In 2012, when RUF (Ranking of Universities of Folha) was created, distance education accounted for only 16% of higher education enrollments, or approximately 1.1 million out of 7 million students.
Just over a decade later, the scenario has reversed and distance education (distance learning) mode now concentrates the majority of students enrolling in higher education.
According to the results of the 2024 Higher Education Census recently published by Inep (National Institute for Educational Research Anísio Teixeira), the number of students in the country is 10.22 million, of whom 5.18 million (50.7%) are enrolled in distance education courses, which already exceeds the number of face-to-face education students (5.03 million).
Advances in this modality are primarily driven by the private sector, which accounts for more than 95% of enrollments and has grown by more than 370% compared to 2012. Nevertheless, official data still do not allow a detailed analysis of what is happening in distance education in Brazil.
In view of the significant increase in distance education courses, the Ministry of Education (MEC) has established a new regulatory framework to curb the sprawl of this sector.
This measure responds to long-standing demands from various segments of society to guarantee the quality of training and define clear parameters for the evaluation of distance learning courses.
In recent years, the RUF has introduced new indicators, reviewed other indicators, and investigated the creation of a specific classification for distance learning courses.
The ranking annually evaluates all public and private universities in Brazil and more than 19,000 face-to-face courses in the country’s 40 most in-demand professions, closely tracking the growth of distance education and the demand for assessment instruments that contribute to quality education.
Inep has been working on updating the Higher Education Census questionnaire to adapt it to the changes expected in the new regulatory framework. According to the agency, the technical team has already completed the preliminary testing phase and the application of the new equipment will be carried out in the next edition of the statistical survey.
On another front, Abed (Brazilian Distance Education Association) launched a quality seal for higher education institutions and courses in May. This seal is awarded on a voluntary application basis and does not analyze or categorize the full range of distance learning courses offered in the country.
The movement toward new rankings aimed at evaluating distance education is not limited to Brazil. At the end of 2024, the UK ranking THE (Times Higher Education) launched a pilot exclusively for this modality.
The aim is to globally assess excellence in distance learning in higher education institutions.
Universities are divided into three categories: Gold, Silver and Bronze. PUC Minas (Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais) was the only Brazilian to achieve one of these honors and win a silver medal.
Future RUF EADs will be developed based on methodologies specific to this modality and should become an important tool for measuring the quality of courses and institutions, as well as supporting the improvement of public higher education policies in the country.
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