Paraíba tops the national ranking for proportional admission rates in Sisu 2026, with 72% of students admitted

The state of Paraíba has once again distinguished itself nationally in access to public higher education, achieving first place in the proportional ranking of students admitted through the Unified Selection System (Sisu) 2026. The state reached a historic milestone: 72% of graduating public school students enrolled in the National High School Exam (Enem) were admitted, the highest percentage in the country.

Of the 30,357 students from Paraíba who took the Enem, 21,863 secured places in undergraduate courses, a result that consolidates Paraíba as a national benchmark in policies to encourage access to higher education. In addition to its proportional performance, the state also stood out in absolute numbers, ranking 4th nationally in terms of admitted students, behind only Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and Bahia.

In a proportional national comparison, Paraíba appears ahead of states such as Rio Grande do Norte, which came in second with a 59.5% approval rate (14,076 approved out of 23,631 registered), and Rio de Janeiro, in third place, with 44.8% (30,533 approved out of 68,075 registered).

In the overall ranking by total number of approved students, the five states with the highest numbers were Minas Gerais (33,778), Rio de Janeiro (30,533), Bahia (23,477), Paraíba (21,863), and Pernambuco (16,850), which reinforces the relevance of Paraíba's result even when compared to states with larger populations.

The performance of Paraíba students demonstrates the effectiveness of the strategies adopted by the state education network and the direct impact of the public educational policies developed by the Government of Paraíba, through the State Secretariat of Education (SEE-PB).

Among the actions that contributed to the result are structuring programs such as "Se Liga no Enem Paraíba," which expands access to content, reviews, and pedagogical support, and the "Desafio Nota 1000," aimed at strengthening students' writing and text production. These initiatives serve students in regular high school and Adult Education (EJA), focusing on student empowerment, equity, and educational retention.

Student Maria Beatriz Chaves Luna, 14, recently enrolled in the first year of the Escola Cidadã Integral Técnica (ECIT) Professor Raul Córdula in João Pessoa, affirms that Paraíba's national prominence in the Sisu reinforces her expectations for the future. "I feel fulfilled. It's a new and incredible experience to arrive in the state network now and see that it is, for the second consecutive year, the one that approves the most students in the Sisu in Brazil. This gives hope and shows that I too can have this opportunity," she said.

Dreaming of studying Law, Maria Beatriz highlighted that she intends to make the most of the initiatives offered by the school. “Here we have many projects, activities, and programs that help on this path. I want to take advantage of everything in the best way possible,” she added.

For the Secretary of State for Education, Wilson Filho, the numbers reflect a consistent educational policy committed to the future of young people in Paraíba. “Paraíba has shown that investing in public education yields results. This performance in the 2026 Sisu [Unified Selection System] is the result of continuous work, involving planning, valuing students, and providing pedagogical support from the beginning of high school. Leading the national ranking again confirms that we are on the right track and that our students have the potential to occupy universities across the country,” he emphasized.