Paulo Novais / Lusa
In the next academic year, 2026/2027, public higher education will have a total of 78,283 places, 1,465 more than in the current one, informed the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation.
In 2026/27, there will be 1,465 more places in public higher education.
In a statement, issued this Monday, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) states that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) provide “56,790 places through the General Access Regime (RGA) and 21,493 through Special Regimes and Competitions”, with increases of 834 and 631 places, respectively.
According to a note from the Institute for Higher Education, also released by MECI, of the 13 university education institutions, only the University of Algarve reduces the number of places in the next academic year, with five fewer places and a total of 1,651.
The University of Madeira maintains the number of vacancies, 714, and all other universities, as well as ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, will have more vacancies, recording the biggest increases at the Universities of Coimbra (163 more for a total of 3,905) and New Lisbon (plus 119 to 2,991).
As for polytechnic education, of the 15 institutions, including the Escolas Superiores Náutica Infante D. Henrique and the Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril, one maintains the number of places (the Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 519) and six will have fewer places in the 2026/2027 academic year, with the Polytechnic Institutes of Guarda and Viana de Castelo registering the biggest decreases, 126 and 119 fewer places respectively. The first will have a total of 728 seats and the second will have 960.
Os biggest increases occur at the Porto Polytechnic Institute (152 more places for a total of 3,393) and in Coimbra (plus 136 to 2,367).
News about new vacancies
The ministry highlights the “diversification of access routes” to higher education through “19% increase in vacancies for holders of Higher Professional Technical Courses (CTeSP)”.
According to the statement, the Polytechnic Institutes offer 21,949 places through the RGA, 26 more compared to the 2025/2026 academic year, “but offer 706 more places in Special Competitions”.
The biggest increases occur in terms of vacancies for holders of:
- Higher Professional Technician Diploma (+233 vacancies / + 19.3%);
- Technological Specialization Diploma (+25 places / + 11.8% courses);
- Dual Certification Courses (+118 places / + 14.7%);
- International students (+ 199 places / + 11.4%).
More (future) doctors and teachers
Also highlighted are the vacancies in degrees in Basic Education in the National Access Competition, which increase again, this time by 12%for a total of 1,344 seats, which means 147 more.
The increase results from “program contracts signed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation with 10 HEIs to reinforce initial teacher training, through increased funding”.
The MECI adds that, to alleviate the lack of teachers in the country, it offers 2,500 annual scholarships worth the tuition fee to “new students enrolled in bachelor’s and master’s degrees leading to professional qualifications for teaching”.
Regarding the course of Medicine1,656 vacancies were fixed for the next academic year, more 62 than at present, 40 of which are due to the opening of a new course in University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) and 22 from a reinforcement at the University of Coimbra.
Still, ahead of Basic Education and Medicine, according to , are the courses linked to tourism were those that increased the most the number of vacancies for the next academic year. The morning report details that, in the first ten courses where the most vacancies increased, five are linked to tourism.
The Institute for Higher Education also points out that “9,290 vacancies were established in 2026 in courses aimed at training in digital skills”.
Including the private sector, with a total of 29,315 places (1,417 more in relation to the current academic year), “the Higher Education system offers a total of 107,598 places, which corresponds to 2,882 more in relation to 2025”, says the MECI.
