[REVISION HISTORY]

Portugal higher education enrollment and rental demand surge

Updated 21 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-27 16:38 UTC → 2026-09-02 18:22 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Portugal’s higher-education system saw a significant surge in interest during the summer 2026 application cycle. Following the launch of the University of Minho’s first public-sector dual-degree bachelor programmes, the first phase of the national access competition (CNAES) recorded 60,513 valid applications, a 30-year high excluding pandemic years. By late August, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation announced that 49,991 students were placed during the first phase, an 82.6% success rate. This 13.9% increase in placements compared to 2025 marks the highest figure in a decade, excluding 2020. Minister Fernando Alexandre attributed the rise to the restoration of previous access rules, which allow institutions to require only one entrance exam rather than two. Polytechnic institutions experienced particularly sharp growth of approximately 24.5%. Specific institutional growth included the University of Algarve, which saw an 18.9% increase, and the University of the Azores, which achieved its best results in a decade. Individual institutions reported intense competition. The Escola Superior de Comunicação Social (ESCS) at the Universidade Politécnica de Lisboa exceeded its capacity, placing 338 students for 331 available spots, with its demand satisfaction index rising from 147% to 325%. At Instituto Superior Técnico, 1,656 new students entered, with 18 of its 20 undergraduate programs reaching full capacity. The University of Porto also saw high demand, achieving a 99.1% vacancy fill rate in the first phase—the highest in the country—and recording the highest entry averages nationally. Following this initial phase, the University of Porto has announced 307 vacancies for the second phase of the 2026/2027 contest, covering 51 of its 62 undergraduate and integrated master's programs. Applications for these spots, which include fields such as Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Law, remain open until September 20. The influx of nearly 50,000 placed students has triggered a surge in demand within the rental market. Beja recorded the highest year-on-year demand increase at 160%, followed by Coimbra (120%) and Porto (104%). While demand rose, the national supply of available rooms decreased by 11%. Consequently, rental prices have climbed; in Lisbon, average room rents rose by approximately 10% to around 550 euros, while Bragança saw rental prices increase by 35% over the last year.

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