There may not be a lot of schools and universities to choose from in Ouro Prêto but is here where one of Menas Gerais’ and Brazil’s most important universities is located. – The Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP) or the Federal University of Ouro Prêto.

Founded on August 21, 1969, the university came to be after the School of Pharmacy of Ouro Prêto merged with the School of Mines, two higher education institutions which already were century-old. Since the merge, UFOP has expanded through the creation of new courses and program offerings.

Among UFOP’s prided facilities are its twelve libraries that were distributed in its four campuses. Its book resources include 75,000 titles with 150,000 volumes. The Rare Books Library, which is situated in the School of Mines Historical Center, showcases 20,000 volumes of the book collection. Included in this collection are 18th and 19th centuries books presenting studies about Brazil from foreign naturalists and researchers.

The university has a total of 483 teachers and 689 technical staff, almost all having high qualifications. It has 9658 undergraduate students, 434 taking masters, and 121 on their doctoral.

Students who are from outside of the city can also avail of the institution’s distance education under it’s Center for Open and Distance Education academic unit.