University of Coimbra
Universidade de Coimbra
Portugal's oldest university, founded in 1290, whose hilltop campus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Students
- 31,256
- 13,188 undergraduates
- International
- 18%
- of students
- Tuition
- €7,000
- 2025-26
- Founded
- 1290
About UC
The University of Coimbra was founded in 1290 and for most of its history was Portugal's only university (apart from Évora's, which operated from 1559 to 1759) until the universities of Lisbon and Porto were created in 1911. Its historic core on the hill above the Mondego river, centred on the Paço das Escolas and its clock tower, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, and the university gave its name to the Coimbra Group of European research universities.
Today UC is a large public research university with 31,256 students in 2024/25, organised into eight faculties: Arts and Humanities, Law, Medicine, Sciences and Technology, Pharmacy, Economics, Psychology and Education Sciences, and Sport Sciences and Physical Education. It is one of Portugal's most international universities: at the end of 2025, 18.4% of students held a foreign nationality, from 111 countries, many of them from Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries.
Bachelor's and integrated master's degrees are taught in Portuguese and require B2-level Portuguese, although students with B1 can enrol if they take a Portuguese course. Portuguese students enter through the national access competition, where UC filled 98.4% of its places in the 2026 first phase, while international students apply directly with qualifications such as ENEM, the IB or A-levels. UC suits students who want a classic university town with strong traditions and a lower cost of living than Lisbon.
Why students choose UC
UC reached 342nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027, its best result ever, and ranks 2nd in Portugal for graduate employment in that ranking.
International students can apply with their own school-leaving exams, including Brazil's ENEM, the IB, A-levels and China's Gaokao, in several phases a year.
Automatic merit scholarships for international students cut 1,000 to 2,000 euros a year off the 7,000 euro fee for entrants with strong grades.
Student traditions such as the Queima das Fitas, Coimbra fado and the student republics make it one of the most distinctive places to study in Europe.
Admissions
2027/28 entry (national access competition; international student special competition)
Selectivity
UC does not publish an admit rate. In the 2026 first phase of the national access competition it placed 3,864 new students, a record, filling 98.4% of its places, with 1.27 first-choice applicants per place. The highest last-placed entry grades were Medicine (180.7 out of 200), Dental Medicine (179.0) and Architecture (175.5).
Typical entry requirements
| Portuguese secondary diploma (national access) | Apply through the DGES national competition with each course's entrance exams; places are ranked by application grade, e.g. last-placed grades of 180.7/200 for Medicine and 175.5 for Architecture in 2026. |
|---|---|
| ENEM (Brazil) | Minimum application score of 100 on the Portuguese 0-200 scale, equivalent to 500 on the ENEM scale; 140 (700 ENEM) for Medicine and Dental Medicine. ENEM areas are weighted differently for each course. |
| IB Diploma | IB exams taken in 2026 or the previous five years, with a secondary diploma, a minimum overall result of 24, higher minimums for Medicine and Dental Medicine, and one or two Higher Level subjects matching the course's requirements; scores are converted to the 0-200 scale for ranking. |
| A-levels, Gaokao/Liankao and others | Accepted as separate access routes with course-specific subject requirements; applicants without a recognised exam can sit UC's academic qualification tests. |
| English language | Bachelor's and integrated master's degrees are taught in Portuguese and require B2 Portuguese (CEFR). Applicants with B1 may apply if they commit to a year-long Portuguese course; exceptionally, those below B1 can apply if they first complete UC's Ano Zero Portuguese language year. |
Deadlines
- International students, 1st phase (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed26 January 2026
For 2026/27 entry: applications 15 December 2025 to 26 January 2026, results 4 February 2026.
- International students, 2nd phase (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed15 April 2026
Applications 16 February to 15 April 2026, results 23 April 2026.
- International students, 3rd phase (past cycle, for reference) Non-binding Passed20 July 2026
Applications 20 May to 20 July 2026; an extraordinary phase for remaining places ran 7 to 14 August 2026.
- 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 2027/28 international calendar has not been published yet. If it follows the 2026/27 pattern, the first international phase would open in mid-December 2026; check UC's international applicants page.
How to apply
Portuguese students and those with equivalent status (including EU/EEA nationals) apply through the national access competition run by DGES. International-statute students apply online to UC's special competition for international students, choosing up to two courses, with their secondary diploma, exam results (ENEM, IB, A-levels, Gaokao or UC's tests), ID and evidence of Portuguese. Several application phases run each year.
What admissions looks for
- An application score at or above UC's minimum (100 out of 200 for most courses, 140 for Medicine and Dental Medicine), with places allocated by ranking.
- Results in the subjects each course requires as entrance exams, or their ENEM, IB or A-level equivalents.
- Portuguese at B2 level, or a commitment to reach it through UC's language courses.
- A completed secondary diploma recognised as giving access to higher education.
Tips for applying to UC
- 1 Apply in the first international phase: later phases only offer the places left over, and for 2026/27 the extraordinary phase had no places left in Medicine.
- 2 Brazilian applicants can use ENEM; check UC's weighting table, as since 2026 you can submit a single ENEM area for both of your course choices.
- 3 Aim for an entry score of 140 points or more on the 0-200 scale: that is the threshold for the automatic graduate merit scholarship for international students.
- 4 If your Portuguese is below B1, plan for the Ano Zero Portuguese year before your degree.
