Universidade Católica de Petrópolis

What Universidade Católica de Petrópolis does

Universidade Católica de Petrópolis (UCP) is a private, non-profit Catholic university founded in May 1953 in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and maintained by the Associação Faculdades Catológicas Petropolitanas under the Diocese de Petrópolis. It operates as the first higher education institution in Petrópolis and is the only private university in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state offering CAPES-accredited strictu sensu programs (master's and doctorate) in Education, Law, Psychology, and Engineering Systems Management. The institution serves undergraduate, graduate (lato sensu and strictu sensu), K-12, and community students through presencial, EAD (distance learning), and semi-presencial formats across multiple campuses including Campus Dom Cintra, Campus Dom Veloso, and the Centro Poliesportivo do Bingen.

UCP's product portfolio spans undergraduate programs (Graduação) across disciplines such as Law, Psychology, Administration, Engineering, Accounting, International Relations, Marketing, Communication, and Data Science; graduate specializations and MBAs (lato sensu); CAPES-accredited master's and doctoral programs (strictu sensu); extension courses; and the affiliated Colégio de Aplicação da UCP (CAUCP), a K-12 laboratory school with 55 years of tradition offering bilingual, robotics, and music programs. Service units include a physiotherapy school-clinic, applied psychology service, legal practice center (Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas), music school, TV UCP YouTube channel, and UCP FM radio. The institution's technology stack is conventional for higher education, with EAD delivery platforms, digital student/faculty portals, and integrations with academic infrastructure (Plataforma Lattes, Periódico da CAPES, Rede Rio, Universia). No proprietary AI/ML systems or technology differentiators are disclosed.

UCP generates revenue primarily through recurring monthly tuition across undergraduate, graduate, K-12, and extension programs, with publicly disclosed 2026 pricing and a broad scholarship/discount infrastructure including ProUni, FIES, institutional scholarships, family discounts, and installment plans (Parcele UCP). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the vestibular admission process, website inquiries, social media, and TV UCP, targeting students primarily in the Petrópolis region and interior Rio de Janeiro. Additional revenue flows through school-clinic services, extension courses, and continuing education. The institution maintains strategic partnerships with the Tribunal de Justiça do Rio de Janeiro (TJ-RJ), Kennedy Space Center/NASA via the ISS Journey program, and the Diocese de Petrópolis, among others.

Name

Universidade Católica de Petrópolis

Legal name

Universidade Católica de Petrópolis

Website

https://ucp.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Universidade Católica de Petrópolis is a private, non-profit Catholic university founded in 1953 in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, offering undergraduate, graduate, master's, and doctoral programs, plus an affiliated K-12 school, serving students across the interior of Rio de Janeiro state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAHAE

Marketing, Sales & Brand Management Schools

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate education
• Distance learning
• Catholic university education

Headquarters

HQ city

Petrópolis

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: UCP generates revenue primarily through tuition fees from undergraduate programs (presencial, EAD, semi-presencial formats), graduate specializations and MBAs (lato sensu), and master's and doctoral programs (stricto sensu). Additional revenue comes from the affiliated Colégio de Aplicação school, extension courses, and school clinic services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Universidade Católica de Petrópolis is a private Catholic university that delivers higher education services across multiple levels, including K-12 basic education through its affiliated Colégio de Aplicação da UCP, undergraduate programs offered in presencial, EAD (distance learning), and semi-presencial formats, graduate Lato Sensu (specializations and MBAs), and CAPES-accredited Stricto Sensu master's and doctoral programs in Education, Law, Psychology, and Engineering Systems Management. The institution complements academic teaching with community-facing service units (Physiotherapy school-clinic, Applied Psychology service, Legal Practice nucleus, Escola de Música, TV UCP YouTube channel, and UCP FM radio) and extension courses. It serves students in Petrópolis and surrounding regions of Rio de Janeiro state, anchored by its mission as the only private university offering stricto sensu programs in the interior of Rio de Janeiro.

Product overview

Universidade Católica de Petrópolis is a Catholic university founded in 1953 in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, offering comprehensive educational services from K-12 (Colégio de Aplicação da UCP) through undergraduate, graduate lato sensu (specialization/MBA), and stricto sensu (master's and doctoral) programs. The institution operates as a multi-module educational platform comprising: (1) K-12 schooling through CAUCP with bilingual, robotics, and music programs; (2) Undergraduate programs (Graduação) in presencial, EAD, and semi-presencial formats; (3) Graduate programs including CAPES-accredited stricto sensu in Education (Mestrado/Doutorado), Law (Mestrado), Psychology (Mestrado), and Professional Master's in Engineering Systems Management; (4) Lato sensu specializations and MBAs; (5) Community extension courses; and (6) Service units including Clínica de Fisioterapia, Serviço de Psicologia Aplicada, Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas, Escola de Música, TV UCP, and UCP FM Radio. The university is the only private institution offering Stricto Sensu programs in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TV UCP: University's YouTube channel featuring lectures, roundtables, seminars, special projects and events
• Rádio UCP FM
• Colégio de Aplicação da UCP (CAUCP)
• Escola de Música da UCP

