UFN Universidade Franciscana

What UFN Universidade Franciscana does

UFN Universidade Franciscana is a private, Franciscan Catholic university headquartered in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, operating under the chancellorship of the Archbishop of Santa Maria. The institution delivers higher education across four academic areas (Social Sciences, Technological Sciences, Health Sciences, and Humanities) spanning roughly 40+ undergraduate programs, six master's and doctoral programs (including Health and Life Sciences, Maternal-Child Health, Science/Mathematics Teaching, Nanoscience, and Humanities/Languages Teaching), a catalog of postgraduate specialization courses, and a medical/multiprofessional residency pipeline covering areas such as cardiology, surgery, psychiatry, intensive care, and family medicine. It also operates an EAD (distance learning) channel offering online undergraduate programs in Marketing, Human Resources Management, and Financial Management, supported by digital services including a virtual library, digital diploma authentication, and a virtual campus tour.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly tuition from undergraduate and graduate students, supplemented by Brazilian federal government subsidies via the Prouni program (70 subsidized seats allocated for the 2nd semester of 2026) and by specialization/MBA/certification revenue. Distribution combines on-campus enrollment at the Santa Maria campus with vestibular (entrance exam) intake cycles, direct enrollment and re-enrollment portals, and online EAD self-serve acquisition. Marketing is multi-channel — institutional website, UFN TV, RadioWeb UFN, blog/social media, news/PR, and on-campus events such as Mostra das Profissões and Colóquio de Inverno — and is targeted at prospective students and continuing learners rather than enterprise buyers. The underlying technology stack is a standard higher-education LMS-backed EAD platform rather than proprietary intellectual property, and the institution's ecosystem extends into cultural/community assets (Museu Franciscano, Editora UFN, Coral UFN, Capela São Francisco de Assis, Alumni UFN) that reinforce its religious-identity positioning.

Name

UFN Universidade Franciscana

Legal name

Universidade Franciscana

Website

https://site.ufn.edu.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

UFN Universidade Franciscana is a private Franciscan university in Santa Maria, Brazil, offering undergraduate, graduate, specialization, medical residency, and distance-learning programs across Social Sciences, Technology, Health, and Humanities to regional and EAD students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Theological Universities & Pontifical Universities (EDAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Undergraduate degrees
• Graduate programs
• Distance learning
• Medical residency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Maria

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

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 Fees: Monthly tuition payments from undergraduate and graduate students. Multiple payment options and financing programs available including Prouni government subsidies.
2. Government Funding: Prouni program providing 70 vacancies per semester with government-subsidized tuition for qualifying students.
3. Professional Development and Specialization: Revenue from specialization programs, MBAs, and professional certification courses in various disciplines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UFN is a private Franciscan Catholic university that delivers undergraduate (graduação), graduate (pós-graduação), specialization (especialização), and medical residency (residência) programs across a broad range of disciplines — including Medicine, Law, Engineering, Education, and the Humanities — supplemented by distance learning (EAD) offerings and access pathways such as Vestibular and the federal Prouni scholarship.

Product overview

UFN Universidade Franciscana is a private Franciscan university in Santa Maria, Brazil, offering a comprehensive higher education portfolio. The institution operates as a multi-product educational services platform comprising undergraduate degree programs (Graduação) across four academic areas (Social Sciences, Technological Sciences, Health Sciences, and Humanities), graduate research programs (Mestrado e Doutorado) in specialized scientific fields, postgraduate specialization courses (Especialização) in professional disciplines, medical and multiprofessional residencies (Residências), distance learning programs (EAD), professional training (Capacitação Profissional), and international exchange opportunities (Internacional). Supporting the academic offerings are digital services including UFN TV (television channel), RadioWeb UFN (internet radio), a digital library (Biblioteca), alumni network (Alumni UFN), digital diploma authentication (Autenticação de Diploma Digital), and an interactive virtual campus tour (Tour Virtual via kolor360°). The institution positions itself as a comprehensive educational ecosystem serving undergraduate through doctoral education levels, professional development, and lifelong learning across disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RadioWeb UFN: University radio service
• UFNtv
• Olhar da Fé
• Instituto Franciscano
• Museu Franciscano: História e Cultura
• Editora UFN
• Coral UFN
• Capela São Francisco de Assis
• Alumni UFN
• Programa Saberes
• Conectare

