Centro Universitário do Rio São Francisco - UniRios

What Centro Universitário do Rio São Francisco - UniRios does

UniRios (Centro Universitário do Rio São Francisco) is a private Brazilian higher education institution headquartered in Paulo Afonso, Bahia, and operated by Organização Sete de Setembro de Cultura e Ensino Ltda., part of the Grupo Sete educational network founded by Professor Gilberto Gomes de Oliveira in 1964. The institution evolved from Colégio Sete de Setembro (1964) to Faculdade Sete de Setembro/FASETE (MEC credentialed 2002) and was elevated to Centro Universitário status under the UniRios brand via MEC Portaria 1.789/2019. It is the only in-person university center in its region, serving students across 47 municipalities in four Northeast Brazilian states through 11 on-campus undergraduate programs spanning health sciences (Biomedicina, Enfermagem, Farmácia, Fisioterapia, Nutrição, Odontologia, Psicologia), law, administration, physical education, and information systems, plus graduate and continuing education programs.

The institution's technology stack centers on a Portal Acadêmico for student/academic management and an AVA (Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem) for online and blended course delivery, supplemented by a Fábrica de Software providing students real-world development experience, digital diploma validation systems, and library integrations with EBSCO, Minha Biblioteca, Periódicos CAPES, and Lex Magister. It maintains teaching clinics (Clínica Escola Gilberto, Clínica Escola de Odontologia), a Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas for legal training, and publishes two academic journals (Revista Rios, Revista Rios Saúde).

Revenue is generated from recurring tuition and academic fees across three modalities (presencial, semipresencial, EaD), with student purchasing power supported by integrations with government financing (FIES, Prouni) and private credit partners (Pravaler, Quero Educação, Credies). Enterprise partnerships with CHESF/Eletrobrás, GBarbosa, Indústrias Maratá, and Fiat function as pedagogical hosts for student technical visits rather than revenue anchors. The institution holds MEC nota máxima (score 5) accreditation and recent ESG credentials including Selo ODS Educação 2025.

Name

Centro Universitário do Rio São Francisco - UniRios

Legal name

Organização Sete de Setembro de Cultura e Ensino Ltda.

Website

https://unirios.edu.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UniRios is a private Brazilian university center in Paulo Afonso, Bahia, offering 11 undergraduate, graduate, and distance-learning programs across health sciences, law, business, and technology to students in 47 municipalities across four Northeast states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Distance learning
• Graduate studies
• Health sciences education

Headquarters

HQ city

Paulo Afonso, Bahia

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue from tuition fees paid by students for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs across presencial, semipresencial, and EaD modalities
2. Distance Learning (EaD) Programs: Revenue from expanded distance learning offerings launched in 2020, extending reach beyond the regional campus

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Centro Universitário do Rio São Francisco (UniRios) is a private higher education institution in Paulo Afonso, Bahia, Brazil that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 11 disciplines through three modalities: presencial (on-campus), semipresencial (blended), and EaD (distance learning). The institution supports course delivery through a virtual learning environment (AVA), an academic portal, and practical training clinics serving both enrolled students and the regional community.

Product overview

UniRios offers a comprehensive higher education ecosystem consisting of multiple interconnected platforms and services. The core offerings include on-campus undergraduate programs (Graduação Presencial) across 11 disciplines, semi-presential hybrid programs, and fully online distance learning (EaD) programs. Supporting these academic offerings are the Portal Acadêmico (student portal) and AVA (virtual learning environment) for course delivery and academic management. Practical training is provided through clinical services (Clínica Escola Gilberto, Clínica Escola de Odontologia), the NPJ legal practice center, and the Fábrica de Software for technology projects. The institution also publishes two academic journals (Revista Rios and Revista Rios Saúde) and maintains library services with virtual library integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs (Graduação Presencial) On-campus undergraduate degree programs including Administration, Biomedicine, Law, Physical Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Nutrition, Dentistry, Psychology, and Information Systems, targeting regional students in Northeast Brazil.
• Semipresential Programs Hybrid learning programs combining periodic in-person intensives with online components for greater flexibility.
• Distance Learning (EaD) Programs Fully online degree programs for remote learning with virtual classroom infrastructure, extending access nationwide beyond the regional campus.
• Graduate Programs (Pós-Graduação) Specialization and continuing education programs for professional development.
• Clínica Escola Gilberto School clinic offering healthcare services to the community while providing practical training for health sciences students.
• Clínica Escola de Odontologia Dental clinic providing oral health services to the community with student supervision.
• NPJ - Núcleo de Práticas Jurídicas Legal practice center providing free legal assistance to the community while training law students.
• Fábrica de Software Software development initiative where students develop real-world software solutions for clients, serving as an innovation hub.
• Biblioteca (Library Services) Library services with physical collection, digital catalog, and virtual library integrations including EBSCO and Minha Biblioteca.

