Campus and city
PUC-Rio's single urban campus sits in Gávea, an affluent neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro's south zone, pressed right up against the green wall of the Tijuca National Forest — one of the most scenic university settings in Brazil, a former coffee farm now dotted with landmarks like the 1823 Solar Grandjean de Montigny cultural centre and the student-association alley known as the 'Vila dos Diretórios'. With around 21,000 students it has an engaged, vibrant campus culture, active student bodies and strong international exchange flows, yet it remains a commuter campus in a big city rather than a residential bubble. Life in Rio offers beaches, culture and an unrivalled natural setting, balanced against the city's cost of living and the personal-safety awareness that any major Brazilian city requires.