A total of 21,301 students were enrolled across all five campuses in 2019.[2] The contemporary institution was created by a federal law passed in 1970, combining the Federal Faculty of Law of Cuiabá (founded in 1934), and the Institute of Sciences and Letters of Cuiabá (founded in 1966).[3][4] Today UFMT is a comprehensive university offering degrees and diplomas, and producing research, in many fields. The medical and health science schools are affiliated with the Hospital Universitário Júlio Müller, the only federally-funded hospital in the state.[5]
Its library is the largest in the state of Mato Grosso, having over 200,000 volumes as of 2012.[6]
In 2019, Folha de São Paulo ranked UFMT 33rd nationally, with its programs in Agronomy, Environmental Engineering, and Education ranked in the top 20.[2]