Brazil, Evaluation of Higher Education in

Brazil is the fifth largest country in both population and land area, and its economy is one of the biggest in the world. Although higher education in the country was initially slow to develop, it has expanded markedly in recent years. It is now composed of more than 2,400 institutions, 8 million students, and 300,000 faculty members. The private sector dominates the overall higher education network and accounts for more than 85% of the institutions and approximately 73% of all higher education enrollees in [Page 184]the country. Most of the private institutions are low cost, low quality, and nonuniversity in nature, and approximately half of them operate on a for-profit basis. Of those enrolled in the public sector, which is composed of 300 institutions and ...