NOVA University Lisbon
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
Lisbon's youngest public university, a federation of nine autonomous schools from Nova SBE to NOVA Medical School.
- Students
- 25,327
- 9,306 undergraduates
- International
- 22%
- of students
- Tuition
- €3,500
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1973
About NOVA
NOVA University Lisbon was founded on 11 August 1973 as the youngest of Lisbon's three state universities, created to meet rising demand for higher education and built around interdisciplinary teaching and new technologies alongside traditional fields such as medicine, sciences and humanities. Its motto, Omnis civitas contra se divisa non stabit, is a call to unity across a deliberately decentralised institution.
NOVA is a federation of nine academic units that enjoy a great deal of autonomy, spread across Lisbon, Almada, Oeiras and Cascais: the School of Science and Technology, the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Nova School of Business and Economics, NOVA Medical School, the School of Law, the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA Information Management School, the ITQB António Xavier institute and the National School of Public Health. In 2024/25 it had 25,327 students, of whom 9,306 were in bachelor's degrees, and 5,620 registered foreign students from 125 nationalities.
Because each school runs its own admissions for international students, the experience varies a lot: Nova SBE and NOVA IMS teach bachelor's degrees in English at a fee of 7,500 euros a year, while Portuguese-taught humanities degrees at NOVA FCSH cost international students 3,500 euros. NOVA suits students who know which school and subject they want, and who like the idea of studying in a capital city with the Atlantic coast within reach.
Omnis civitas contra se divisa non stabit
“Every city divided against itself shall not stand” — university motto
Why students choose NOVA
NOVA ranks 337th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and first in Portugal for sustainability and internationalisation.
Nova SBE's English-taught BSc degrees in Economics and Management admit international students directly, with published grade thresholds such as IB 36 or A-levels AAB with an A in Mathematics.
Portuguese national tuition is low: 697 euros a year for bachelor's students at NOVA FCSH in 2026/27.
The SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme offers a bridging year for international students who don't yet meet direct-entry requirements, leading into NOVA and partner universities in the EUTOPIA alliance.
Admissions
2027/28 entry (Portuguese national access; international student statute)
Selectivity
NOVA does not publish an overall admit rate. For 2024/25, first-cycle and integrated master's programmes offered 2,823 places and received 4,107 first-choice applications through the national access competition. Selectivity depends heavily on the school and programme.
Typical entry requirements
| Portuguese secondary diploma (national access) | Apply through the DGES national competition with the programme's required entrance exams; the application grade combines secondary grades and exam results, and places are filled by ranking. |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma (Nova SBE, international statute) | Economics and Management: minimum 36 points with Mathematics at HL grade 6 or above. Marine Studies: minimum 34 points, Mathematics strongly recommended (2026/27 requirements). |
| A-levels (Nova SBE, international statute) | Economics and Management: minimum AAB with an A in Mathematics. Marine Studies: minimum ABB (2026/27 requirements). |
| Other systems (Nova SBE Economics and Management) | Published minimums for 2026/27 include Abitur 1.8, French Baccalaureate 15/20, Spanish PAU 8.2 (Matemáticas II 8.5), India 12th Standard 88% (Mathematics 90%), US AP scores 5, 5, 4 including 5 in AP Calculus, and Gaokao 78%. |
| English language | TOEFL iBT 80 Nova SBE accepts TOEFL iBT 80, Cambridge First (170 or grade C), CAE or CPE, secondary education taught entirely in English, or native/bilingual status. NOVA IMS requires B2 English (CEFR), tested by its own placement test unless the applicant studied in an English-speaking country. Portuguese-taught degrees require Portuguese proficiency instead. |
Deadlines
- Nova SBE Fall Intake (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed16 June 2026, 17:00 Lisbon time
Window for September 2026 entry ran 14 April to 16 June 2026; the 2027 Fall Intake dates are not yet published.
- National access competition, 1st phase (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed6 August 2026
2026 calendar: applications 20 July to 6 August, results 23 August; second phase 24 August to 20 September. The 2027 calendar is not yet published.
- Nova SBE Spring Intake (international students) Non-binding Next deadline · In 59 days4 December 2026, 17:00 Lisbon time
Applications open 10 November 2026, for students starting in the February to June semester. Nova SBE replies within 8 weeks.
International-statute admissions run in several phases set by each school (NOVA IMS ran six phases for 2026/27, the last from 3 to 20 August 2026). Only the Nova SBE Spring Intake window for 2027 has been published so far; check each school's edital for 2027/28 dates.
How to apply
Portuguese and EU-equivalent applicants apply through the national access competition run by DGES. Applicants covered by the international student statute (generally non-EU/EEA nationals without two years' legal residence in Portugal) apply directly to the relevant NOVA school through its special competition: an online form with secondary transcripts, CV, motivation letter, English evidence and a 70 euro application fee, plus any school-specific exams or interviews. Applicants who don't meet the entry requirements can apply to the SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme.
What admissions looks for
- Secondary results above the published minimum for your qualification, with the required level in Mathematics for economics, management and data-science degrees.
- Evidence of English (or Portuguese) at the level of the programme's teaching language.
- For Nova SBE, a CV and motivation letter alongside your transcripts from the last three years of school.
- Performance in the school's own exams where required, such as NOVA IMS's Mathematics exam or NOVA FCT's knowledge tests.
Tips for applying to NOVA
- 1 Check whether you fall under the international student statute: EU/EEA nationals, their family members and non-EU nationals legally resident in Portugal for more than two years apply as national students instead.
- 2 Apply to the specific NOVA school, not the university: each school runs its own international competition, dates and fees.
- 3 NOVA IMS allows only one international application per year, so choose all the programmes you want (up to three) in a single phase.