Quantifiable outcome

• Maximum score 5 in MEC evaluation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Integration13 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABED - Associação Brasileira de Educação a DistânciacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian Association for Distance Education - UniRios is an associated member supporting EaD program development and best practices.
• SEMESP - Sindicato das Entidades Mantenedoras de Ensino Superior de São PaulominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion of Higher Education Maintaining Entities - UniRios holds membership for institutional support and advocacy.
• CREA-BA - Conselho Regional de Engenharia e Agronomia da BahiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional engineering and agronomy council providing professional certification and student activity recognition.
• MUTUA - Caixa de Assistência dos Profissionais do CREAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMutual assistance fund for CREA professionals, offering benefits to engineering students and graduates.
• CHESF/EletrobráscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanhia Hidroelétrica do São Francisco - major regional utility company. Provides technical visits for logistics and administration students, and hosts events at Memorial CHESF. Long-standing regional partner for student education.
• GBarbosa SupermercadosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor supermarket chain (4th largest in Brazil). Provides technical visits for logistics and supply chain students to stores and distribution centers.
• Indústrias MaratáminorStrategic or Co-development Partner3rd largest coffee processing company in Brazil, 1st in national capital. Provides agrbusiness and logistics education visits for students.
• Fiat/Cachoeira VeículosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive dealership partnership for marketing education events, vehicle exhibitions and test drives on campus.
• Colégio Sete de SetembrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Grupo Sete educational ecosystem. Founded in 1964 by Prof. Gilberto Gomes de Oliveira. Represents the institution's heritage and K-12 educational foundation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• UniNorte (Laureate / Anhanguera network): UniNorte operates as a regional university center in Amazonas with presencial, semipresencial, and EaD modalities. Comparable as a private regional Brazilian HEI targeting interior/Northern markets with multi-modal delivery, though operating in a different geography.
• UNIFACS - Universidade Salvador: UNIFACS is a major private university based in Salvador, Bahia, operating presencial and EaD modalities. Comparable as a Bahia-based private higher education institution with health, law, and business programs; competes for the same broader Bahia student pool but is far larger and urban-anchored.

Broad incumbents

• Estácio (Yduqs): Estácio is one of Brazil's largest for-profit higher education groups with extensive presencial and EaD offerings. Comparable as a private Brazilian HEI with multi-modal delivery and broad programmatic coverage, though at vastly greater scale; a key competitor for UniRios's EaD students nationally.
• Unopar (Cogna Educação): Unopar is a major distance learning university within the Cogna group and one of the largest EaD operators in Brazil. Directly comparable as a competitor for UniRios's online learners, with much larger national scale and brand.
• Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul: Cruzeiro do Sul is a large São Paulo-based private university with presencial and substantial EaD operations. Comparable as a private Brazilian university offering multi-modal health, law, and technology programs, competing in the same national EaD market.
• Anhanguera / Kroton (Cogna Educação): Anhanguera, operated by Cogna (formerly Kroton), is one of the largest Brazilian higher education groups with extensive presencial and EaD programs nationwide. Comparable as a competitor in the same distance learning and regional presencial markets, with substantially larger scale and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• UNINASSAU (Ser Educacional): UNINASSAU is a network of Centro Universitário campuses operated by Ser Educacional across multiple Northeast Brazilian states, including Bahia. Closest direct peer — same regional university center model, same Northeast footprint, multi-modal presencial/EaD delivery, and similar MEC-accredited health and law programs serving interior communities.
• UniBH - Centro Universitário de Belo Horizonte: UniBH is a Centro Universitário in Minas Gerais offering presencial and EaD programs with health-sciences emphasis. Comparable as a private university center with similar programmatic mix, MEC accreditation, and FIES/Prouni participation, though serving a larger urban market.
• UNISA - Universidade de Santo Amaro: UNISA is a private university in São Paulo offering undergraduate, graduate, and EaD programs across health, law, and business disciplines. Comparable as a private Brazilian HEI with a similar programmatic mix, multi-modal delivery, and reliance on FIES/Prouni financing.
• UnP - Universidade Potiguar: UnP is a regional Centro Universitário serving Rio Grande do Norte with multi-campus presencial delivery and distance learning programs. Highly comparable as a private regional university center with health-sciences concentration, EaD expansion, and FIES/Prouni financing participation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/UniriosCentroUniversit%C3%A1rio
• Facebookfacebook.com/unirios.oficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/unirios.oficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-universit%C3%A1rio-do-rio-s%C3%A3o-francisco-unirios-virtual

Compliance3 records

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 Centro Universitário do Rio São Francisco - UniRios