Portugal achieved an all-time high in the number of students enrolled in higher education during the previous academic year.

According to an announcement from the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, the 2022/23 academic year saw a total of 446,028 students enrolled in Portuguese universities and polytechnics, marking a 3% increase compared to the previous year.

Out of these higher education enrollees, 86,631 students belonged to the private sector, representing 19.5% of the total. When examining the type of institutions, 30.5% of students chose polytechnics, accounting for 135,833 students.

This upsurge in student enrollment continues a trend that has been ongoing since 2015-2016 when there were 358,450 students, resulting in an overall growth of 24%.

Portugal also welcomed 74,597 foreign students, constituting 17% of the total enrolled.

The Ministry, led by Elvira Fortunato, expressed confidence in these results, seeing them as indicative of Portugal's progress towards its long-term educational goals. By 2030, the country aims to achieve a 60% attendance rate in higher education among young people aged 20 and a 50% rate of higher education graduates among those aged 30-34.

In the previous academic year, approximately one-third of students (155,082) enrolled for the first time in the 1st year, with a higher representation of women compared to men in nearly all fields of education and training.

Among foreign students, 24% (17,822) participated in international mobility programs, including the Erasmus Program.

Regarding foreign students pursuing an entire study cycle in Portugal, the largest contingents hailed from Brazil (30%), followed by Guinea-Bissau (12%), Cape Verde (11.3%), Angola (9.3%), and France (6%). Photo by Manuel de Sousa, Wikimedia commons.