41 Best universities for Criminology and Criminal Justice in Brazil

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Brazil ranked based on their research performance in Criminology and Criminal Justice. A graph of 47.3K citations received by 7.69K academic papers made by 41 universities in Brazil 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. University of Sao Paulo

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#1 in Latin America

#217 in the World

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

2. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil | Rio de Janeiro

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#3 in Latin America

#403 in the World

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

3. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil | Porto Alegre

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#6 in Latin America

#469 in the World

Founded: 1934

4. Federal University of Minas Gerais

Brazil | Belo Horizonte

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#7 in Latin America

#472 in the World

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

5. University of Brasilia

Brazil | Brasilia

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#9 in Latin America

#496 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1962

6. University of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil | Rio de Janeiro

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#10 in Latin America

#502 in the World

Founded: 1950

7. State University of Campinas

Brazil | Campinas

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#13 in Latin America

#529 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1966

8. Federal University of Santa Catarina

Brazil | Florianopolis

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#14 in Latin America

#549 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1960

9. Federal University of Bahia

Brazil | Salvador

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#16 in Latin America

#627 in the World

Founded: 1946

10. Sao Paulo State University

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#18 in Latin America

#676 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Founded: 1976

11. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil | Rio de Janeiro

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#19 in Latin America

#683 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1941

12. Federal University of Pernambuco

Brazil | Recife

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#20 in Latin America

#714 in the World

Founded: 1946

13. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil | Porto Alegre

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#21 in Latin America

#716 in the World

Founded: 1948

14. Federal University of Sao Paulo

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#25 in Latin America

#762 in the World

Founded: 1933

15. Fluminense Federal University

Brazil | Niteroi

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#26 in Latin America

#765 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1960

16. Federal University of Paraiba

Brazil | Joao Pessoa

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#29 in Latin America

#832 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1955

17. Federal University of Sao Carlos

Brazil | Sao Carlos

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#30 in Latin America

#884 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Founded: 1968

18. Federal University of Parana

Brazil | Curitiba

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#33 in Latin America

#928 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1912

19. Federal University of Ceara

Brazil | Fortaleza

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#34 in Latin America

#937 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1954

20. University of the Rio dos Sinos Valley

Brazil | Sao Leopoldo

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#35 in Latin America

#944 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Enrollment: 23,988
Founded: 1969

21. Federal University of Espirito Santo

Brazil | Vitoria

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#36 in Latin America

#974 in the World

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

22. Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#41 in Latin America

#1026 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Founded: 1946

23. University of Ribeirao Preto

Brazil | Ribeirao Preto

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#43 in Latin America

#1049 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Founded: 1924

24. Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte

Brazil | Natal

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#44 in Latin America

#1060 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Founded: 1958

25. University of Fortaleza

Brazil | Fortaleza

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#50 in Latin America

#1139 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Founded: 1973

26. Brasil University

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#51 in Latin America

#1157 in the World

Enrollment: 15,000
Founded: 1989

27. Federal University of Alagoas

Brazil | Maceio

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#54 in Latin America

#1192 in the World

Founded: 1961

28. Federal University of Pelotas

Brazil | Pelotas

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#56 in Latin America

#1212 in the World

Founded: 1969

29. Federal University of Para

Brazil | Belem

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#57 in Latin America

#1252 in the World

Founded: 1957

30. Federal University of Piaui

Brazil | Teresina

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#59 in Latin America

#1261 in the World

Founded: 1973

31. State University of Maringa

Brazil | Maringa

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#60 in Latin America

#1264 in the World

Founded: 1970

32. Federal University of Goias

Brazil | Goiania

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#62 in Latin America

#1283 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Founded: 1960

33. Federal University of Uberlandia

Brazil | Uberlandia

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#64 in Latin America

#1344 in the World

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

34. Federal University of Maranhao

Brazil | Sao Luis

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#65 in Latin America

#1377 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1966

35. Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais

Brazil | Belo Horizonte

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#66 in Latin America

#1379 in the World

Founded: 1958

36. Federal University of Santa Maria

Brazil | Santa Maria

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#67 in Latin America

#1386 in the World

Founded: 1960

37. Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul

Brazil | Campo Grande

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#70 in Latin America

#1427 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1969

38. State University of Londrina

Brazil | Londrina

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#72 in Latin America

#1437 in the World

Founded: 1970

39. Federal University of Juiz de Fora

Brazil | Juiz de Fora

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#74 in Latin America

#1444 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 16%
Founded: 1960

40. Federal University of Sergipe

Brazil | Sao Cristovao

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#77 in Latin America

#1464 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1963

41. Pontifical Catholic University of Parana

Brazil | Curitiba

For Criminology and Criminal Justice

#79 in Latin America

#1477 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Founded: 1959

The best cities to study Criminology and Criminal Justice in Brazil based on the number of universities and their ranks are Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, and Belo Horizonte.