Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Portugal's Catholic university, best known internationally for the English-taught business degrees of Católica Lisbon SBE.
- Students
- 13,349
- International
- 28%
- of students
- Tuition
- €6,990
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1967
About Católica
Universidade Católica Portuguesa was established in 1967 by decree of the Holy See and is a non-profit, non-state university: its courses do not receive state funding, so it charges higher fees than Portugal's public universities. It has four campuses, with its headquarters at Palma de Cima in Lisbon and regional campuses in Porto, Braga and Viseu, and 19 teaching units ranging from Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics and the Católica Porto Business School to Law, Human Sciences, Theology, Biotechnology, the Arts, Dental Medicine and a Medical School in Sintra.
The university reports 13,349 students on degree programmes plus about 7,000 on non-degree courses, 28% of them international and from 121 nationalities, with 40 bachelor's, 68 master's and 28 doctoral programmes. Seven bachelor's and integrated master's programmes are taught entirely in English, among them three international undergraduate programmes at Católica Lisbon SBE and the six-year Medicine degree.
Católica suits academically strong students who want a selective, business-and-professions-oriented university in Lisbon or Porto, and who can meet private-university fees. Each faculty runs its own application calendar and weighting of school grades and entrance exams, and applicants from outside the EU apply through Portugal's International Student Status, which has its own requirements and deadlines.
The Value of Values
University motto
Why students choose Católica
Católica Lisbon SBE's International Undergraduate Programs in Business Administration, Economics & Finance, and Management & Data Analytics are taught fully in English, with double-degree options at Grenoble École de Management or the University of San Diego.
The university reports a 98.1% employment rate for its bachelor's and integrated master's graduates.
Merit scholarships at Católica Lisbon SBE are awarded automatically each year to students who meet grade thresholds, and more than half of its bachelor's students receive one; the university paid out over 6.3 million euros in merit and social scholarships in 2024.
The Medicine degree at the Católica Medical School is taught in English (clinical training in Portuguese), selects with internal exams and multiple mini-interviews, and had 9 places for international-status students in 2026/27.
Admissions
2027/28 entry (calendars below are from the 2026/27 cycle)
Selectivity
Católica does not publish an overall admission rate. Applicants are ranked on an application grade that combines the secondary school average and entrance exams (plus, for some programmes, a pre-requisite such as a CV and personal statement). The minimum application grade is 100 points out of 200, rising to 120 for Philosophy, Politics and Economics, 130 for Dental Medicine and 140 for Medicine in Lisbon and the Católica Lisbon SBE management and economics degrees.
Typical entry requirements
| Secondary school diploma (International Student Status) | A qualification giving access to higher education in your country, plus national exam results equivalent to the entrance exams for the course; documents must be legalised (or apostilled) and officially translated into Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Católica Lisbon SBE International Undergraduate Programs | Secondary average 40%, mathematics exam 30%, second entrance exam 15%, and CV, personal statement and English 15%; minimum application grade 140/200 for Business Administration and Economics & Finance |
| Gaokao (Chinese applicants) | Gaokao taken in the last two school years, with a first or second category result in the provincial ranking |
| Medicine (integrated master's) | Secondary average 40%, entrance exams 45%, pre-requisite 15%, plus internal exams and multiple mini-interviews; minimum 140 points |
| English language | Católica Lisbon SBE's international programmes require English at CEFR B2 minimum, with C1 recommended; the English proof deadline for 2026 entry was 3 July 2026. Portuguese-taught programmes do not require English. |
Deadlines
- Católica Lisbon SBE international programmes, round 1 Non-binding Passed7 January 2026 (2026 intake, past)
Opened 3 December 2025; results 28 January 2026.
- Porto faculties (e.g. Católica Porto Business School, Law, Biotechnology, Arts), 1st phase Non-binding Passed15 January 2026 (2026 intake, past)
Opened 2 December 2025; 2nd phase 23 February to 7 April, 3rd phase 11 May to 11 June 2026.
