.
UFRGS is the federal university of Rio Grande do Sul, in the south of Brazil, with about 30,000 students and 11,000 staff. It was created in 1934 as the University of Porto Alegre and became federal in 1950. The campuses are spread across Porto Alegre: the Campus Centro, the large Campus do Vale where informatics, physics and agronomy are based, and further sites for health sciences and sports.
The Engineering School of Porto Alegre, founded in 1896, is among the oldest in the country and gave the university its technical base. Today the Institute of Informatics is among the best ranked in Brazil, the Institute of Physics has an active research tradition, and the graduate programme in materials engineering is well established. The state has strong industries in metal, machinery and electronics, and UFRGS graduates are well represented in them.
Research is concentrated on materials science, physics and engineering, with partnerships with international universities and Brazilian companies. Joint projects with industry are common in the metalworking and automotive sectors of southern Brazil. Exchange agreements cover Portugal, France, Germany and the United States, and the university receives a steady flow of students from neighbouring Mercosur countries.
Tuition is free. Admission is through a competitive national or university exam, with reserved seats for public school graduates and quota groups, and teaching is in Portuguese. Federal assistance covers subsidised meals and housing for students with low income, although places are limited compared with demand.
Porto Alegre sits on the Guaíba lake and has a strong German and Italian immigrant heritage, a lively cultural scene and a cooler winter than most of Brazil. About 140,000 people have graduated from UFRGS, and the city is close to Argentina and Uruguay, which makes the university attractive for students from the Southern Cone.
Domains taught:
Engineering, Materials, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Collaborations with international universities and Brazilian industry
Research:
Research in materials science, physics, and engineering
Famous Alumnis:
José Clemente Pereira
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
11000
Current students***:
30000
Foreign students***:
15%
Cumulative former students***:
140000
Pros
High academic quality, broad course portfolio
Cons
Geographic location away from main economic centers
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro is the closest domestic counterpart for physics and engineering; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte offers a comparable education in engineering: it is slightly smaller, at about 25,000 students against roughly 30,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Federal University of Santa Catarina is the closest domestic counterpart for engineering; it covers computer vision and ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 26,000 students against roughly 30,000 here.
Federal University of Minas Gerais shares the core fields of this university, namely engineering; it is slightly larger, at about 40,000 students against roughly 30,000 here, and is also a public institution.
State University of Campinas overlaps with this university on engineering, so the two are easy to compare, and it has almost the same size, at about 30,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Looking internationally, Pusan National University in South Korea is where materials and engineering get a comparable treatment; it is slightly smaller, at about 26,000 students against roughly 30,000 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Science and Technology Beijing, in China, takes a similar route through physics, materials and engineering; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Ural Federal University offers an international parallel to this institution, with physics, materials and engineering as common ground; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea is the nearest foreign match on materials and engineering; it has almost the same size, at about 31,000 students, and is private, whereas this university is public.
If this university is on your list for physics, materials and engineering, Dresden University of Technology in Germany deserves a comparison, because it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
*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 UFRGS?
The main address is Av. Paulo Gama 110 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Most technical units are at the Campus do Vale.
How large is UFRGS?
About 30,000 students and 11,000 staff.
Is UFRGS free?
Yes. It is a federal university, so undergraduate study is free of tuition.
How do you apply?
Through a competitive exam, with seats reserved for public school graduates and quota groups. Check the current admission route on the university's website.
What language is used for teaching?
Portuguese.
What are the main fields?
Engineering, informatics, physics, materials science, agronomy and health sciences.
How old is engineering at UFRGS?
The Engineering School of Porto Alegre was founded in 1896 and is among the oldest in Brazil.
What research is UFRGS known for?
Materials science, physics and engineering, with strong links to the metal, machinery and electronics industries of southern Brazil.
Does UFRGS have international exchange?
Yes, with universities in Portugal, France, Germany, the United States and neighbouring Mercosur countries.
What is Porto Alegre like for students?
It is a large city on the Guaíba lake with a lively cultural scene, a cooler winter than much of Brazil and lower living costs than São Paulo.
Additive Manufacturing, Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Engineering, Materials, Physics, Research and Development, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Materials
*: 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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