University of Sao Paulo

What University of Sao Paulo does

The University of São Paulo (USP) is a public research university founded in 1934 and maintained by the State of São Paulo as an autarquia (autonomous government entity) affiliated with the State Secretariat of Economic, Scientific and Technological Development. USP operates seven campuses across São Paulo state (capital, Bauru, Lorena, Piracicaba, Pirassununga, Ribeirão Preto, and São Carlos) plus the CEBIMar marine biology center in São Sebastião, organized into 88 teaching and research units. It serves approximately 97,561 undergraduate and graduate students, supported by 5,306 faculty and 12,610 administrative and technical staff, and educates a significant share of Brazil's Master's and Ph.D. graduates. The institution does not charge tuition at undergraduate, master's, or doctoral levels, funding operations through state budget allocations and external research grants from FAPESP, CNPq, and CAPES.

USP's core products are tuition-free undergraduate programs, graduate studies (master's and doctorate), online/distance courses, hospital services through Hospital das Clínicas and affiliated medical centers, and a research portfolio organized across more than 48 specialized centers (Redoxoma, CRID, HUG-CELL, etc.). Research infrastructure spans biology, physics, chemistry, medicine, engineering, and humanities, with distinctive technologies including the SiMFlux shadowgraphic zooplankton imaging system, the PULGA RISC-V microcontroller (13.8 mW with on-device neural networks for 40 km LoRa biodiversity monitoring), a 230-nanometer silicon metalens with 180-degree field of view, Ohr enzyme crystallographic structures for antimicrobial research, and a green synthesis method for silver nanoparticles using Brazilian arnica. The library system (ABCD) unifies 48–60 facilities under a single catalog with shared lending, and the university holds 1,000+ international cooperation agreements. Research output reached 15,429 Web of Science-indexed works, faculty have received 2,105 awards and distinctions, and USP's museums attract 1.2 million visitors annually.

USP's business model is a state-funded public service rather than a commercial enterprise. Primary revenue streams are (1) state of São Paulo operational funding, (2) research grants from FAPESP, CNPq, and CAPES, and (3) tuition-free education delivery; clinical revenue flows through Hospital das Clínicas via the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS). Customer segments are domestic undergraduate students entering via vestibular examinations, graduate students and researchers (many FAPESP/CNPq-funded), and international academic partners. Distribution is campus-based across São Paulo state plus digital/online channels, with go-to-market executed primarily through academic merit-based admissions and the International Cooperation Office rather than commercial sales. Current leadership comprises Rector Prof. Dr. Aluisio Augusto Cotrim Segurado, Vice-Rector Profa. Dra. Liedi Légi Bariani Bernucci, and Superintendent Luiz Alberto de Farias.

Name

University of Sao Paulo

Legal name

Universidade de São Paulo

Website

https://www5.usp.br

Company type

Public

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The University of São Paulo (USP) is Brazil's largest public research university, founded in 1934, offering tuition-free undergraduate, master's, and doctoral education across seven campuses in São Paulo state to approximately 97,561 students, funded by the State of São Paulo and federal research agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Flagship Public Research Universities (R1/R2) (EDAHAAAA), Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Public research university
• Graduate degree programs
• Scientific research
• Academic teaching

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (State of São Paulo): Core operational funding from the State of São Paulo government, maintained as a public autarquia (autonomous entity) affiliated with the State Secretariat of Economic, Scientific and Technological Development
2. Research Grants (FAPESP, CNPq, CAPES): External research funding from São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
3. Tuition-Free Public Education: All undergraduate, master's and doctorate courses are free, reflecting public service mission rather than revenue generation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The University of Sao Paulo (USP) is a public research university that delivers tuition-free undergraduate, master's, and doctoral education across multiple campuses in the State of Sao Paulo. It also operates teaching hospitals, a network of libraries and museums, and a broad research enterprise funded primarily by state and federal research agencies.

