UFPel is ranked 47th in The Times Higher Education, one of the most important rankings in the world to rate universities. One hundred and twenty-nine Latin American higher education institutions were surveyed. This position ranks UFPel as the third best university in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, coming only behind the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS, ranked 10th) and the Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS, 33rd). Over the last few years there has been a growth of Brazilian HEIs in the ranking. In 2016 UFPel was not even listed, while in 2017 it was ranked in the 51-60 position. The ranking takes several items into consideration, such as educational activities (Teaching– worth 36%), research (Research– 34%), international reach (International Outlook– 20%), citations (Citations– 7.5%) and impact on industry (Industry Income– 2.5%).