University of Minho
Universidade do Minho
A 1973-founded public university split between Braga and Guimarães, with a separate entry route for non-EU students.
- Students
- 20,566
- 11,564 undergraduates
- International
- 11%
- of students
- Tuition
- €872
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1973
About UMinho
The University of Minho was founded in Braga in 1973, one of the 'new universities' of Portugal's higher education expansion, and took its first students in 1975/76. It is public and spread over three campuses in two historic northern cities: Gualtar in Braga, and Azurém and Couros in Guimarães, where the Couros campus sits in an area classed as UNESCO World Heritage. The rectorate is in Braga's Largo do Paço.
Its facts and figures page lists 20,566 students, including 11,564 on bachelor's and integrated master's degrees, 7,302 master's students and 1,700 doctoral students, plus 1,737 professors and researchers. Teaching and research are organised in 12 schools and institutes, from Engineering, Sciences and Medicine to Law, Economics and Management, Psychology, Nursing and Architecture, Art and Design. The university reports 31 research units, 27 of them rated Excellent or Very Good, 13 collaborative laboratories and 51 spin-offs.
For non-EU applicants, UMinho runs a special competition for international students with its own quotas, exams and fees, and places students by an application score out of 200. It suits students who want a broad public university in an affordable part of Portugal, and who are ready to study mostly in Portuguese.
Res ipsas examinare: versus est sciendi modus
“Examining things in themselves: this is the true way of knowing” — university motto
Why students choose UMinho
Two cities in one university: engineering-heavy Azurém and Couros in Guimarães, and the Gualtar campus in Braga, about 4.45 euros by train from Porto.
Portuguese and EU students pay 697 euros a year for a bachelor's or integrated master's degree in 2026/27.
Brazilian ENEM holders get their own early application round in January and February, before the main international round.
Strong research base: 31 research units, 13 collaborative laboratories, 51 spin-offs and a science and technology park (AvePark).
Admissions
2027/28 entry (dates below are from the 2026/27 cycle)
Selectivity
No overall admission rate is published. Portuguese and EU applicants enter through the national access competition run by DGES. Non-EU applicants compete for a small, fixed number of places per course in the special competition for international students (for 2026/27, from 1 place in many courses up to 15 in International Relations and 10 each in Economics, Management, Marketing and Medicine), ranked by an application score out of 200 with a minimum of 100.
Typical entry requirements
| Portuguese secondary diploma (Portuguese and EU applicants) | National access competition: secondary diploma plus the national entrance exams set for each course, e.g. Mathematics A with Physics and Chemistry or Biology and Geology for engineering and science degrees |
|---|---|
| Brazilian ENEM | ENEM test results weighted per course; ENEM holders may apply in the first international round (26 January-13 February in 2026) |
| Other foreign secondary qualification | A qualification giving access to higher education, plus exams in the course's entrance subjects (recognised home-country exams or UMinho's written exams); exam results from the previous four years are valid |
| Integrated Master in Medicine | Physics and Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology-Geology (or recognised equivalents), an interview, and Portuguese at B1 or English at B2 |
| English language | Applicants must know the language the course is taught in (Portuguese or English) at an independent level, B2 on the CEFR, shown by certificate or test. Those schooled in a Portuguese-speaking country are exempt from the Portuguese test. Applicants with B1 can apply if they commit to a year-long language course and reach B2 by the end of the first year; no fixed IELTS or TOEFL score is published. |
Deadlines
- International competition, 1st round (ENEM holders only) Non-binding Passed13 February 2026 (2026/27 cycle, past)
Opened 26 January 2026; Medicine interviews 2-3 March; results 12 March; enrolment 23-28 March 2026.
- International competition, 2nd round Non-binding Passed24 April 2026 (2026/27 cycle, past)
Opened 13 April 2026 after vacancies were published on 10 April; in-person exams at UMinho 11-22 May; results 12 June; enrolment 23-30 June 2026.
- International competition, 3rd round (holders of the required entry qualification only) Non-binding Passed19 August 2026 (2026/27 cycle, past)
Opened 5 August 2026; results 14 September 2026.
UMinho had not published its 2027/28 international calendar when checked; all dates shown are from the 2026/27 cycle and have passed. Expect a similar pattern, with the first round in late January 2027. The national access competition for Portuguese and EU students follows the DGES calendar.
How to apply
Portuguese and EU students apply through the national access competition on the DGES portal. Non-EU international students register on UMinho's Academic Portal, apply to the special competition for international students in one of three rounds, pay the 68-euro application fee and upload their school certificates and exam results; those without recognised exams then sit UMinho's written entrance exams. Admitted students enrol online and use the enrolment certificate to apply for a student visa.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary qualification that gives access to higher education, with a strong final grade: it makes up 60% of the application score.
- Good results in the entrance subjects each course requires, which make up the other 40%.
- Enough Portuguese (or English, for English-taught courses) to follow classes, at B2.
- For Medicine, a successful interview and strong science and mathematics results; for Music, the aptitude test.
Tips for applying to UMinho
- 1 Check the number of international places for your course first: many courses have only one to three, so have a backup choice.
- 2 If you hold ENEM results, apply in the January-February round, which is reserved for ENEM holders.
- 3 Find out early whether your national exams or diploma can replace UMinho's written exams; if not, plan a trip to Braga or Guimarães for the May exam window.
- 4 Fees depend on the course and on whether you come from a Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) country, so check the fee table for your exact degree before applying.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Under Portuguese law, international students cannot receive study grants or other cash support unless they have emergency status for humanitarian reasons. They can, however, win UMinho's merit scholarships (for a year average of 16/20 or more with all units passed) and excellence scholarships (for the top entrant, top student per year and best graduate of each course). Fees are paid in 10 monthly instalments from October.
