IME is the oldest and one of the best ranked engineering schools in Brazil, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Education.

Its current campus is located in Urca, Rio de Janeiro, opposite the entrance to the Sugar Loaf cable car.

The Institute was founded by the Maria I during colonial administration in 1792, as the Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho (Royal Academy of Artillery, Fortification and Drawing), on the model of the Fortification, Artillery and Drawing Academy of Lisbon.

The school's undergraduate admission exam is considered one of the most difficult in the country, due to the high level of the questions presented on the tests.

Applicants are evaluated through a set of examinations in Math, Physics, Chemistry, Portuguese and English.