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs (Graduação) Undergraduate degree programs offered in presencial, EAD (distance learning), and semi-presencial formats across multiple disciplines including Law, Psychology, Administration, Accounting, Economics, International Relations, Marketing, Communication, Engineering, Letters, History, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Theology, Biomedicine, and Data Science. Targeted at prospective students in the Petrópolis and interior Rio de Janeiro region.
• Postgraduate Lato Sensu (Specialization and MBA) Advanced specialization courses and MBA programs for professional development, offered across fields including Education, Law, Psychology, and Management of Engineering Systems. Targeted at working professionals seeking continuing education credentials.
• Postgraduate Stricto Sensu (Master's and Doctoral) CAPES-accredited master's and doctoral programs including Doutorado and Mestrado em Educação, Mestrado em Direito, Mestrado em Psicologia, and Mestrado Profissional em Gestão de Sistemas de Engenharia. UCP is the only private university offering Stricto Sensu programs in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state.
• Extension Programs (Cursos de Extensão) Free courses and extension projects designed for community engagement and continuing education. Includes lectures, minicourses, projects, and cultural events offered to the broader Petrópolis community.
• Colégio de Aplicação da UCP (CAUCP) - K-12 Basic Education Affiliated basic education school offering Educação Infantil (starting at age 2), Ensino Fundamental, and Ensino Médio, including a bilingual program, robotics, music, and sports. CAUCP has 55 years of tradition and was selected for the ISS Journey / Kennedy Space Center-NASA international space experiments program as one of 33 Brazilian institutions and the only one in Petrópolis.
• Clínica-Escola de Fisioterapia (Physiotherapy School-Clinic) School-clinic providing physiotherapy services to the community while serving as a hands-on training environment for UCP students.
• Serviço de Psicologia Aplicada (Applied Psychology Service) Applied psychology clinic providing psychological services to the community while training psychology students at UCP.
• Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas (Legal Practice Center) Legal practice center providing free legal services to the community while training law students at UCP.
• Escola de Música da UCP (UCP Music School) Music school offering programs in practical and theoretical music areas, including the Coral Laus Deo choir and Orchestra, with the Música undergraduate coordinator also serving as regent of the university choir and orchestra.
• UCP FM Radio University radio station broadcasting to the community as part of UCP's media and outreach operations.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and flagship.

• Fundação Dom CintramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation associated with the university that supports academic initiatives and research activities.
• UniversiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational portal that aggregates information about Brazilian universities and facilitates student recruitment.
• International SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilingual program implemented at the Colégio de Aplicação da UCP, offering international curriculum components and enabling students to participate in global programs.
• Kennedy Space Center / NASAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the International School program, CAUCP students participate in the ISS Journey international space experiments program, with teams selected to potentially launch experiments to the International Space Station. The school is among 33 institutions in Brazil and the only one in Petrópolis selected for this initiative.
• Tribunal Regional Eleitoral do Rio de Janeiro (TRE-RJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for civic education programs, including the 'TRE vai à Escola' initiative that educates students about democracy and voting.
• Comunidade Católica ShalomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic community partnership for cultural and religious events, including musical productions featuring students.
• COMDEP (Companhia de Desenvolvimento de Petrópolis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal company responsible for waste collection that partners with CAUCP for environmental education programs including recycling awareness.
• Tribunal de Justiça do Rio de Janeiro (TJ-RJ)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCP signed a pioneering agreement with TJ-RJ to establish a Conflict Resolution Pole (Polo de Solução de Conflitos), positioning the university as a reference in mediation and conflict resolution.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (PUC Minas): PUC Minas is one of the largest Catholic universities in Brazil with multi-campus operations across Minas Gerais, comparable to UCP's regional Catholic university structure and program portfolio.
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS): PUCRS is a major Catholic university in southern Brazil offering comprehensive programs including graduate and doctoral programs, comparable to UCP's Catholic higher education structure.
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio): PUC-Rio is a Catholic university in Rio de Janeiro offering undergraduate and graduate programs including stricto sensu degrees, directly comparable to UCP's Catholic university model in the same state.
• Universidade Católica de Brasília (UCB): UCB is a Catholic university in Brasília offering undergraduate and graduate programs, comparable to UCP's Catholic university model with similar program breadth.
• Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie: Mackenzie is a private confessional university in São Paulo offering comprehensive programs including graduate degrees, comparable to UCP as a private religiously-affiliated university in Brazil.
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP): PUC-SP is a Catholic university in São Paulo offering comprehensive academic programs including stricto sensu graduate degrees, comparable to UCP's Catholic higher education structure.
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR): PUCPR is a Catholic university in Paraná state offering undergraduate and graduate programs, directly comparable to UCP's Catholic university model with multiple campus locations.
• Universidade Católica de Pernambuco (UNICAP): UNICAP is a Catholic university in northeastern Brazil with comprehensive programs including graduate degrees, directly comparable to UCP's Catholic university model in a regional setting.

Broad incumbents

• Universidade Estácio de Sá: Estácio is a large for-profit higher education operator in Brazil with strong EAD presence, representing the broader incumbent online and presencial competitor that competes with UCP's multi-format delivery model.

Regional players

• Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF): UFF is a public federal university serving Rio de Janeiro state with comprehensive programs, representing a regional alternative for students who might otherwise consider UCP.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp
• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversidadeCatolicadePetropolis
• Instagraminstagram.com/colegioaplicacao
• Xx.com/ucp_petropolis

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Universidade Católica de Petrópolis