“We will maintain the strictness in accessing higher education. Exams are the guarantee that students reach higher education with an adequate level of preparation,” stated Cláudia Sarrico during the presentation in Lisbon of the 2025 edition of the international report Education at a Glance.
Noting that Portugal has increased the percentage of adults with higher education, the official warned that the national admission process to higher education, which this year saw fewer candidates, is just one of the ways to enter this level of education.
“The national admission process mainly applies to students who enter immediately after secondary education […] for bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees, but its relative importance has decreased,” she explained.
Cláudia Sarrico specified that while in 2012 this route accounted for 65% of enrollments, in 2023 the figure was 51%, while the proportion of enrollments in Professional Higher Technical Courses (TeSP) reached 12%.
Access for those over 23 and the entry of international students were also mentioned as pathways.
In a roughly half-hour speech where she reiterated several measures announced by the Government for higher education, the official highlighted that the report released today confirms that “having a higher education degree” results in better salaries and greater employability compared to “those without a higher diploma.”
This, she pointed out, “translates into a better quality of life and greater financial autonomy for thousands of families.”
According to the document, over 80% of workers with higher education earn above-average income in Portugal, and about a third earn more than double.
The data further indicate that four in ten Portuguese aged 25 to 64 can only understand simple texts and costs, positioning Portugal among the countries with the lowest proficiency levels in literacy.
The analysis shows that educational level and skills are closely linked, with adults with higher education scoring 36 points more than those with only secondary education and nearly 70 points higher than respondents without 12th grade completion.
Education at a Glance is the annual report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that provides statistics on the educational systems of the 38 member states.
