Federal University of Maranhão

The Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) is a Brazilian public higher education institution, maintained by the Federal Government of Brazil. UFMA is a foundation linked to the Ministry of Education. It is one of the largest federal universities in the country and one of the Brazilian centers of excellence in teaching and research. Its head office is located in São Luís, with its campus in the cities of Bacabal, Balsas, Chapadinha, Codó, Grajaú, Imperatriz, Pinheiro and São Bernardo. The university is considered the largest and most influential university in the state of Maranhão. It has several campuses throughout the state, the main one being Cidade Universitária, which is located in the neighborhood of Bacanga, in the city of São Luís. The university houses the best courses in Medicine, Law and Pedagogy of Maranhão, which are also among the best in the country, according to the ranking of the National Student Performance Examination. The Federal University of Maranhão shows a leadership in research, with 76% of research projects approved by CNPq. In 2014, the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo conducted a survey to identify the level of development of various universities across the country. The Federal University of Maranhão ranked 55th in the Folha ranking and 7th in the Northeast, remaining the largest in the state of Maranhão in research and extension.