Centro Universitário São Lucas

What Centro Universitário São Lucas does

Centro Universitário São Lucas, now operating as Afya Porto Velho, is a private higher-education institution headquartered in Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil, founded in 1999 as Grupo São Lucas Educacional and currently integrated into the publicly listed Afya (B3: AYA3) educational group. It serves primarily students in Northern Brazil, with a flagship 10-semester Medicine program complemented by undergraduate degrees in health sciences, engineering/technology, and other fields, delivered on-campus at Porto Velho, Ji-Paraná, and Caçapava do Sul, plus distance-learning (EAD) and postgraduate programs through a partnership with UNIGRANRIO. The institution is accredited by the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) with e-MEC registration and concept scores of CC 4, CPC 3, and IGC 4.

The core operating stack is conventional for the Brazilian private higher-education sector: Canvas LMS as the learning management system, the Blue virtual learning environment for online programs, and TOTVS RM for enterprise resource planning, supported by a curated digital library and academic databases. Student financing is multi-channel, drawing on Pravaler (private credit line), FIES (federal student loan program), PROUNI (federal scholarship program), and direct tuition, which diversifies access but exposes the institution to federal funding-policy variability.

The business model is tuition-driven B2C higher education. Revenue is generated through monthly tuition fees across on-campus undergraduate, EAD, and postgraduate programs, with a premium per-seat contribution from the Medicine course. The institution operates as a subsidiary unit within the Afya group, benefiting from shared brand equity, network access across 35+ cities, and potential operational synergies, while remaining subject to MEC tuition-cap regulations and accreditation oversight that constrain pricing power.

Name

Centro Universitário São Lucas

Legal name

Centro Universitário Afya Porto Velho

Website

https://saolucas.edu.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Centro Universitário São Lucas, operating as Afya Porto Velho, is a Brazilian private higher-education institution in Rondônia offering on-campus, EAD, and postgraduate programs with a flagship Medicine course, serving students across Northern Brazil within the Afya educational group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHALAB

Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Distance & Online Universities

SECONDARYEDAEAGAH

Learning Commons & Study Space Operations (Quiet Study, Group Rooms, Reservations)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYBPAMAJAL

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Media Streaming, Publishing & Content Platforms

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Medical education
• Distance learning
• Graduate specialization

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto Velho, Rondônia

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Semester Fees: Core revenue from undergraduate and graduate program tuition. Students pay semester fees which are subject to annual price adjustments (Comunicado de Reajuste). Medicine programs command premium pricing given the 10-semester duration.
2. EAD (Distance Learning) Programs: Revenue from online and hybrid EAD programs through UNIGRANRIO partnership. Flexible payment options through Pravaler financing platform.
3. Postgraduate (Pós-Graduação) Programs: Revenue from specialization lato sensu programs, MBAs, and professional development courses targeting working professionals
4. Government-Funded Seats (FIES/PROUNI): Revenue from government-subsidized student seats through FIES student financing program and PROUNI scholarship program. Government reimburses institutions directly for these students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centro Universitário São Lucas is a private higher education institution delivering on-campus undergraduate degrees across Health Sciences (Medicina, Enfermagem, Odontologia, Fisioterapia, Psicologia), Exact Sciences (Engenharias, Ciência da Computação, Administração), and Humanities, alongside hybrid (EAD Flex) and fully online distance learning through UNIGRANRIO partnership, and Lato Sensu postgraduate specializations. The institution operates across multiple campuses in Porto Velho and Ji-Paraná, supported by digital library infrastructure, institutional repository, and Canvas LMS learning management. Revenue is generated primarily through semester tuition fees, with subsidized seats via FIES/PROUNI government programs and Pravaler financing options.

