Founded in 1965, Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional has established itself as the fourth largest education group in Brazil. The company offers academic training through 14 higher education institutions.
In this sense, the Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional group is responsible for offering and delivering undergraduate, graduate, and extension courses, in both in-person and distance learning modalities.
The courses offered by the group are aimed at young people from different social classes who see education as a differentiator and wish to invest in their future.
In addition to higher education, Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional also operates five own institutions that develop education at the preschool and basic levels – in preschool, elementary, and high school education.
The operation of Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional consists of:
14 Higher Education Institutions
5 Basic and Preschool Education Schools
1 national brand for distance learning courses
341 thousand students in in-person and distance courses
7,654 employees
25 campuses
1,134 EAD centers
The story begins in 1965, when a group of teachers decided to create a school. Thus, the Colégio Cruzeiro do Sul was born in São Paulo. The school gained prominence and quickly increased its student body, which generated new perspectives.
Subsequently, the Faculdade Cruzeiro do Sul was created, with the first available higher education courses: Business Administration and Accounting. With the establishment of the college, the need arose to build a dedicated building to house the institution's facilities.
During the 1990s, Cruzeiro do Sul was granted university status, achieving the highest degree among higher education institutions. It was during this decade that some programs were implemented, such as the scientific initiation scholarship program, in addition to the creation of the Distance Education Center (Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual).
In 2001, the Anália Franco campus was inaugurated in São Paulo, along with the beginning of the adoption of tools applied to education, such as the virtual learning environment. In 2004, Cruzeiro do Sul was approved to offer master's degrees in Dentistry and Science and Mathematics Education.
During this decade, Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional also acquired the University Center of the Federal District (UDF) and inaugurated another campus in São Paulo. The following years were marked by several acquisitions, and in 2018, the group established itself as one of the largest in Brazil by acquiring the University Center of Serra Gaúcha (FSG) and the University Center of João Pessoa (UNIPÊ).
Currently, Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional has reached the milestone of one thousand EAD centers, consolidating its position in the distance education market. In 2021, the company began trading its shares on the Stock Exchange, in the Novo Mercado segment.
