The Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) is a prestigious, tuition-free university situated in a medium-sized city in southern Brazil. The region is celebrated for its safety, beauty, high quality of life, diverse culture, and friendly people. Located near Argentina and Uruguay, UFSM is a prominent center for paleontology and is home to two UNESCO Global Geoparks.

In 2023, UFSM was ranked 13th among Brazilian federal universities. The university is dedicated to providing comprehensive education across a broad range of fields. It offers 130 undergraduate programs, categorized into the following major areas of knowledge: Agricultural and Animal Sciences, Health Sciences, Natural and Exact Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Languages and Arts, Education, and Technology. The university boasts a student body of approximately 27,000 undergraduates and over 4,000 graduate students.

UFSM is renowned for its excellence in research, featuring cutting-edge laboratories, a technology park, and a large campus with extensive areas for field research. The university also has a teaching hospital and a veterinary hospital, offering excellent hands-on training opportunities for students. Additionally, UFSM has three satellite campuses located in the cities of Frederico Westphalen, Palmeira das Missões, and Cachoeira do Sul. With a total area of 4,604 acres, UFSM stands as one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in Brazil.