- 4 If your grades or qualification don't meet direct-entry requirements, look at the SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme, which prepares students for NOVA degrees.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
NOVA's Social Welfare Services (SASNOVA) administer DGES state scholarships for eligible students, an emergency allowance, merit scholarships and student work schemes. Nova SBE also runs its own scholarship and funding programme. International-statute students pay the higher fee and are generally not eligible for DGES grants.
- 70 euros
- Application fee (international statute)
- Five payments of 1,500 euros (after a 3,000 euro deductible pre-enrolment deposit)
- NOVA IMS instalment plan, 2026/27
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
BSc Economics and BSc Management (Nova SBE)
English-taught at the Carcavelos campus, with direct international entry from IB 36 or AAB and a 7,500 euro international fee.
Information Management and Information Systems and Technologies (NOVA IMS)
NOVA's data science school reports 31% international students and a 96% employment rate for its graduates.
BSc Marine Studies (Nova SBE)
A distinctive ocean-focused bachelor's taught in English, with slightly lower entry thresholds than economics and management.
Materials and engineering degrees (NOVA FCT)
Taught by NOVA FCT, home of Elvira Fortunato's pioneering research on paper electronics.
Integrated Master's in Medicine (NOVA Medical School)
NOVA's integrated master's programmes (3,077 students in 2024/25) include medicine, taught by NOVA Medical School alongside the university's health-focused schools of tropical medicine and public health.
Research
- NOVA has 41 R&D units, 93% of them rated Exceptional, Excellent or Very Good by the Foundation for Science and Technology.
- The university produced 3,626 publications in 2024 and attracted more than 75 million euros in R&D funding in 2020-2023.
- NOVA FCT materials scientist Elvira Fortunato is a pioneer of paper electronics, including paper transistors, memories, batteries and solar cells.
- The Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine specialises in global and tropical health.
Schools & faculties
- NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT)
- NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities (NOVA FCSH)
- Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE)
- NOVA Medical School
- NOVA School of Law
- Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT)
- NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier (ITQB NOVA)
- National School of Public Health
NOVA reports that about 90% of its master's and doctoral graduates are in the job market one year after completing their studies; one-year employment for bachelor's graduates is much lower (48.6% for the 2020 cohort), since most continue to a master's.
Student life
NOVA has no single campus. Students spend their days at their own school: the glass tower and Colégio Almada Negreiros of NOVA FCSH in central Lisbon, the Campolide campus with the rectorate, law school and NOVA IMS, NOVA FCT's science and engineering campus in Almada, across the Tagus, and Nova SBE's coastal campus at Carcavelos. With 5,620 foreign students from 125 nationalities and 1,663 incoming exchange students a year, international students are a normal part of campus life. SASNOVA runs canteens, three halls of residence and cultural programmes.
- Nova SBE's campus is at Carcavelos, on the coast west of Lisbon.
- 1,663 incoming exchange students and 1,095 mobility partnerships in 94 countries.
- NOVA belongs to the EUTOPIA European university alliance.
- SASNOVA runs volunteering programmes and cultural activities alongside housing and canteens.
Housing. SASNOVA has three halls of residence with 460 beds in total, with priority for Portuguese scholarship holders and exchange students, so most degree-seeking international students rent privately.
Location
Lisbon is Portugal's capital, a hilly Atlantic city on the Tagus estuary with mild winters, trams and a large student population. NOVA's schools are spread across the metropolitan area, from Campolide and Avenida de Berna in the city to Almada south of the river and Carcavelos on the coast, so commuting times depend on your school. Rents in Lisbon are high by Portuguese standards.
Nearest airport: Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS)
Notable alumni
- EF Elvira FortunatoMaterials scientist and pioneer of paper electronics, former Minister of Science; degree, master's and PhD from NOVA FCT
- AS António SimõesGroup chief executive of Legal & General since 2024; economics graduate of Nova SBE, top of his class
- AV André VenturaLeader of the Chega party; law graduate of NOVA School of Law
- JC João Cotrim de FigueiredoMember of the European Parliament since 2024 and former leader of Iniciativa Liberal; MBA from NOVA
- MT Marta TemidoFormer Minister of Health of Portugal; PhD in international health from NOVA
- GC Gabriela CanavilhasPianist and former Minister of Culture; degree in Musical Sciences from NOVA FCSH
- IV Isabel VazExecutive chair of the healthcare group Luz Saúde; MBA from NOVA
- NJ Nuno JúdicePoet and essayist; doctorate from NOVA, where he became a full professor
Frequently asked questions
How much does NOVA University Lisbon cost for international students?
It depends on the school. For 2026/27, international-statute bachelor's students pay 3,500 euros a year at NOVA FCSH and 7,500 euros at NOVA IMS; Nova SBE published 7,500 euros for 2025/26. Portuguese and EU students pay 697 euros.
Who counts as an international student at NOVA?
Generally non-EU/EEA nationals who don't have EU family ties or more than two years' legal residence in Portugal. EU/EEA citizens apply through the national access system and pay the national fee.
Does NOVA teach bachelor's degrees in English?
Yes, at some schools: Nova SBE's Economics, Management and Marine Studies degrees and NOVA IMS's bachelor's degrees are taught in English. Many other NOVA degrees are taught in Portuguese.
What grades do I need for Nova SBE?
For Economics and Management in 2026/27, minimums include IB 36 with HL Mathematics 6, A-levels AAB with an A in Mathematics, or Abitur 1.8. Marine Studies asks for IB 34 or ABB.
When is the Nova SBE deadline for international students?
The Spring Intake runs from 10 November to 4 December 2026 for February entry. The Fall Intake for September 2026 closed on 16 June 2026; the 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
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.
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