Higher Education in Portugal

This report analyses inequities in opportunity to access and complete higher education in Portugal arising from differences in individuals' socio-economic background and presents recommendations for policy action to address these inequities. Specifically, the report focuses on the opportunities for secondary education students to transition to public higher education, and on the opportunities for students who do enrol in higher education to succeed. Wider access to, and success in, higher education helps young people to navigate and thrive in a changing labour market and allows governments to optimise the use of public funds in building a high-skilled workforce. The report takes stock of three key overarching factors that shape opportunities to access and complete higher education in Portugal: prior achievement, financial support and access to information. It also provides an overview of innovative approaches to address drop-out rates using advanced analytics.