851-900 in the world · QS 2027

Iscte - University Institute of Lisbon

Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa

A public university focused on business, social sciences, technology and architecture, with a central campus and a digital-tech school in Sintra.

Lisbon, Portugal Public university institute Founded 1972 Official website

See my chances at Iscte Admissions office

Photo: Anup Sadi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Students: 14,000
International: 25%; of students
Tuition: €7,000; 2026-27
Founded: 1972

About Iscte

Iscte - University Institute of Lisbon is a public university founded in 1972. It has more than 14,000 students, and 60% of them are on postgraduate programmes (master's, PhD and postgraduate courses). Students come from 96 countries and international students make up 25% of the total. Its main campus is in central Lisbon, next to the Cidade Universitária: four buildings of about 45,000 square metres, one of which won a Valmor architecture prize, on an open campus.

Teaching is organised in five schools: Social Sciences and Humanities; Sociology and Public Policy; Management (Iscte Business School); Technology and Architecture; and, since 2022, the School of Digital Technologies, Economics and Society in Sintra, which offers eight bachelor's programmes that pair digital technology with economics, the social sciences or the humanities. Iscte offers more than 100 programmes across the three cycles, and eight research units, 13 laboratories and nine observatories are housed in its Knowledge and Innovation building, opened in 2023.

Most bachelor's degrees are taught in Portuguese, but Management has a fully English-taught class and International Studies is taught in English. Tuition for EU students is the regulated national fee. Iscte suits students who want a city-centre university strong in business, economics, sociology, computing and architecture, and it reports graduate employment rates close to 100% in most fields.

Why students choose Iscte

The BSc in Management runs a class taught entirely in English, alongside the Portuguese track, and International Studies is taught in English.

EU students pay the regulated national fee of 697 euros a year in 2026/27.

Iscte Sintra's eight bachelor's degrees combine digital technologies with areas such as AI, health, information security and management.

Iscte reports graduate employment rates approaching 100% in most fields.

Admissions

2027/28 academic year entry

Selectivity

Portuguese and EU applicants enter through the national access competition (Concurso Nacional de Acesso), ranked by secondary grades and national entrance exams; Iscte publishes the last-placed grade for each programme, for example 165.8 out of 200 for Management and 150.8 for Computer Engineering (daytime). Non-EU applicants compete for separate International Student Statute places.

Testing Portuguese/EU route: Portuguese national entrance exams (provas de ingresso) set per programme, e.g. Mathematics A plus one other subject for Economics and Management. International Student Statute route: no Portuguese exams, but proof of secondary-school grades in equivalent subjects.

Grades International Student Statute candidates are ranked on a 0-20 scale: 60% final secondary-school average and 40% the grade in the programme's specific subjects; a final score of at least 10 is needed.

Typical entry requirements

Portuguese secondary education (national access competition)	Secondary diploma plus the required national entrance exams; competitive last-placed grades, e.g. 165.8/200 (Management), 161.0 (Architecture)
Foreign qualification, International Student Statute (non-EU)	A qualification giving access to higher education in the country where it was obtained, with grades in the subjects Iscte requires for the programme; score of at least 10/20
Language	At least B1 (CEFR) in the programme's language of instruction, except for candidates from Portuguese- or English-speaking countries and Spanish speakers
English language	Iscte requires at least B1 (CEFR) in the language of instruction (Portuguese or English) for international applicants; it does not publish specific IELTS or TOEFL scores for bachelor's entry. Not required for applicants from Portuguese- or English-speaking countries.

Deadlines

National access competition, 1st phase (2026 dates) Non-binding Passed

20 July to 6 August 2026

For Portuguese/EU applicants via DGES; results were published on 23 August 2026, with enrolment from 24 to 27 August. Emigrant-contingent applicants and those substituting foreign exams applied from 20 to 29 July.
International Student Statute applications (2026/27 cycle) Non-binding

Opened 15 December 2025, closing dates by phase

Applications are made in phases, subject to places; each programme page lists its phase dates, with submissions due by 17:00 Portuguese time on each deadline.

These are the 2026/27 dates, the latest published. For 2027/28 the international application platform is expected to open around mid-December 2026, and the national access competition in July 2027.

How to apply

Non-EU international students apply directly to Iscte online via the Fenix academic platform under the International Student Statute, uploading school certificates and transcripts, a motivation letter and a language certificate, and paying a 70 euro application fee within three days. Admitted students pay a reservation fee within five working days, deducted from tuition. Portuguese and EU applicants apply through the national access competition run by DGES.

What admissions looks for

A strong final secondary-school average, which counts for 60% of the international ranking score.
Good grades in the programme's specific subjects (for example Mathematics for Economics, Management and Computer Engineering), worth 40%.
At least B1 command of the teaching language.
A motivation letter explaining your interest in Iscte and the programme.