Costs & financial aid
2025-26 · figures in EUR
Under Regulation 346/2025, international-statute students entering a bachelor's or integrated master's with an application score of 140 or more receive a merit scholarship of 1,000 to 2,000 euros a year off their fees, depending on their average, kept until graduation (not available for Medicine). Courses designated as priority areas carry a 2,000 euro incentive for entrants with an average of 13 or more. Portuguese and EU students can apply for DGES social scholarships through UC's Social Services (SASUC).
- 1,000 to 2,000 euros a year for entry scores of 140/200 or more
- Graduate merit scholarship (international students)
- 2,000 euros a year for entry averages of 13/20 or more
- Priority study area incentive
- First instalment of 1,750 euros (25%) at enrolment, the rest in monthly payments
- International fee instalments
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Integrated Master's in Medicine
UC's most competitive course: the last student placed in the 2026 national first phase had 180.7 out of 200, and 291 new students enrolled.
Law (Licenciatura em Direito)
UC's largest intake, with 350 students placed in the 2026 first phase, in a faculty whose alumni include Eça de Queirós, Antero de Quental and Manuel Alegre.
Integrated Master's in Architecture
Among UC's three highest entry grades in 2026 (175.5 for the last placed student).
Aerospace Engineering and Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Engineering and computing degrees at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, both open to international applicants in 2026/27.
Integrated Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Taught by UC's Faculty of Pharmacy, one of its eight faculties.
Research
- 41 research units evaluated by the Foundation for Science and Technology, 90% of them rated Excellent or Very Good.
- 22,839 Web of Science publications in 2021-2025, 8,067 of them in the top 25% of journals by impact.
- UC has 101 spin-offs and 474 active international patents; startups linked to the university include Critical Software and Feedzai.
- Neurologist Egas Moniz, who studied medicine at Coimbra, won the 1949 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Faculty of Economics
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences
- Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education
- Nursing School of Coimbra
UC ranks 2nd in Portugal on the employment outcomes indicator of the QS World University Rankings 2027, up from 5th the year before. It awarded 5,579 degrees in 2024/25.
Student life
Coimbra is a true university town, and UC's traditions shape its calendar. Students still wear the black academic dress, ribbons in faculty colours are burned at the Queima das Fitas at the end of the year, freshmen are welcomed with the Latada parade, and Coimbra fado is sung by students in its own style. The students' union, the Associação Académica de Coimbra, is central to student life, and the historic repúblicas are self-governing student houses. UC's social services (SASUC) provide canteens, residences and support services.
- Queima das Fitas, the end-of-year festival where students burn ribbons in their faculty colours.
- The repúblicas, self-governed student houses in the old town.
- The Associação Académica de Coimbra, the students' union, is part of daily life; Zeca Afonso played football for it.
- The Paço das Escolas, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, still hosts academic ceremonies such as doctoral conferrals.
Housing. UC's Social Services (SASUC) run university residences and canteens, but places are limited, so many students rent rooms in the city or live in a república.
Location
Coimbra is a mid-sized city in central Portugal, built on a hill above the Mondego river, between Lisbon and Porto. The university dominates the old upper town (Alta), while the Sciences and Technology and health campuses are spread around the city. Rents and living costs are lower than in Lisbon or Porto.
Nearest airport: Porto Airport (OPO); Lisbon Airport (LIS)
Notable alumni
- EM Egas MonizNeurologist and Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1949); medicine graduate, 1899
- JM José Maria de Eça de QueirósNovelist, author of The Maias; studied law at Coimbra
- AQ Antero de QuentalPoet and philosopher; studied law at Coimbra
- JB José Bonifácio de Andrada e SilvaStatesman known as the Patriarch of Brazilian Independence and naturalist; degrees in law and natural philosophy
- TB Teófilo BragaWriter and President of Portugal (1915); studied at Coimbra
- ZA Zeca AfonsoSinger-songwriter whose 'Grândola, Vila Morena' signalled the 1974 Carnation Revolution; studied history and philosophy
- MA Manuel AlegrePoet and politician; studied law and was active in the Associação Académica de Coimbra
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Coimbra cost for international students?
In 2025/26, the latest year UC has published, international-statute students paid 7,000 euros a year for bachelor's and integrated master's degrees, while Portuguese and EU students paid 697 euros. Merit scholarships of 1,000 to 2,000 euros a year are available to international entrants with a score of 140/200 or more.
Can I study at Coimbra in English?
Not at bachelor's level: undergraduate and integrated master's degrees are taught in Portuguese and require B2 Portuguese, with language courses available for students at B1 or below.
Can I apply to the University of Coimbra with ENEM?
Yes. UC accepts ENEM for bachelor's and integrated master's degrees, with a minimum of 500 on the ENEM scale (100 out of 200), or 700 (140) for Medicine and Dental Medicine.
When are the University of Coimbra application deadlines for international students?
For 2026/27 there were three phases: 15 December 2025 to 26 January 2026, 16 February to 15 April 2026, and 20 May to 20 July 2026, plus an extraordinary phase in August. The 2027/28 dates have not been published yet.
How hard is it to get into Medicine at Coimbra?
Very competitive: in the 2026 national access first phase, the last student placed in Medicine had 180.7 out of 200. International applicants need a minimum of 140 out of 200 (700 on the ENEM scale).
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to UC in the QS World University Rankings 2027.