Best Universities for Petroleum Engineering in Latin America

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Latin America ranked based on their research performance in Petroleum Engineering. A graph of 158K citations received by 12.9K academic papers made by 58 universities in Latin America was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. State University of Campinas

Brazil | Campinas

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Brazil

#95 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1966

2. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil | Rio de Janeiro

For Petroleum Engineering

#2 in Brazil

#131 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 67,329
Founded: 1920

3. University of Sao Paulo

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Petroleum Engineering

#3 in Brazil

#146 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 97,964
Founded: 1827

4. National Autonomous University of Mexico

Mexico | Mexico City

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Mexico

#181 in the World

Enrollment: 360,883
Founded: 1551

5. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil | Rio de Janeiro

For Petroleum Engineering

#4 in Brazil

#215 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1941

6. Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte

For Petroleum Engineering

#5 in Brazil

#347 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Founded: 1958

7. National University of Colombia

Colombia | Bogota

For Petroleum Engineering

#384 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 54,284
Founded: 1867

8. Federal University of Santa Catarina

Brazil | Florianopolis

For Petroleum Engineering

#6 in Brazil

#443 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1960

9. National Polytechnic Institute

Mexico | Mexico City

For Petroleum Engineering

#2 in Mexico

#453 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 170,000
Founded: 1936

10. Federal University of Espirito Santo

Brazil | Vitoria

For Petroleum Engineering

#7 in Brazil

#525 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Enrollment: 23,744
Founded: 1954

11. Central University of Venezuela

Venezuela | Caracas

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Venezuela

#529 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1721

12. Sao Paulo State University

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Petroleum Engineering

#8 in Brazil

#548 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Founded: 1976

13. Federal University of Bahia

Brazil | Salvador

For Petroleum Engineering

#9 in Brazil

#560 in the World

Founded: 1946

14. University of Buenos Aires

Argentina | Buenos Aires

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Argentina

#566 in the World

Enrollment: 262,932
Founded: 1821

15. Federal University of Ceara

Brazil | Fortaleza

For Petroleum Engineering

#10 in Brazil

#593 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1954

16. Federal University of Minas Gerais

Brazil | Belo Horizonte

For Petroleum Engineering

#11 in Brazil

#614 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 45,038
Founded: 1927

17. University of the Andes

Venezuela | Merida

For Petroleum Engineering

#2 in Venezuela

#628 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Founded: 1810

18. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil | Porto Alegre

For Petroleum Engineering

#12 in Brazil

#634 in the World

Founded: 1934

19. University of Zulia

Venezuela | Maracaibo

For Petroleum Engineering

#3 in Venezuela

#655 in the World

Founded: 1891

20. Industrial University of Santander

Colombia | Bucaramanga

For Petroleum Engineering

#659 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Founded: 1948

21. University of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago Flag

Trinidad and Tobago | Arima

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Trinidad and Tobago

#663 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Enrollment: 7,197
Male:Female: 52:48
Founded: 2004

22. Federal University of Parana

Brazil | Curitiba

For Petroleum Engineering

#13 in Brazil

#667 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1912

23. Simon Bolivar University, Venezuela

Venezuela | Caracas

For Petroleum Engineering

#4 in Venezuela

#681 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1967

24. Federal University of Uberlandia

Brazil | Uberlandia

For Petroleum Engineering

#14 in Brazil

#694 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 25,494
Founded: 1969

25. Federal University of Pernambuco

Brazil | Recife

For Petroleum Engineering

#15 in Brazil

#708 in the World

Founded: 1946

26. Monterrey Institute of Technology

Mexico | Monterrey

For Petroleum Engineering

#3 in Mexico

#709 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Enrollment: 9,000
Founded: 1943

27. Federal University of Sao Paulo

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Petroleum Engineering

#16 in Brazil

#713 in the World

Founded: 1933

28. Federal University of Alagoas

Brazil | Maceio

For Petroleum Engineering

#17 in Brazil

#720 in the World

Founded: 1961

29. Metropolitan Autonomous University

Mexico | Mexico City

For Petroleum Engineering

#4 in Mexico

#729 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Enrollment: 61,152
Founded: 1974