- Medicine, 1st phase Non-binding Passed26 January 2026 (2026 intake, past)
Opened 3 December 2025; internal exams 3-5 February and multiple mini-interviews 6 February 2026. A 2nd phase ran to 12 June and a 3rd to 31 August 2026.
- Católica Lisbon SBE international programmes, round 2 Non-binding Passed4 March 2026 (2026 intake, past)
Results 25 March 2026.
- Católica Lisbon SBE international programmes, round 3 (last round for International Student Status) Non-binding Passed29 April 2026 (2026 intake, past)
Later rounds (to 3 June and an extra round to 3 July) were for general-regime applicants only.
Católica had not published its 2027/28 International Student Status calendar when checked; the dates shown are from the 2026/27 cycle, when most first rounds opened in early December 2025. Each faculty sets its own calendar, so check the calendar page before applying; visa students are advised to apply as early as possible.
How to apply
Apply online directly to the campus or faculty (Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Viseu or the Faculty of Theology); there is no national access system for Católica. Non-EU applicants who have not lived in Portugal for more than two years apply under the International Student Status with a signed declaration of eligibility, secondary transcripts and exam results. At Católica Lisbon SBE the international programmes use rounds with conditional offers and ask for a CV, personal statement, English certificate and mathematics exam; application fees are non-refundable (180 euros at Católica Lisbon SBE, 430 euros for Medicine).
What admissions looks for
- Strong academic performance, which Católica Lisbon SBE calls the most important factor.
- Good results in the entrance exams the course requires, especially mathematics for business and economics.
- For international business programmes, English at B2 or above plus a CV and personal statement showing an international mindset (15% of the application grade).
- For Medicine, performance in internal exams and multiple mini-interviews, alongside grades.
Tips for applying to Católica
- 1 If you are applying under the International Student Status, do it in one of the first three rounds: later applicants are not considered under that status.
- 2 Check the mathematics exam list for Católica Lisbon SBE: if your exam is not eligible, the online Mathematics Admissions Test allows at most two attempts.
- 3 You can apply with predicted grades, then submit final results by mid-July; conditional offers become official in late July or August.
- 4 Get your documents legalised or apostilled and officially translated early, because Católica asks for authenticated diplomas and exam certificates.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Católica is not state-funded, so fees are the same regardless of income, but it paid 6.3 million euros in merit and social scholarships and awards in 2024. At Católica Lisbon SBE, merit scholarships are granted automatically each year to students who meet grade thresholds (more than half of bachelor's students hold one), and the university's Social Responsibility Office reduces or waives fees for students in financial difficulty. Erasmus+ grants support exchanges and double degrees.
- 6,316,443 euros
- Merit and social scholarships and awards (2024)
- More than half
- Católica Lisbon SBE bachelor's students with merit scholarships
- Application 180 euros, conditional offer 450 euros, enrolment 470 euros
- Católica Lisbon SBE fees (2026/27)
- 430 euros
- Medicine application fee (2026/27)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
International Undergraduate Program in Business Administration (Católica Lisbon SBE)
Fully in English, with a compulsory exchange and optional double degrees with Grenoble École de Management or the University of San Diego.
International Undergraduate Program in Economics & Finance (Católica Lisbon SBE)
English-taught, with a minimum application grade of 140 points and a mathematics-heavy admission formula.
International Undergraduate Program in Management & Data Analytics (Católica Lisbon SBE)
English-taught bachelor's combining management with data analytics, charged at the same 7,800/8,580-euro fee as the school's other international programmes.
Medicine (integrated master's)
Taught in English, with the clinical component in Portuguese, at the Católica Medical School in Sintra; admission uses internal exams and multiple mini-interviews, with 9 international-status places in 2026/27.
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Faculty of Human Sciences)
An interdisciplinary Lisbon bachelor's with a 120-point minimum application grade.
Law (Lisbon and Porto)
Católica runs law schools in both Lisbon and Porto, plus the Católica Global School of Law in Lisbon.
Research
- 15 research units with 1,396 researchers produced 11,498 scientific publications between 2020 and 2024.
- The university holds 68 international patents, 20 of them filed in 2024.
