The University of Lisbon is projected to rank in Portugal and worldwide, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2026. The University of Porto follows, ranking worldwide. Such rankings demonstrate the growing presence of Portuguese universities on the international stage and the investment made in improving the quality of higher education in the country.
Student enrollment and popular fields of study
In the academic year 2023/2024, Portugal had over higher education students, with universities attracting the majority of enrollments across all regions. Business sciences, administration, and law emerged as the most popular fields of study, with students, followed closely by engineering, manufacturing, and construction, which counted with students.
Educational performance and socioeconomic factors
While Portugal's universities are performing well globally, the country faces challenges in pre-university education. The 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results placed Portugal in the bottom half of European countries, with 15-year-old students scoring points in science and in reading. Family income significantly influenced the scores, with students from higher-income families consistently achieving better results across all categories. This may impact the performance of students attending Portuguese universities and, therefore, the institutions' global rankings.
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