30. Fluminense Federal University

Brazil | Niteroi

For Petroleum Engineering

#18 in Brazil

#770 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1960

31. Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Chile | Santiago

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Chile

#790 in the World

Enrollment: 33,971
Founded: 1888

32. Federal University of Campina Grande

Brazil | Campina Grande

For Petroleum Engineering

#19 in Brazil

#807 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Founded: 2002

33. State University of Maringa

Brazil | Maringa

For Petroleum Engineering

#20 in Brazil

#821 in the World

Founded: 1970

34. National University of La Plata

Argentina | La Plata

For Petroleum Engineering

#2 in Argentina

#824 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1905

35. University of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil | Rio de Janeiro

For Petroleum Engineering

#21 in Brazil

#841 in the World

Founded: 1950

36. Catholic University of Santos

Brazil | Santos

For Petroleum Engineering

#22 in Brazil

#869 in the World

Founded: 1986

37. Federal University of Paraiba

Brazil | Joao Pessoa

For Petroleum Engineering

#23 in Brazil

#896 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1955

38. Federal University of Technology - Parana

Brazil | Curitiba

For Petroleum Engineering

#24 in Brazil

#903 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1909

39. Federal University of Para

For Petroleum Engineering

#25 in Brazil

#940 in the World

Founded: 1957

40. University of Brasilia

Brazil | Brasilia

For Petroleum Engineering

#26 in Brazil

#967 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1962

41. University of the Andes, Colombia

Colombia | Bogota

For Petroleum Engineering

#1004 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Founded: 1949

42. Federal University of Sao Carlos

Brazil | Sao Carlos

For Petroleum Engineering

#27 in Brazil

#1011 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Founded: 1968

43. Federal University of Santa Maria

Brazil | Santa Maria

For Petroleum Engineering

#28 in Brazil

#1081 in the World

Founded: 1960

44. South Colombian University

Colombia | Neiva

For Petroleum Engineering

#1082 in the World

Founded: 1976

45. University of Chile

Chile | Santiago

For Petroleum Engineering

#2 in Chile

#1107 in the World

Founded: 1842

46. Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso

Chile | Valparaiso

For Petroleum Engineering

#3 in Chile

#1132 in the World

Founded: 1928

47. Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil | Seropedica

For Petroleum Engineering

#29 in Brazil

#1142 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Founded: 1910

48. University of Guanajuato

Mexico | Guanajuato

For Petroleum Engineering

#5 in Mexico

#1184 in the World

Enrollment: 44,503
Founded: 1945

49. Michoacan University of Saint Nicholas of Hidalgo

Mexico | Morelia

For Petroleum Engineering

#6 in Mexico

#1215 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Founded: 1540

50. University of the Northeast

Mexico | Tampico

For Petroleum Engineering

#7 in Mexico

#1240 in the World

Founded: 1970

51. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil | Porto Alegre

For Petroleum Engineering

#30 in Brazil

#1279 in the World

Founded: 1948

52. National Polytechnic School, Ecuador

Ecuador | Quito

For Petroleum Engineering

#1 in Ecuador

#1286 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Founded: 1869

53. University of Concepcion

Chile | Concepcion

For Petroleum Engineering

#4 in Chile

#1315 in the World

Founded: 1920

54. Federal University of Sergipe

Brazil | Sao Cristovao

For Petroleum Engineering

#31 in Brazil

#1329 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1963

55. Federal Foundation University of Rio Grande

Brazil | Rio Grande

For Petroleum Engineering

#32 in Brazil

#1335 in the World

Founded: 1969

56. University of Antioquia

Colombia | Medellin

For Petroleum Engineering

#1366 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1803

57. Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon

Mexico | San Nicolas de los Garza

For Petroleum Engineering

#8 in Mexico

#1384 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Founded: 1933

58. Autonomous University of Puebla

Mexico | Delicias

For Petroleum Engineering

#9 in Mexico

#1387 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Founded: 1587

Engineering subfields in Latin America

Acoustical Engineering277

Aerospace Engineering282

Agricultural Engineering68

Applied/Engineering Physics41

Architectural Engineering54

Automation and Control engineering103

Automotive Engineering114

Biochemical Engineering70

Biomedical Engineering84

Biotechnology251

Chemical Engineering289

Civil Engineering211

Computer Engineering90

Computer Networking269

Construction Management34

Electrical Engineering324

Electronic Engineering194

Engineering Management52

Environmental Engineering196

Firefighting and Fire Science30

Geotechnical Engineering229

Human-Computer Interaction221

Industrial Engineering29

Landscape Architecture23

Marine Engineering31

Materials Science371

Mechanical Engineering369

Metallurgical Engineering323

Mining Engineering36

Nanotechnology261

Nuclear Engineering28

Operations Research97

Optical Engineering343

Polymer science and Plastics engineering37

Product and Industrial Design26

Reliability and Quality Engineering99

Remote Sensing133

Renewable Energy Engineering143

Structural Engineering230

Systems Engineering183

Technical Drawing19

Telecommunications281

Transportation Engineering70