Product overview

Centro Universitário São Lucas is a private higher education institution operated by Afya Educacional, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The institution provides on-campus undergraduate programs (Graduação Presencial) across Health, Exact Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Humanities fields, including flagship programs in Medicine, Dentistry, and Engineering. Distance learning options include EAD Flex (hybrid methodology combining online theory with in-person practical sessions) and EAD 100% Online (fully remote delivery). Graduate offerings include Lato Sensu specialization programs in areas such as Healthcare, Management, and Education. Supporting infrastructure includes the Digital Library (Biblioteca Digital) with access to major academic databases (MedLINE, DynaMed, Academic Search Premier, Minha Biblioteca), the Institutional Repository (Repositório Institucional) for academic publications, the Portal do Aluno student portal, Portal do Professor faculty portal, and Canvas LMS for learning management. The institution also offers digital diploma services and operates across multiple campuses including Campus I (Dom João Batista Costa) and Campus II (São Mateus).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EAD Flex: Hybrid EAD methodology combining virtual learning environment (Blue) with in-person practical sessions in laboratories.
• EAD 100% Online

Quantifiable outcome

• 279 academic works published in institutional repository 2018-2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UNIGRANRIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAD partnership offering distance learning courses through UNIGRANRIO platform. The partnership provides hybrid (EAD Flex) and 100% online methodology options with local support poles. Students can access UNIGRANRIO courses through https://unidades.afya.com.br/ead/sao-lucas
• PravalercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTuition financing partner enabling installment payment options for students. Pravaler manages student loans and payment plans for Afya São Lucas programs including Medicine and other undergraduate courses
• FIES (Fundo de Financiamento Estudantil)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment student financing program administered by Brazilian federal government. FIES provides subsidized loans for tuition fees for eligible students at participating institutions
• PROUNI (Programa Universidade para Todos)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment scholarship program providing full or partial tuition scholarships for low-income students at participating private higher education institutions

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universidade Potiguar (UnP): Afya-affiliated university in Rio Grande do Norte with comparable on-campus undergraduate, EAD and health-sciences programs. Highly relevant peer because it shares the same parent, similar regulatory regime, and overlapping program portfolio.
• Universidade Anhembi Morumbi: São Paulo-based private university owned by Laureate International Universities with a broad portfolio including Health Sciences, Engineering, Law and Business. Comparable on scale of programs and postgraduate offerings, but operates primarily in a different geography.
• Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM Afya): Another Afya-group unit focused on medical education, serving as the network's flagship Medicina brand. Directly comparable because both are Afya-branded medical undergraduate providers with similar vestibular and Pravaler financing mechanics.
• FMU - Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas: Large private higher-education institution in São Paulo with a broad portfolio including Health Sciences, Engineering, Law and postgraduate courses. Comparable on the breadth of programs, MEC recognition, and EAD offering.
• UNIGRANRIO (Afya): Sister institution under the Afya group and the EAD partner that powers São Lucas's distance-learning catalog. Direct operational and commercial overlap as both are Centro Universitário-level institutions within Afya's higher-education portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• UNINASSAU: Ser Educacional group institution with a strong health-sciences and Medicine portfolio across multiple states. Comparable on FIES/PROUNI participation, undergraduate health-sciences emphasis and multi-state EAD presence.
• Anhanguera (Cogna): Cogna Educação's flagship higher-education brand with nationwide on-campus and EAD presence. Comparable because of its private undergraduate, postgraduate and FIES/PROUNI-eligible offerings across Brazilian regions.
• Estácio: One of the largest private higher-education groups in Brazil (now part of Yduqs), operating across multiple states with a broad health-sciences and engineering portfolio. Closest large-scale incumbent peer for portfolio breadth and EAD scale.

Regional players

• Universidade São Judas Tadeu (USJT): Private São Paulo university with established Health Sciences, Engineering and Business programs and a significant EAD operation. Comparable on product mix and FIES/PROUNI participation, though geographically concentrated in Greater São Paulo.
• Universidade Santo Amaro (UNISA): Private São Paulo university with strong Health Sciences focus (Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy) plus Engineering and Business programs. Comparable on program mix but operates primarily in the São Paulo metro, not in Northern Brazil.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bibliotecassaolucas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/centrouniversitariosaolucaspvh

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centro Universitário São Lucas