Traditionally the knowledge and innovation, Portugal serves as the nerve-center of educational institutions. The higher education system has recently undergone profound reform aiming to modernize higher learning .education in Portugal offers a wide selection of state of the art institutions, disciplines and courses that welcome international students.
Educational institutions in Portugal are divided into universities and polytechnics, which provide profession-based training. Both kinds of the institution can either be public or private. There are currently 14 public universities and 20 public polytechnics in Portugal, and 36 private universities and 64 private polytechnics. Polytechnic universities provide vocational, career-based training in fields such as nursing, education, accounting, and healthcare, whilst degrees in medicine, law natural sciences, economics or psychology are offered by universities. There is also crossover within the fields including engineering, technology, management, education sports and humanities taught in both university and polytechnic systems. Generally, students wanting a more generic academic degree should enroll in a university, while students pursuing a more specialized field should apply for a polytechnic university.
Portugal is part of the Europe-wide strategy of educational mobility and modernization implemented by the Bologna System which aims to widen access to higher education across Europe, allowing for educational exchanges across countries and guaranteeing universal standards. Five universities in Portugal feature in the QS World University Rankings, the highest entry being the University of Porto, which is placed joint 301st in the world. With a long history of well-respected universities, Portugal’s higher education system was ranked the 35th best in the world in the first edition of the QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings.
With about 240 million natives, Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language in the world, the most spoken language in the Southern Hemisphere and the third most popular language in Europe. It is the sole official language of Portugal and Brazil, Learning Portuguese is not just about getting by whilst studying in the country – speaking the language gives you access to a whole new world of 240 million speakers from Brazil to Mozambique.
For Western Europe, Portugal is a highly affordable country. The housing and living costs fluctuate depending on location, however even in urban centers such as Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto, the cost of accommodation is well within the budget of most students.
The main cities are along the coast and it is possible to find a remarkable remarkable number of festivals and events to suit your tastes, whether you’re a food lover, hiker, music fanatic, sight-seer or history buff, choosing to study in Portugal is a great option.