Brazilian public universities are described as a national heritage that, despite chronic underfunding and management problems, account for more than 90% of national indexed scientific production in bibliometric databases, offer quality undergraduate and graduate programs, and provide essential services to society, mainly in the health area.
A national survey called "The Face of Democracy," organized by professors from UFMG, Uerj, Unicamp, and UnB, was conducted in July 2026 with 2,010 face-to-face interviews to evaluate the population's perception of public higher education institutions.
The survey results revealed that 40% of Brazilians stated they "do not trust" or "trust little" public universities, while 57% declared they "trust" or "trust very much" these institutions. There is no comparative basis available to assess the evolution of these indicators over time.
The authors point out that the data reveal that a reasonable portion of Brazilian society does not view public universities positively, although the survey was conducted in a context of continuous financial subsidy and management challenges of these institutions.
