Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)
الجامعة البابوية الكاثوليكية في ريو دي جانيرو (PUC-Rio)
ForsaEduforsaedu.comAbout the scholarship program
The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) is a private, non-profit Jesuit university founded in 1941 in the Gávea district, and the highest-ranked private university in Brazil (571st in the QS World University Rankings 2026). It is known for engineering, economics, law, international relations and design. Undergraduate study is fee-paying, while many master’s and PhD students receive fee waivers and research scholarships.
Information last verified: November 3, 2026Official source
Tuition for international students
2026 fees are charged by credits per semester: from R$3,300 (1 credit) to R$50,640 (30 credits); a full-time student (19–24 credits) pays R$44,802–47,190 per semester. Exchange students are exempt. Master’s and PhD students can obtain a fee waiver from PUC-Rio or through CAPES, plus CAPES, CNPq or FAPERJ scholarships.
Admission for international students
Admission for international students
Bachelor’s: PUC-Rio’s own entrance exam (Vestibular PUC-Rio) in Portuguese; check the admissions site for other options. Master’s and PhD: each programme publishes a notice — for example, civil engineering master’s and PhD applications for March 2026 ran from 18 September to 7 December 2025, and an English exam must be passed to graduate.
Official admission announcementAvailable programmes
Programmes, requirements and documents will be published when the next cycle is announced. Save the scholarship to get a reminder.
Life and living
Brazil
Life and living
Brazil
Studying and living in Brazil
Costs and living
Study at public universities is free for Brazilians and foreigners at bachelor’s, master’s and PhD level, with no enrolment fees — only entrance-exam fees (for example R$228 for Fuvest). Private universities charge tuition: at PUC-Rio, for example, a full-time undergraduate (19–24 credits) paid R$44,802–47,190 per semester in 2026, while graduate students can receive fee waivers and scholarships. Living costs (R$1 ≈ US$0.19): UNESP estimates about R$2,700 a month in São Paulo city and R$1,800 in smaller inland cities, and UNICAMP advises scholarship holders to bring R$3,000 to cover the first month before their stipend arrives. For comparison, government master’s and PhD scholarships pay R$2,100 and R$3,100 a month, and FAPESP fellowships in São Paulo state pay from R$3,270 (master’s) to R$12,570 (postdoc). That is roughly US$500–900 a month depending on the city; public-university restaurants are subsidised and cheap.
Working while studying
The study visa is meant for study, and the clearest way to work during it is an internship (estágio) linked to your course under Brazil’s Internship Law, which limits higher-education students to 6 hours a day and 30 hours a week and is usually paid with an allowance. Ordinary paid employment needs a separate authorisation, and we found no current official page explaining the rules for study-visa holders, so check with your university’s international office before accepting any job. Note that CAPES, CNPq and FAPESP scholarships usually require full-time dedication to research, PEC-G requires students to return home after graduating, and PEC-PG includes a return ticket. Staying on to work after graduation requires a new residence permit based on a job contract.
Last verified: November 2026· Source
Guide to studying in BrazilFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Key questions and answers regarding eligibility, documents, and application steps.
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) is listed as: Tuition Discount. The exact benefits are not verified yet, so check the official website (https://www.puc-rio.br) before applying.
Eligible levels: Bachelor, Master, PhD.
Apply directly on the official website: https://www.puc-rio.br. ForsaEdu does not receive applications or charge any fee.
QS World University Rankings 2026
Rank#571
Track your academic readiness
Use the checklist in your profile to prepare your documents and make sure you meet this scholarship’s requirements.
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