- Católica reports being named Portugal's most entrepreneurial university in the Redstone University Startup Index 2025.
Schools & faculties
- Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics
- Católica Porto Business School
- Faculty of Law (Lisbon and Porto schools)
- Católica Global School of Law
- Faculty of Human Sciences
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences (Braga)
- Católica Medical School
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing
- Escola Superior de Biotecnologia (Porto)
- School of the Arts (Porto)
- Faculty of Dental Medicine (Viseu)
The university reports a 98.1% employment rate for graduates of its bachelor's and integrated master's programmes.
Student life
Católica is a campus-based university spread over four cities: the Lisbon headquarters at Palma de Cima houses the business, law, human sciences and theology faculties around the João Paulo II library, the Porto campus sits in Foz near the sea, and there are smaller campuses in Braga and Viseu. With 28% international students from 121 nationalities, English-taught business programmes feel especially international, with compulsory exchanges and double degrees. The university runs student associations and clubs, sport and wellbeing services, a mental-health programme (UCP2 Mental Health), careers services and volunteering, reflecting its Catholic ethos.
- Students from 121 nationalities; 28% of students are international.
- 849 mobility agreements with partner institutions.
- UCP2 Mental Health support programme for students.
- Católica/Harvard Summer School and membership of the Transform4Europe and SACRU university alliances.
Location
The main campus is in Palma de Cima in northern Lisbon, Portugal's capital, a coastal city with a mild climate, an international startup scene and good metro and airport links. The Porto campus is in the seaside Foz district, Braga is a historic northern city and Viseu a smaller inland town; the Medical School is in Sintra near Lisbon.
Nearest airport: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
Notable alumni
- AH António Horta-OsórioBanker, former chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group; degree in business management and administration
- PP Paulo PortasFormer Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Portugal; law degree (1984)
- VG Vítor GasparEconomist, former Portuguese Minister of Finance; economics degree (1982)
- SR Sérgio RebeloMacroeconomist at Northwestern's Kellogg School; licenciatura in economics (1981)
- RA Ricardo Araújo PereiraComedian and writer, co-founder of Gato Fedorento; degree in social communication
- IJ Isabel JonetPresident of the Portuguese Food Bank Against Hunger; economics degree
- MC Manuel ClementeCardinal and former Patriarch of Lisbon; theology degree (1979)
Frequently asked questions
How much does Universidade Católica Portuguesa cost for international students?
Each faculty sets its own fees. For 2026/27, a full-time year for non-EU students costs about 6,990 euros for most Faculty of Human Sciences bachelor's in Lisbon, 8,580 euros for Católica Lisbon SBE's English-taught bachelor's and 24,350 euros for Medicine; EU and CPLP students pay less (for example 7,800 at the SBE and 19,200 for Medicine). Enrolment fees are extra.
Does Católica teach bachelor's degrees in English?
Yes. Seven bachelor's and integrated master's programmes are fully in English, including Católica Lisbon SBE's programmes in Business Administration, Economics & Finance, and Management & Data Analytics, and Medicine.
What grades do you need for Católica Lisbon SBE?
The school recommends a secondary average and mathematics and second exam grades of 80% or more (16/20), with 50% as the minimum; the application grade must reach at least 140 points for Business Administration and Economics & Finance.
When is the application deadline for Católica?
It depends on the faculty. For 2026 entry, Católica Lisbon SBE's first round ran from 3 December 2025 to 7 January 2026, and International Student Status applicants had to apply by the third round, which closed on 29 April 2026. The 2027 calendar had not been published when checked.
Does Católica offer scholarships?
Yes. It awarded over 6.3 million euros in merit and social scholarships in 2024; at Católica Lisbon SBE, merit scholarships are automatic for students meeting grade thresholds and go to more than half of bachelor's students.
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.
- QS World University Rankings 2027 (topuniversities.com)
- THE World University Rankings 2026
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa: A Católica em Números
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa: International applicants (other nationalities)
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa: 2026/27 calendar, International Student Status
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa: Faculties, schools and institutes
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