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs (Graduação) Multi-year on-campus bachelor's and professional degree programs offered across humanities, sciences, engineering, law, education, and health disciplines, designed for prospective and current higher education students entering via Vestibular or Prouni.
• Graduate Programs (Pós-Graduação) Postgraduate stricto sensu (master's and doctoral) academic programs at UFN for graduates seeking advanced research-oriented study.
• Specialization Programs (Especialização) Lato sensu postgraduate specialization certificates aimed at professionals seeking credentials and applied expertise in a specific field.
• Medical Residency Programs (Residência) Postgraduate medical residency training programs delivered via the Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria and affiliated clinical settings, for medical school graduates pursuing accredited specialty training.
• Distance Learning Programs (EAD / EaD) Online distance learning undergraduate and graduate programs delivered via UFN's EAD platform, intended for students who need flexible, location-independent study options.
• Extension and Community Programs (Extensão) University extension courses, projects, and community engagement programs tied to UFN's academic mission and offered to the wider community.
• Prouni Scholarship Program (Programa Universidade para Todos) Federal government-funded scholarship channel providing tuition coverage to eligible low-income students pursuing undergraduate study at UFN.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dom Leomar Antônio Brustolin (Arquidiocese de Santa Maria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Archbishop of Santa Maria serves as Chancellor of Universidade Franciscana, providing religious oversight and institutional guidance. The 'Olhar da Fé' initiative is attributed to his leadership.
• Agência Central SulminorOthersCommunication agency partnership for institutional messaging and press relations
• MEC (Ministério da Educação)coreOthersGovernment regulatory body providing Prouni program support and official accreditation through e-MEC system

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• UCS (Universidade de Caxias do Sul): Private regional university serving the Serra Gaúcha region of RS. Comparable in scale, multi-disciplinary catalog, and private-tuition model, though less research-intensive than UFN's graduate slate.

Broad incumbents

• UFRGS (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul): Premier public research university in RS with a broad graduate and undergraduate portfolio. Sets the regional standard for academic quality and competes with UFN for top faculty and graduate students.
• Estácio: Large Brazilian for-profit higher-education group with nationwide on-campus and online programs across business, health, law, and engineering — a broad incumbent competing with UFN's EAD and undergraduate offerings.
• Cogna Educação (Kroton / Anhanguera): Largest for-profit education group in Brazil, operating Kroton, Anhanguera, and Unopar brands with extensive online and on-campus footprints; sets pricing and scale benchmarks relevant to UFN's EAD segment.

Direct peers

• UFSM (Universidade Federal de Santa Maria): Federal public university also located in Santa Maria, RS, and one of UFN's most direct local competitors for students, faculty, and research funding in the same geography.
• UNISINOS (Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos): Jesuit private university also headquartered in Rio Grande do Sul, offering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs across similar disciplinary areas. Directly comparable in faith-based positioning and RS regional focus.
• PUCRS (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul): Faith-affiliated (Catholic) private research university based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Closest analog to UFN in mission, religious identity, and regional market, with a broader graduate and research portfolio.
• Universidade La Salle: Faith-affiliated (Lasallian/Catholic) private university with presence in Rio Grande do Sul. Comparable in religious sponsorship model, multi-disciplinary portfolio, and private-tuition revenue model.

Emerging players

• Unifran (Universidade de Franca): Private Brazilian university with a multi-area catalog including health, technology, and humanities programs; comparable mid-sized private higher-education peer in catalog structure.
• UNINTER (Centro Universitário Internacional UNINTER): Online-first Brazilian higher-education provider offering nationwide distance-learning programs in business, technology, health, and pedagogy — directly comparable to UFN's EAD positioning and growth lane.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ufnuniversidadefranciscana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about UFN Universidade Franciscana