Portugal is a small country with a rich history, vibrant culture, and delicious cuisine. Add this to the country’s long history of high-quality education, and you get a strong destination for an international degree. As an EU member state, Portugal participates fully in Erasmus+, which can give eligible students opportunities for study exchanges through participating higher education institutions.
Education costs in Portugal can also be relatively cheaper than in many other Western European destinations, though tuition varies by institution, program, and student status. In addition, the cities of Lisbon and Porto are popular among international students who help contribute to the cities’ cosmopolitan atmosphere. The country’s small size also makes fun and adventure accessible to students who could benefit from a relaxing break from the demands of a high-standard education and research.
Universities in Portugal offer several data science programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Although many programs in the country use Portuguese as the primary language of instruction, international students can also find English-taught or partially English-taught options.
In the article below, we discuss some of the best universities for data science in Portugal.
Top Schools Offering Data Science in Portugal
1. University of Lisbon
The University of Lisbon (ULisboa) carries forward a long university tradition in Lisbon, while its current structure dates to July 2013, when the former University of Lisbon and the Technical University of Lisbon merged. Today, ULisboa is one of Portugal’s major public universities.
ULisboa offers a Master’s program in Data Science through the Faculty of Sciences. The program has 120 ECTS credits, lasts four semesters, and is listed as English-taught. Current indicative tuition is €1,500 per year for regular students and €3,500 per year for international students, for a total of €3,000 and €7,000 over the two-year program.
Students interested in business-focused analytics should also review ULisboa’s current course catalog, as program titles, languages, and fees can change by academic year.
2. University of Porto
The University of Porto is among Portugal’s major public universities and officially opened in 1911. It has 14 faculties and one business school, more than 35,800 registered students, and more than 5,100 foreign students enrolled in degree-awarding courses.
The Bachelor’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at the University of Porto is offered jointly by the Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering. The program lasts three years and is worth 180 ECTS credits. It gives students training in areas such as programming, algorithms, statistics, machine learning, robotics, intelligent systems, and data security and privacy.
The university also lists a Master’s program in Data Science through the Faculty of Sciences. It is a 120 ECTS program, and applicants should check the current Sigarra page each year for updated vacancies, tuition, and application deadlines.
3. NOVA University Lisbon
NOVA University Lisbon was founded in August 1973. Its Information Management School, NOVA IMS, is now the School of Information Management and Data Science of NOVA University Lisbon. As a data science school in Portugal, NOVA IMS offers an English-taught Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science. For 2026/27, the annual tuition fee is €697 for students admitted through Portugal’s National Call and €7,500 for students admitted through the International Student Call.
Prospective students may also select from the university’s numerous postgraduate and Master’s degree programs related to data science, analytics, finance, marketing, and business. NOVA IMS lists several data-related postgraduate programs with different formats and fees, while its Master’s in Data Science and Advanced Analytics lasts four semesters and is worth 120 ECTS credits.
The university also offers a Doctoral program in Information Management, with research areas including Data-Driven Marketing, Data Science, Geoinformatics, and Information Systems. The current structure is six academic semesters, with coursework concentrated in the first three semesters.
4. University of Aveiro
The University of Aveiro (UA) was created in 1973 and has grown into one of Portugal’s recognized public universities, with a strong focus on teaching, research, and cooperation with society.
UA currently lists a Master in Data Science among its study programs. The program is designed for students interested in advanced data-focused study, and applicants should consult the official course page for the latest study plan, schedule, language of instruction, tuition, and application details.
As one of the data science universities in Portugal, the University of Aveiro can be a suitable option for students who want to pursue graduate-level training in data science while studying in a research-oriented academic environment.
5. ICSTE – Lisbon University Institute
Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon is a public university institute created in 1972, with campuses in Lisbon and Sintra. Its academic areas include business, sociology and public policy, social sciences and humanities, and technology and architecture.
The university’s undergraduate program in Data Science is a three-year, in-person course taught in Portuguese. It is worth 180 ECTS credits and is offered in daytime and evening schedules. It gives students theoretical knowledge and practical skills using real-world data problems from participating companies, industries, and public organizations.
Graduates may also pursue a two-year Master’s program in Data Science. The master’s program is worth 120 ECTS credits, is taught mainly in Portuguese, and is offered in an in-person evening format. The undergraduate program costs €697 per year for EU students and €7,000 per year for students from outside the EU. The total master’s tuition is €5,800 for EU students and €7,500 for students from outside the EU.
We hope this article on the best universities for data science in Portugal was helpful. You can also find more information about studying abroad by checking out the Available Data Science Programs for International Students.
