Santa Catarina State University

What Santa Catarina State University does

Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC) is a public state university founded in 1965 and operated by the Government of Santa Catarina, Brazil, with its main campus in Florianópolis and additional teaching centers distributed across the state (Joinville, Lages, Chapecó, Balneário Camboriú, Ibirama, and others). The institution provides tuition-free higher education to undergraduate and graduate (master's and doctoral) students admitted through vestibular exams, ENEM/SISU, or historical school records, and extends reach through the Centro de Educação a Distância (CEAD) and 25+ distance learning support poles operating under the Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB) system. UDESC is ranked among the top 50 universities in Brazil for scientific production, hosts 19 peer-reviewed journals on its Portal de Periódicos, and runs extension and cultural programs statewide.

The university operates a comprehensive internal technology portfolio managed by its Secretaria de Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (SETIC). Core platforms include idUdesc (centralized SSO authentication and digital identity), SIGAA (integrated academic management being migrated to a UFRN-developed version), Moodle (virtual learning environment with ~53,000 registered users and Big Blue Button integration for video classes), Pergamum (library management), COVEST (admissions), and Sigpat (internally developed asset management system now deployed university-wide after winning a state-level innovation award). Supplemental infrastructure includes VMware Horizon-based virtual labs, Open Journal Systems for the 19 journals, and the Minha Biblioteca ebook integration (8,000+ titles via idUdesc single sign-on).

UDESC's business model is that of a publicly funded state entity: the Government of Santa Catarina provides the majority of operating and capital funding, undergraduate tuition is free, and revenue is not transactional per student. Limited commercial-style activity includes paid-access contracts for digital content (R$ 307,800 annually for Minha Biblioteca) and grant-funded research through bodies such as FAPESC. Operational revenue band is estimated at $100M-$250M USD based on scale proxies (1,001-5,000 employees, 12 teaching centers, 25+ distance learning poles), though no consolidated budget figure is publicly disclosed in the source data.

Name

Santa Catarina State University

Legal name

Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina

Website

https://udesc.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

UDESC is a public state university in Santa Catarina, Brazil, offering tuition-free undergraduate and graduate programs across 12 campuses and 25+ distance learning poles, with ~53,000 active LMS users and a top-50 national ranking for scientific production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Identity, Access Control & Device Authentication Infrastructure (SSO/Directory, NAC) (EDAEAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Identity & Access Management (SSO/MFA) for Education (EDAFALAI)

Keywords

• Public higher education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate research programs
• Distance learning courses
• University extension services

Headquarters

HQ city

Florianópolis

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Santa Catarina State University (UDESC) is a public state university offering higher education programs including 60+ undergraduate courses, master's and doctoral graduate programs, distance learning courses through CEAD and the UAB system, university extension activities, and scientific research. It operates across 12 teaching centers and 25+ distance learning poles throughout Santa Catarina, Brazil, with most undergraduate tuition provided free of charge. Supporting operations is an integrated digital ecosystem including idUdesc (authentication), SIGAA (academic management), Moodle (virtual learning), Pergamum (library), Sigpat (asset management), and the Portal de Periódicos hosting 19 scientific journals.

Product overview

UDESC operates a comprehensive institutional technology portfolio centered on its web portal ecosystem. The core platform includes idUdesc (centralized authentication and digital identity), SIGAA (academic management), and a network of specialized systems. Teaching and learning are supported by Moodle (learning management) and CEAD (distance education, with 25+ support poles across Santa Catarina). Research output is managed through the Portal de Periódicos (19 journals on OJS) and the NIT. Administrative operations rely on Sigpat (asset management), COVEST (admissions), Pergamum (library), and SIGRH (HR). The Minha Biblioteca integration provides 8,000+ ebooks via idUdesc. All systems are interconnected through UDESC's datacenter (10Gbps link) managed by SETIC, with virtual labs (VDI via VMware Horizon) complementing on-campus infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centro de Educação a Distância (CEAD): Distance education center offering online and UAB (Universidade Aberta do Brasil) programs

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Over 60 undergraduate courses across multiple fields including Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Fashion, Design, Music, Accounting, Agrarian Sciences, Education, Engineering, and Health Sciences, offered free of charge to students admitted through vestibular exams, ENEM/SISU, or historical school record selection.
• Graduate Programs (Master's and Doctoral) Stricto sensu graduate programs including master's and doctoral degrees across multiple academic areas, supporting advanced research training and production of scientific knowledge.
• CEAD Distance Learning Programs Distance education programs offered through the Centro de Educação a Distância (CEAD) under the UAB system, delivered via Moodle and Big Blue Button, reaching populations with limited access to traditional university education across 25+ support poles in Santa Catarina.
• University Extension Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 scientific journals hosted on Portal de Periódicos covering diverse research areas
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG): One of Brazil's largest federal universities, comparable to UDESC as a comprehensive public university with strong research output and broad program offerings. UFMG is consistently ranked among Brazil's top universities and sets standards for public higher education.
• Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP): Leading state university in São Paulo state, comparable to UDESC as a Brazilian state university with strong research output and selective admissions. UNICAMP is consistently ranked among Brazil's top universities and shares the public state university funding model and competitive landscape.
• Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR): Federal university in the neighboring state of Paraná, comparable to UDESC in geographic scope and academic profile. UFPR is one of Brazil's oldest universities and serves as a direct competitor for students in southern Brazil.
• Universidade de São Paulo (USP): Premier state university in Brazil, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple campuses in São Paulo state. USP sets the benchmark for Brazilian state universities and competes with UDESC for top students, faculty talent, and research prestige at the national level.
• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS): Top federal university in Brazil's southern region, comparable to UDESC in geographic positioning and academic scope. UFRGS is a leading research university that competes with UDESC for southern Brazilian students and faculty, particularly in graduate programs.
• Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ): State university in Rio de Janeiro comparable to UDESC as a public state university offering undergraduate and graduate programs. UERJ shares the state university funding model and similar challenges of competing against federal institutions in its state.
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUC-PR): Major private university in Paraná state offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Comparable to UDESC as a regional competitor for students in southern Brazil, with PUC-PR representing the private university alternative that competes for the same student pool in adjacent states.
• Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP): Major multi-campus state university system in São Paulo state offering undergraduate and graduate programs across the state. Comparable to UDESC as a multi-campus public state university with distributed teaching centers and active research output.
• Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF): Federal university in Rio de Janeiro state offering comprehensive higher education programs across multiple campuses. Comparable to UDESC as a public university serving regional populations through a distributed campus model.

Direct peers

• Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC): Federal university in the same state (Santa Catarina) as UDESC, directly competing for students, faculty, and research funding. UFSC is the largest higher education institution in the state and operates with substantially larger federal funding sources, making it UDESC's most direct local competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/udesc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/canaludesc
• Facebookfacebook.com/udesc
• Instagraminstagram.com/udesc.oficial

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Santa Catarina State University