Latest news and stories about university access in education in Portugal for expats and residents.
The new rector of Iscte, Helena Carreiras, warns that new degree and diploma legislation must be carefully implemented to prevent increased inequality in university access, emphasizing the need for institutions to support student skill development from the start.
The upcoming academic year 2026/27 will see a significant increase in public higher education places, with a total of 78,283 available, marking an increase of 1,465 from the previous year. Notably, the University of Trás-os-Montes will debut a new Medicine course, contributing to an overall increase of 62 places in this field, while the University of Coimbra will add 22. Additionally, the Basic Education sector will see a 12% rise in places, with 147 new spots, as part of efforts to enhance teacher training through increased funding. The total number of integrated degree places across public and private institutions will reach 107,598, reflecting a broader diversification of access routes to higher education.
Rectors are against the new university entrance exams. Could this alienate even more students? Also, was Saramago already forgotten and did he “reborn” through controversy?
A draft decree-law providing for changes to the conditions for accessing bachelor's and master's degrees has already been delivered to representatives of higher education institutions. The president of the Coordinating Council of Polytechnics is “apprehensive”.
The Academic Association of the University of Lisbon requests clarification and states that if the measure were to proceed, access to higher education would become even more difficult.
Reducing the number of entrance exams for access to higher education is not agreed among student representatives: some associations support the change while others consider the current model fairer and more transparent.
