QS World University Rankings 2027: Latin America and The Caribbean

UC Chile tops rankings as Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay reach record highs 
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LONDON, Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- International higher education experts QS Quacquarelli Symonds has today released the 2027 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Latin America and The Caribbean

The top three remain unchanged, with Chile's UC retaining first place, USP second and Unicamp third. Tecnológico de Monterrey (4th), Universidad de los Andes (8th) and UBA (10th) also feature in the top 10. No new institutions enter the top-10 or 20, but Ecuador's USFQ rises to 29th from 38th and Argentina's UNC to 30th from 33rd.

The rankings feature 517 universities from 27 countries, with Haiti represented for the first time. Brazil remains the most represented system with 137 ranked institutions, ahead of Colombia (70) and Mexico (69). Among previously ranked systems, nine record overall improvement: Uruguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic.

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said: "This year's rankings provide a key benchmark for a region facing economic and budgetary pressures. Institutions investing in research, international collaboration and graduate outcomes continue to stand out despite mounting fiscal constraints."

Highlights

• Argentina: Largest net decline among major systems; UBA remains top-10.
• Bolivia: Among Latin America's most improved higher education systems, with no universities declining.
• Brazil: Region's dominant system, with four top-10 universities and unmatched research strength.
• Caribbean: Two top-50 universities; Dominican Republic excels in Citations per Paper, Cuba in Faculty per Student Ratio.
• Chile: Home to the region's top university and highest concentration of top-tier institutions.
• Colombia: Four top-20 universities and joint-most top-10 Employer Reputation performers.
• Ecuador: Most improved major system; USFQ reaches a national record 29th and two universities enter the top-100.
• Mexico: Two top-10 universities, led by UNAM's strength in Academic Reputation.
• Peru: PUCP rises to 14th as Peru advances in employer recognition and research visibility.
• Uruguay: All four ranked universities rise; Udelar reaches a national record 34th.

Find the full press release here.