[1] Every year almost 4,000 seats of UPE are offered in Brazilian's universities entry exam, the National High School Exam (ENEM).

[2][3] UPE is well positioned in brazilians universities rankings, such as Guia do Estudante[4] and RUF,[5] with most of its courses being between the 50 best of Brazil.

In addition, the School of Physical Education (founded in 1946) and the Faculty of Teacher Training of Garanhuns (1966), of Nazaré da Mata (1966) and of Petrolina (1968) joined the University of Pernambuco.

In 1976 was created the Institute of Biological Sciences of the University of Pernambuco, a centralizer unit to the basic disciplines of the courses of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Physical Education.

In this way, the UPE has a decentralized campus in several cities of the state (Arcoverde, Caruaru, Garanhuns, Nazaré da Mata, Palmares, Petrolina, Salgueiro and Serra Talhada, in addition to having implemented distance courses of Public Administration, Biological Sciences, Letters and Pedagogy in the municipalities of Fernando de Noronha, Floresta, Garanhuns, Nazaré da Mata, Ouricuri, Palmares, Petrolina, Surubim and Tabira).