uva gained a ranking of four in the 2012 ministry of education's general course index, within a range between one and five.

with it, the school achieved the accolade of earning the highest rating for a private university in the country - and it occupied sixth place in the ranking of best private universities in brazil, and has maintained a second place spot on the list of best private universities in the city of rio de janeiro.

in 2012 the school also qualified to offer its first phd program, in the field of psychoanalysis, health and society, with the first round of courses beginning in 2013.

beyond this, uva offers a diverse range of course options for students looking to complete a degree program - this includes more than 39 course tracks for undergraduates, four masters programs, and more than seventy graduate courses to choose from, including fashion design, journalism, biological sciences, graphic design, and many others make up the varied list of course choices for incoming students.