With a history of higher education spanning several centuries, Portugal has a wealth of experience in providing high quality degree programmes. Partner that with the welcoming culture of the Portuguese people and the country becomes the perfect place for an international student to pursue a degree.
Adopting the Bologna Process, Portugal has worked hard to ensure that their higher education is of a high standard. You will find both public and private higher education institutions. These tend to be split into two types; universities and polytechnics. Universities are research focused and offer degrees such as medicine, natural sciences and law. Polytechnics provide vocational training for professions, such as nursing, accounting and teaching. Both types of institution offer three awards; Licenciado (bachelors), Mestre (masters) and Doutor (doctorate).
Entry into Portuguese universities can be competitive, with all applicants having to sit an entrance exam. You will find 4 of Portugal’s universities in the 2023 QS World University rankings top 500, with the University of Porto ranked the highest at 274th place. The oldest university in Portugal is the University of Coimbra, and is ranked at =438th place.
The location of Portugal, as well as the successful higher education system, has made the country an attractive destination for students looking for an interesting and vibrant experience.
There are several interesting cities for international students across Portugal. These include Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, among others.
International students who wish to enrol at university in Portugal will need to obtain a student visa. For more information about this, please see our Portugal Student Visa Guide.
| Capital City | Lisbon |
|---|---|
| Currency | EUR, Euro |
| Language(s) | Portuguese |
| Universities on StudyLink | 10 universities |
| Major Student Cities | Porto |
The official language of Portugal is Portuguese. The country also has a recognised regional language of Mirandese.
The majority of undergraduate degrees are taught in Portuguese, and it is more common to find postgraduate degrees taught in English. If you choose to study in Portuguese and it is not your native language, you will need to prove your proficiency. You are able to take Portuguese language courses if you need to improve your language skills. If you choose to study in English and it is not your native language, you will also need to prove your language skills meet the teaching requirements. Some institutions offer English language courses to help you improve.
If you do study in English, you should still try to learn as much Portuguese as possible. This will make your everyday life easier and more enjoyable, as well as looking great on your CV/resume!
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