The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, PUC-Rio) is a Catholic pontifical university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the joint responsibility of the Catholic Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and the Society of Jesus. In 2016, PUC-Rio was ranked as the fifth best university in Latin America by Times Higher Education magazine.

The University was created in 1941 by the Society of Jesus to emphasize humanistic values in the pursuit of knowledge. PUC-Rio has 12,000 undergraduate students, 2,500 graduate students, and 4,000 extension students. In 2009 it ranked first among 2,252 higher education institutions in Brazil on ENADE, a benchmark exercise run by the Brazilian Ministry of Education.

PUC-Rio has highly accredited faculties in Law, Engineering, Computer science, Psychology, Economics, Business, and International Relations. It fosters cultural diversity in its student body. It has participated in exchange programs with Harvard, Notre Dame, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Brown University as well as European universities, with hundreds of students participating each year.

PUC-Rio is located in Gávea in the south of Rio, at the edge of Tijuca National Forest. The campus was once a coffee farm. A creek crossed by three bridges runs through the campus. Several city bus lines pass the university, which is near the suburban neighborhoods of Leblon, Ipanema, Jardim Botânico, and Lagoa. Metrô busses connect the campus to the General Osório station in Ipanema and the Botafogo subway station on Botafogo beach. The Botanical Gardens and Leblon beach are within walking distance of the university.

PUC-Rio was the first private higher education institution in the country, created by the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1940 by Cardinal D. Sebastião Leme and Father Leonel Franca S.J.

Beyond providing education, PUC-Rio undertook the task of assisting the community, based on Christian ethical values, solidarity and human respect. It represents a space for achievement, overcoming challenges and development of its students.

The university operates under the supervision of the Society of Jesus and under the supreme authority of the Cardinal Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro as its Grand Chancellor.

PUC-Rio is a non-profit philanthropic institution.

It is thus a Catholic university based in Christian humanistic principles.

It welcomes students, staff members, teachers, researchers and administrators of all religions, nationalities, ethnic groups and social classes.

The referential starting-point of PUC-Rio is the complete development of the human being in two main perspectives: the philosophical and the theological. Besides that, it is a doctoral research institution that focuses primarily in the development of academic and scientific knowledge.  

PUC-Rio is, above all, a community of people, teachers, students and staff members united by a common interest in seeking the truth and acting in accordance with the needs of the society and with the ever changing world around us.

PUC-Rio was voted as best private university in the country, according to the General Index of Courses (IGC) 2011, the main indicator of the quality of the Ministry of Education (MEC), released in December 2012, PUC-Rio was also voted Best Private University in the country and occupied the 13th place overall at University Ranking from the Folha de São Paulo index, released in September 2012.

According to the 2013 Student Guide (Abril Publishing, September 2012), the University is first among the private universities in three areas: Social Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science and Engineering and Production. According to the British Quacquarelli Symonds ranking, released in June 2012, PUC -Rio is the best private institution of national higher education.

In 2015, PUC-Rio was consecrated as the best private higher education institution in Brazil, as evaluated by the Student's Guide, published by Editora Abril.  

Recently, PUC-Rio got the third position in Brazil according to “The Higher Education/BRICS and Emerging Economies Ranking 2016” and the fourth position in Academic Reputation indicator from QS World University Rankings, accomplished in 2015/2016.