.jpeg)
QS World University Rankings: Latin America and the Caribbean 2026 results and analysis
1 October 2025
Insights
Capabilities
Conferences
QS World University Rankings: Latin America and the Caribbean 2026 results and analysis
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile is the top-ranked university in the QS World University Rankings: Latin America and the Caribbean 2026, followed by Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Estadual de Campinas.
The 2026 rankings feature almost 500 universities across 26 locations – 58 more institutions than the previous year – making this the largest edition of the regional rankings at the time of publication.
The methodology differs from the flagship QS World University Rankings to reflect the specific strengths and considerations of Latin America and the Caribbean. Indicators including Faculty with a PhD and Webometrics are therefore more heavily weighted than in other QS rankings.
Explore the top-performing universities, the countries making the strongest gains and the key trends shaping higher education across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Top 10 Universities in Latin America and the Caribbean 2026
These are the top 10 universities in Latin America and the Caribbean in the QS 2026 rankings:
The top 10 remained relatively stable in 2026, but there were some notable changes. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile climbed to first place in the region, while UNESP recorded the largest rise among the top 10, moving up two places to joint sixth.
Beyond the top 10, 58 universities made their rankings debut. Brazil accounted for the largest number of new entrants, while the University of the West Indies St Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago was the highest-ranked new entrant at joint 127th.
Latin America and the Caribbean university ranking trends in 2026
Several higher education systems across Latin America and the Caribbean recorded strong improvements in the 2026 rankings.
Among countries with more than 10 ranked universities, Ecuador recorded the largest proportional improvement, with 18 of its 26 universities (69%) moving up and three institutions entering the rankings for the first time.
Chile and Peru also performed strongly, with 48% of their ranked universities improving their positions.
These ranking movements come as the region's higher education landscape continues to evolve, influenced by changing student mobility patterns, demand for career-focused education and growing international engagement.
Argentina
Argentina is one of the major destinations within the Latin American and Caribbean rankings, containing 44 ranked universities. Universidad de Buenos Aires is the highest-ranking Argentinian university this year, retaining its place in the top 10, and Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata making the biggest move and rising 15 places to =110th.
Their policy of free tuition fees for domestic and international students has made it a popular choice for those with a limited budget and led to them welcoming more inbound students than outbound students. This policy is currently being reconsidered to manage demand.
How are the QS Latin America and Caribbean university rankings calculated?
The indicators with the most weight in the QS World University Rankings: Latin America and the Caribbean 2026 release are Academic and Employer Reputation, International Research Network and Staff with a PhD.
Academic reputation is the most heavily weighted indicator in this year’s rankings, making up 30% of the overall score. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ranked the highest in this indicator and Uruguay had the highest average score overall. There was plenty of upwards movement within the indicator. Anton de Kom Universitiet van Suriname had the most significant upward movement, climbing 54 places this year.
Uruguay also had the highest average score in the employer reputation indicator. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile received the highest score, and Universidad Galileo was the biggest mover, climbing an outstanding 130 places. Employer reputation is very important to Latin American and Caribbean students, many of whom see postgraduate employability as a serious consideration when choosing a university, so it is the second-highest weighted indicator making up 20% of the overall score.
The international research network indicator makes up another 10% of a university’s overall score. Chile had the highest score on average for this indicator however the university to receive the highest score was Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil. Many universities were able to increase their score in this indicator, but Universidad Simón Bolívar saw the largest improvement by moving up 134 places from last year’s rank.
Staff with a PhD is also worth 10% of the overall score as it is seen as a vital step to improving the quality of education in the region. Brazil did particularly well in this area by attaining the highest average score across all its university entries. One of these Brazilian entries, Universidade de Estado de Santa Catarina, scored the highest overall for this indicator. Another, Universidade Federal de Goiás, made the biggest improvements by moving 74 places up in the rankings.
Brazil
Brazil has 130 universities ranked this year: the largest number of any country in the region. It also has the largest number of universities making their debut in the rankings with 34 newcomers. Universidade de São Paulo takes second place however there are three other Brazilian entries to the top 10. The Brazilian university with the most significant improvement this year is UFRPE which climbed 20 places to rank 138th.
Brazil’s strategy for growth includes the launch of the CAPES Global Fund for Postgrad Education in Brazil which will make Brazil a global partner in a variety of international initiatives from 2026 until 2031, helping to attract global talent.
Chile
41 of the universities in this year’s ranking and two of the top 10 are based in Chile, including the region's number one university: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Universidad de La Frontera has been the country's biggest mover, climbing 11 places to rank 53rd overall.
Chilean universities have been steadily climbing the rankings year by year. Chile is one of the countries in Latin America that places the biggest emphasis on international collaboration with ties to world-renowned institutions such as MIT and UC Berkeley. They have also seen an increase in English-taught programmes in recent years which will help to appeal to a broader international audience.
Colombia
Colombia has a total of 67 universities in this year’s regional ranking with one top 10 entrant: Universidad de Los Andes in eighth place. Colombian universities have also seen a lot of movement with Universidad de Medellin making the biggest jump of eight places to rank =140th.
Mexico
There are 67 ranked universities in the regional rankings this year. Two of these universities performed exceptionally well and made it to the top 10 but Tecnológico de Monterrey received the highest score, in fourth place. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California made the biggest advancement in the rankings by climbing 11 places to rank =127th.
.webp)
