In its 20th-anniversary year, the University reaffirms its excellence and ranks among the best institutions in Brazil
UFABC stands out in the 2025 Folha University Ranking (RUF), released on Sunday (9). Celebrating two decades since the beginning of its activities, the University ranks 35th overall among 204 public and private universities evaluated nationwide.
The most notable achievement is UFABC’s national leadership in the internationalization indicator, reclaiming 1st place in this category. According to Dalmo Mandelli, Head of the International Affairs Office, this result reflects a sustained institutional effort to attract and integrate international researchers and expand global partnerships. He highlights that this year’s performance was strengthened by a new RUF methodology, which now includes the proportion of international faculty — currently over 10% at UFABC. “Internationalization is one of our core strengths, and we have established a solid presence in both national and international rankings,” he stated.
UFABC also excelled in the innovation indicator, securing 8th place nationwide. Between 2019 and 2025, the University showed consistent upward movement in this area — rising from 69th place in 2019 to the current top-ten position. This advancement reflects progress in applied research, industry collaboration, and patent registrations. According to Glaucia Bambirra Silveira, Interim Director of UFABC’s Innovation Agency, the results demonstrate the consolidation of an academic environment that fosters innovation and knowledge transfer. “UFABC has been strengthening its role in promoting innovation and engaging with society, achieving increasingly remarkable outcomes,” she noted.
Among the five major indicators assessed by the ranking — research, teaching, market performance, innovation, and internationalization — UFABC ranked among the top 20 universities in four categories, maintaining strong positions such as 14th in research and 20th in teaching.
About the Ranking
Now in its 11th edition, the Folha University Ranking has updated its methodology to incorporate data from Elsevier’s Scopus database, the same source used by major international rankings such as Times Higher Education (THE), QS, and U.S. News & World Report. Full results are available on the Folha de S. Paulo website.