For the first time, the UFRO accomplished to be in Group 4 of complex universities and is ranked in fourth place of this category.

The University of La Frontera again achieved to be ranked in a highly important ranking in Chile. According to the Ranking of Quality of the Chilean Universities 2017, prepared by the Advanced Studies Group (GEA) Universitas and El Mercurio, for the first time, the UFRO enters Group 4 of Universities of Research and Doctoral Programs.

“We are finishing this year with important institutional achievements that permit us to give an account of our management which is inspired by the constant improvement of quality standards and the increase in research and scientific productivity, which without a doubt reflects our performance, our management skills and the strengthening of leadership in the south of Chile”, the rector Sergio Bravo stated.

This new list only includes universities that do research. They are situated in Group 3 or 4 and ranked by four indicators: publications per academic staff member (20%), citations per publication (30%), percentage of approved Fondecyt Projects (25%) and allocated Fondecyt funds per academic staff member (25%).

With this consideration, the used indicators measure the scientific productivity, the perception of quality and relevance, and the publications and research projects of an institution made by its academic peers. The University of La Frontera is ranked in fourth place and stands out for the quantity of research funds per academic staff member.

The ranking places this institution in Group 4 of Universities of Research and Doctoral Programs and in sixth place among the nine institutions of higher education. The composition of this group – that considers the establishments which offer seven or more doctoral programs in three or more different thematic fields – had not changed since this study parted in 2012. It is a milestone that new universities entered the ranking, what makes the high position of the University of La Frontera even more relevant.

Another important step for the UFRO can be noted in the general ranking 2017, in which our institution climbed from ninth to eighth place at the national level, after showing remarkable indicators during the past twelve months in “student quality”, “academic staff members”, “training processes” and “institutional management”.

GEA Universitas pointed the contrasting academic growth rhythm out that some state universities achieve. Among them is the UFRO, with consideration of its precarious beginning and bureaucratic obstacles, which did not slow down its development and progress.

UFRO in Group 4

It is a major accomplishment for the University of La Frontera to enter Group 4, the group of “Universities of Research and Doctoral Programs”, what is a notable step for a young institution like ours. “The results show an enormous progress in the capacity to do research of the newest universities created after 1980”, El Mercurio quotes.