Tips for applying to Iscte

1 Check the specific-exam table: each programme lists which secondary subjects you must have (e.g. Mathematics A plus Physics and Chemistry for Telecommunications and Computer Engineering).
2 Apply in the first phase, since later phases only open if places remain.
3 Pay the 70 euro application fee within three days of submitting, or the application is invalid.
4 If you want English teaching, choose the English class of Management or the English-taught International Studies degree.

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in EUR

Portuguese and EU students (and those with equal status): 697 euros a year for bachelor's and integrated master's programmes in 2026/27 Tuition €697

Non-EU students under the International Student Statute: 7,000 euros a year in 2026/27, payable in full at enrolment unless a phased-payment agreement is requested; plus a 70 euro application fee and enrolment fee Tuition €7,000

Financial aid

Portuguese and EU students can apply for state study grants through DGES, and Iscte's Student Welfare Services provide social support. International students can request a phased-payment agreement for tuition, and some programmes offer merit awards, such as the Caixa Geral de Depósitos and PwC prizes for the best Management students.

70 euros
Application fee (all rounds): 7,000 euros a year
Tuition for non-EU students, 2026/27

Academics

Management (BSc)

Three years, taught in Portuguese with a class fully in English; last-placed grade 165.8 in the national access competition.

Architecture (integrated master's)

Five-year programme at the School of Technology and Architecture; last-placed grade 161.0.

Computer Engineering (BSc)

Offered in daytime and evening (post-work) formats, with last-placed grades of 150.8 and 136.0.

International Studies (BSc)

A three-year bachelor's taught in English.

Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence (BSc, Sintra)

One of eight Iscte Sintra degrees combining digital technology with economics, social sciences or humanities.

Sociology (BSc)

A core Iscte subject whose graduates include minister Mariana Vieira da Silva and film director João Mário Grilo.

Research

Eight research units, all rated Excellent or Very Good, plus 13 laboratories and nine observatories are housed in the Iscte Knowledge and Innovation building, opened in November 2023.
Iscte's Centre for Technology Valorisation and Transfer (CVTT), established in 2019, now brings its research and knowledge-transfer work together in the Iscte Knowledge and Innovation building.
Iscte is a member of the PIONEER European University Alliance.

Schools & faculties

School of Social Sciences and Humanities
School of Sociology and Public Policy
School of Management (Iscte Business School)
School of Technology and Architecture
School of Digital Technologies, Economics and Society (Iscte Sintra)

Iscte reports graduate employment rates approaching 100% in most fields.

Student life

Iscte's Lisbon campus is compact and open to the public, with four buildings in the city's university district, and the newer Sintra campus serves the digital-technology school. A quarter of students come from abroad, from 96 countries in all. The student union (AEISCTE), Student Welfare Services and the student accommodation office support campus life, and Iscte stresses Lisbon's light, climate, safety and nearby beaches as part of the experience.

Students from 96 nationalities; international students are 25% of the total.
Open, central campus whose buildings include a Valmor architecture prize winner.
AEISCTE, the student union, and an alumni club.
Member of the PIONEER European University Alliance, with Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus exchanges.

Housing. Iscte has a student accommodation office and Student Welfare Services that help students find housing in Lisbon.

Location

Lisbon, Portugal's capital, is described by Iscte as safe, good value, famous for its light and climate, about two hours by air from major European cities and close to beaches. The main campus is in the city centre on Avenida das Forças Armadas next to Lisbon's Cidade Universitária; the digital-technology school is in Sintra, west of Lisbon.

Nearest airport: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)

Notable alumni

MM
Mariana Mortágua

Economist and former National Coordinator of the Left Bloc; degree and master's in economics
MV
Mariana Vieira da Silva

Former Minister of the Presidency of Portugal; licentiate in sociology (2002)
GF
Graça Fonseca

Former Minister of Culture of Portugal; PhD in sociology
JM
João Mário Grilo

Film director and professor; sociology graduate (1983)
MC
Manuel Carvalho da Silva

Long-time leader of the CGTP-IN trade union confederation; PhD in sociology
DA
Diana Andringa

Journalist and documentary maker; PhD in sociology of communication (2013)

Frequently asked questions

How much does Iscte cost for international students?

For 2026/27, non-EU students under the International Student Statute pay 7,000 euros a year, while EU students pay 697 euros. There is also a 70 euro application fee.

Does Iscte offer bachelor's degrees in English?

Yes, some: Management has a class taught entirely in English and International Studies is taught in English. Most other bachelor's programmes are in Portuguese.

How are international students selected at Iscte?

Candidates are scored out of 20: 60% from the final secondary-school average and 40% from the grades in the programme's specific subjects. You need at least 10 to be admitted, plus B1 in the teaching language.

When do applications open at Iscte?

For 2026/27 entry, international applications opened on 15 December 2025 on the Fenix platform, with deadlines by phase. EU and Portuguese applicants use the national access competition in July and August.

Is Iscte a public university?

Yes. Iscte is a public higher education institution founded in 1972, with campuses in Lisbon and Sintra.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.