- 68 euros
- Application fee (international competition)
- Year average of 16/20 or more with all units passed
- Merit scholarship threshold
- 5,542 (university facts page)
- Social-action study grants awarded
- 1,389 (847 in Braga, 542 in Guimarães)
- University residence beds
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters; fees paid in 10 monthly instalments from October
Integrated Master in Medicine
An integrated master's in medicine with 10 international places in 2026/27, selected on sciences and an interview by videoconference.
Engineering degrees
The School of Engineering runs bachelor's degrees from Aerospace and Biomedical to Polymer, Textile and Chemical and Biological Engineering, which alone had 12 international places in 2026/27.
International Relations
The course with the most international places in 2026/27 (15), at 4,500 euros a year for international students.
Economics, Management and Marketing
Each offered 10 international places in 2026/27, alongside double degrees such as Economics and Management.
Oriental Studies: Chinese and Japanese Studies
A rarer humanities degree, and one of the cheapest for international students at 2,250 euros a year (1,000 for CPLP countries).
Research
- 31 research units, 27 of them rated Excellent or Very Good, and 9 associate laboratories.
- The I3Bs Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics is one of the university's 12 schools and institutes.
- 13 collaborative laboratories, 12 interface units, 51 spin-offs and 50 patent families, with the AvePark science and technology park.
- Ranked 96th in the world and first in Portugal in the UI GreenMetric sustainability ranking, according to the university.
Schools & faculties
- School of Architecture, Art and Design
- School of Sciences
- School of Law
- School of Economics and Management
- School of Engineering
- School of Letters, Arts and Human Sciences
- School of Medicine
- School of Psychology
- School of Nursing
- Institute of Social Sciences
- Institute of Education
- I3Bs Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics
UMinho publishes course-level employability reports through its ObservatoriUM; no university-wide graduate employment rate is given on its main pages.
Student life
Student life is split between Braga and Guimarães, two compact historic cities. The university runs four residences with 1,389 beds, giving priority to students on social-action grants, and a canteen meal costs about 2.20-2.80 euros. Public transport is free for students. UMinho counts about 500 cultural events a year, has its own orchestra, and has a strong university sports tradition: it was named the most active European university in university sport in 2017.
- Four university residences in Braga and Guimarães with bedding, self-service laundries and free wi-fi.
- Free public transport passes for students, and canteen meals from 2.20 euros.
- Around 500 cultural events a year, 11 cultural and differentiated units and a university orchestra.
- Named the most active European university in university sport in 2017.
Housing. UMinho has 1,389 residence beds (847 in Braga, 542 in Guimarães), with priority for grant holders; most other students rent privately.
Location
Braga, home of the rectorate and the Gualtar campus, is one of Portugal's oldest cities, with a historic centre around the Largo do Paço. Guimarães hosts the engineering-heavy Azurém campus and the Couros campus in its UNESCO-listed area. The university describes both as among the most affordable Portuguese cities to live and study in, and trains to Porto cost under 5 euros.
Nearest airport: Porto Airport (OPO)
Notable alumni
- MD Mafalda DuarteExecutive director of the Green Climate Fund
- AS Alexandra SilvaComputer scientist, professor at Cornell University
- NP Nuno P. MonteiroPolitical scientist at Yale University (died 2021); BA from UMinho
- RL Rui L. ReisTissue engineering and biomaterials scientist; PhD and DSc from UMinho
- IF Isabel FerreiraScientist (master's and PhD in chemistry at UMinho) and Portuguese Secretary of State for Regional Development (2022-2024)
- JP Jorge PintoEnvironmental engineer (PhD at UMinho, 2020) and LIVRE member of the Assembly of the Republic
- JA Jéssica AugustoEuropean cross-country champion (2010) runner; won Universiade 5,000 m gold in 2007 representing UMinho
- RB Rui BragançaOlympic taekwondo athlete
Frequently asked questions
How much does the University of Minho cost for international students?
In 2026/27, bachelor's and integrated master's fees for non-EU international students range from 2,250 euros a year in the humanities to 4,500 euros for law, economics and management and 6,500 euros for sciences and engineering; Medicine costs 18,000 euros. Students from Portuguese-speaking countries often pay less, and Portuguese and EU students pay 697 euros.
When can I apply to UMinho as an international student?
The special competition for international students runs in three rounds. For 2026/27 they were 26 January-13 February (ENEM holders only), 13-24 April and 5-19 August (only for those who already held the entry qualification). The 2027/28 dates had not been published when checked.
Do I have to take an entrance exam?
You need results in the entrance subjects for your course. Recognised foreign exams, ENEM or an equivalent secondary diploma can be used; otherwise you sit written exams in person at UMinho, which took place 11-22 May in the 2026 round.
Are courses at the University of Minho taught in English?
Most bachelor's degrees are taught in Portuguese. Applicants must show B2 in the teaching language (Portuguese or English); those with only B1 can enrol if they take a year-long language course, and people schooled in Portuguese-speaking countries are exempt from the Portuguese test.
Can international students get scholarships at UMinho?
Portuguese law bars international students from study grants unless they have humanitarian emergency status, but they can receive UMinho's merit scholarships (average of 16/20 or more) and excellence scholarships on the same terms as Portuguese 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.
- UMinho: Access and enrolment of the international student (2026/2027 applications)
- Despacho RT-02/2026: international student entry conditions, vacancies and calendar 2026/27
- Despacho RT-91/2026: tuition fees for 2026/2027
- UMinho: Tuition fees information page
- UMinho: Frequently asked questions for international students
- UMinho: National Call
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