Product overview

The University of São Paulo (USP) operates as Brazil's premier public research university offering a unified educational platform comprising undergraduate degree programs, graduate studies (master's, doctorate, specializations), and online/distance learning courses. The institution maintains 88 organizational units across 7 campuses in São Paulo state, supported by a network of 48 libraries, hospital and clinical services, and over 48 specialized research centers. The university's core offering is free higher education across all fields of knowledge, supplemented by healthcare services, research facilities, cultural programs, and extension activities that serve both students and the broader Brazilian population.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs (Master's and Doctorate)
• Distance Learning and Online Courses
• Teaching Hospital Services
• Library and Museum Services
• Research Centers and Sponsored Research

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,429 research works indexed in Web of Science
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Queen Mary University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic delegation visit to explore research collaboration opportunities in areas including responsible AI, genomics, public health, sensing technologies, sustainable development, and social inclusion. Visit supported by UK's International Science Partnerships Fund with participation from FAPESP and FINEP funding bodies.
• University of BathcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on carbon-based photocatalyst for breaking down toxic PFAS (forever chemicals) using sunlight, combining carbon nitride with microporous polymer (PIM-1) technology.
• Nexalin TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial site at Institute of Psychiatry, Hospital das Clínicas for evaluating DIFS 15mA 77.5Hz neurostimulation device for anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Research demonstrated 77.8% anxiety response rate with no serious adverse events.
• EMBRAPA Pecuária SudestecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of biodegradable food packaging film from tambatinga fish skin collagen, demonstrating superior mechanical resistance and UV blocking properties compared to conventional materials.
• Genoma SUS ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUG-CELL at USP contributing to national genomic medicine initiative that has sequenced over 21,000 complete genomes with goal of cataloging 50,000 more for integration into Brazil's public health system (SUS).
• Flinders UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal paper led by researchers from both universities calling for WHO to recognize toxoplasmosis as a neglected tropical disease. The study highlights that toxoplasmosis affects one-third of the global population and is a leading cause of vision loss.
• Autonomous University of BarcelonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research published in Nature revealing the Casarabe civilization in Bolivia's Llanos de Moxos region, using satellite imagery and LIDAR to identify earth mounds, causeways, and irrigation systems spanning 1,000 years of settlement.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP): Brazil's other flagship public research university, also state-funded and tuition-free, with comparable research intensity and STEM focus. Direct domestic competitor for top faculty, grants, and graduate talent.
• Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA): Argentina's flagship public research university, tuition-free, comprehensive across disciplines, with strong research output. Comparable Latin American public research model.
• Tsinghua University: China's flagship public research university with very high research output and strong engineering/technology focus. Comparable scale, public funding model, and ambition in STEM and innovation.
• University of Tokyo: Japan's premier public research university with multi-campus structure, comprehensive graduate programs, and strong industry linkages. Comparable scale, public funding, and international research positioning.
• ETH Zurich: Swiss public research university with strong technology transfer and STEM focus. Comparable scale of research output and innovation pipeline, though smaller in student count.
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM): Largest public research university in Latin America with a comparable public-autonomous governance model, multi-campus structure, and tuition-free policy. Closest structural analog outside Brazil.
• Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG): Top-tier Brazilian federal public university with strong graduate programs and research output. Competes with USP for federal grants and graduate students across multiple disciplines.
• Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ): Brazil's largest federal public university with a comprehensive research profile across all fields. Competes with USP for federal research funding, faculty recruitment, and graduate students.
• Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT system): Network of Indian public research universities with strong engineering/technology focus and significant research output. Comparable public funding model and STEM specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Stanford University: Private but global benchmark for research university commercialization and tech transfer. Comparable research output scale and patent pipeline, though with much higher commercialization yield per patent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/usponline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/canalusp
• Facebookfacebook.com/usponline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidade-de-s-o-paulo
• Instagraminstagram.com/usp.oficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Sao Paulo