Portugal’s public higher education system is set to expand in next academic year, offering 78,283 places in the 2026/2027 academic school year, an increase of 1,465 vacancies compared with the current year.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) announced the new places last month. Of the total, 56,790 places are offered through the General Access Regime (RGA), up 834 on 2025/2026, and 21,493 through alternative admission routes for older students, international candidates, and special talent competitions, up 631.
Among the universities, the University of Algarve is the only institution to see a slight decrease, losing five spots for a total of 1,651 places.
Meanwhile, the University of Coimbra leads the gains with 163 extra places, taking its total to 3,905, followed by Nova University Lisbon, which adds 119 places to reach 2,991. The University of Madeira remains steady at 714. All other universities also increased their intake.
In the polytechnic sector, results are mixed. Of the 15 institutions, six will see a reduction in places, including the Polytechnic Institutes of Guarda and Viana do Castelo, down 126 and 119 places respectively. On the other hand, the Polytechnic Institutes of Porto and Coimbra see the largest increases, with 152 and 136 extra places, bringing their totals to 3,393 and 2,367 respectively. One institution, the Polytechnic Institute of Beja, maintains its 519 spots.
MECI also highlights the growing importance of alternative access routes, with CTeSP courses (Technical Higher Professional Courses) seeing a 19% increase, while dual-certification programs, technological specialisation courses, and places for international students also rise significantly.
For teaching, bachelor’s degrees in Basic Education receive a major boost, increasing by 147 places (12%) to a total of 1,344, supported by government contracts aimed at strengthening initial teacher training. To further encourage students to enter teaching, MECI offers 2,500 annual scholarships covering tuition for students in bachelor’s and master’s programs leading to professional teaching qualifications.
Medicine courses also see growth, with 62 additional places, bringing the total to 1,656. Forty of these are allocated to the new course at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), and 22 to Coimbra.
The ministry also notes that courses aimed at building digital skills will provide 9,290 spots in 2026.
When the 29,315 places in private institutions are included, the overall higher education system in Portugal will offer 107,598 places, up 2,882 from 2025.
