# Latin American university academic rankings > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/latin-american-university-academic-rankings > Updated: 2026-08-20T11:41:06.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. International academic rankings have highlighted the performance of various Latin American higher education institutions. In Ecuador, six universities were included in the QS World University Rankings 2027. The Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) rose to the 771–780 band, while the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) and Universidad Espíritu Santo (UEES) moved into the 901–950 band. Other institutions, including the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), and Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), maintained their respective positions in lower bands. On a broader regional scale, the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) was identified as the highest-ranked institution in Latin America, placing 84th in the QS World University Rankings 2027. While UBA saw high scores in academic reputation and employability, it experienced a decline in its International Networks indicator. In Mexico, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) remained the leading national institution, appearing in the 201–300 range in the ARWU and ranking 127th globally in the Webometrics Ranking. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-20: Latin American universities lead regional rankings Top Latin American universities UBA and UNAM secured high positions in the QS, ARWU, and Webometrics international rankings. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/latin-american-universities-lead-regional-rankings ### 2026-08-05: Ecuadorian universities placed in QS World University Rankings 2027 Six Ecuadorian universities feature in QS World University Rankings 2027, with USFQ moving to the 771‑780 band and ESPOL and UEES improving to 901‑950; none rank in Latin America’s top ten. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ecuadorian-universities-placed-in-qs-world-university-rankings-2027 --- Cite as: Latin American university academic rankings. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/latin-american-university-academic-rankings