Aerospace Engineering at the University of Porto once again emerged as the course with the highest entry requirements this year, with the last admitted student achieving an average score of 19.43. This result comes from the first phase of the National Competition for Higher Education Access, the results of which were released today.
There are 13 other courses with high entry standards at the universities of Minho, Porto, Aveiro, and Lisbon, and one at the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave – School of Technology, where only top-grade students were admitted.
Following Aerospace Engineering, the Computer Systems Engineering course, offered as an evening program at the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, saw its last student admitted with an impressive average of 18.95, which is significantly higher than in previous years.
The institution had 32 available spots, yet only four students were placed, a rare occurrence among top-tier courses.
The next in line include Aerospace Engineering at the University of Minho (18.85), Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Porto (18.65), and Medicine, also in Porto, with 18.53.
University of Lisbon courses follow, namely Applied Mathematics to Economics and Management at the Higher Institute of Economics and Management (ISEG) with an average of 18.51, and Aerospace Engineering at the Higher Technical Institute with 18.50.
Contrasting these prestigious courses, there are 41 programs where no students applied, leaving nearly a thousand unoccupied spots, primarily in polytechnic institutions and mainly in engineering fields.
This year, less than 50,000 students applied in the first phase, with 90% already placed. However, 11,513 vacancies remain for the second phase, offering a variety of courses such as engineering, management, and nursing.
According to the list provided by the Ministry of Education, numerous programs still have openings, such as Computer Engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, which saw only 10 students admitted, leaving 98 spots available. Likewise, the evening program in Accounting at the Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration of Lisbon (ISCAL) filled only 33 out of 100 available places.
The School of Health in Santarém also reports that its Nursing course remains largely unfilled, with 53 spots left available, from a list of over a thousand courses where only 558 filled all positions in the first phase.
Courses with no available spots include those for future teachers, psychologists, historians, nurses, engineers, artists, or aerospace engineers.
The information is available on the website of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (http://www.dges.gov.pt), where details for each course regarding vacancies, number of placements, and the scores of the last admitted students can be consulted.
Overall, among universities and polytechnics, only ISCTE – Lisbon University Institute shows a slight increase in placements compared to 2024. In contrast, all other institutions report fewer new students than in the previous year.
The School of Hospitality and Tourism of Estoril experienced a significant decline, with placements reduced by half compared to last year (a 50.9% decrease).
Among the universities, the most significant decreases in student numbers are on the islands, with the University of Madeira reporting a 25.1% reduction and the University of the Azores 21.2%.
Notable declines among polytechnics include the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda (-46.7%), Tomar (-44.8%), and Santarém (-43.1%).
Once again, polytechnic institutes are the hardest hit by decreased applicant numbers. For instance, the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança left more than half of its 2,044 seats vacant.
The polytechnic institutes of Guarda, Tomar, Castelo Branco, Santarém, and Viana do Castelo also report about half of their positions vacant, which can be filled in the second phase.
Students not placed or those wishing to change courses can apply for the second phase, which begins on Monday and concludes on September 3.
