Top 5 IT Schools in Portugal – What to Look for When Building the Best IT Team

Looking to build the best tech team for your business in Portugal? Not sure how to rank your candidates’ resumes? Here are the top 5 IT schools in Portugal that you should look for when recruiting for your IT team.


Portugal is home to some of the most talented professionals in the IT field. Picking up the right Portuguese programmers, QAs, and other IT professionals could be the best move when it comes to taking your company to the next level.

Universities in this country produce exquisite talent in several different fields – tech is not an exception. In this article, we’ll be going over the top 5 IT schools in Portugal to look for when building the best IT team. Having workers with these universities in their curriculums is a sure way to guarantee that you’re getting the best of the best in the field.


Top 5 IT Schools in Portugal – What to Look for When Building the Best IT Team


Portugal has a lot of great IT programs to offer throughout its many universities and colleges. Oporto and Lisbon are the two biggest cities in Portugal, and also the ones where some of the best Portuguese universities are located, therefore, our top picks for this list are located there. The top five higher education schools for the tech area, in Portugal, are:

  • University of Lisbon – Superior Technical Institute
  • Lisbon Superior Institute of Engineering
  • University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE)
  • University of Oporto – Faculty of Engineering
  • Oporto Superior Institute of Engineering


Best IT Universities in Portugal: Our Top 5


In the following sections, we’ll be going over the top five Portuguese IT schools. We’ll be discussing their most popular programs and what they offer in order to prepare their students and help them reach their full potential.


1. University of Lisbon – Superior Technical Institute

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The University of Lisbon is a public research university founded in 1290. In 2013, the Superior Technical Institute of Lisbon merged with the University of Lisbon. This public institute was founded in 1911 and is among the most reputable schools of Engineering in the country.

It is a part of the CLUSTER (Consortium Linking Universities of Science and Technology for Education and Research) and the UNITE! Networks, along with some of the best Science and Tech schools in Europe.


Best University of Lisbon – Superior Technical Institute IT Programs:

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering
  • Bachelor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering
  • Master of Science in Information Security and Cyberspace Law
  • PhD in Computational Engineering


Why look for University of Lisbon – Superior Technical Institute IT graduates:


IT students at this university have access to expert faculty and the latest scientific and technical knowledge. Computer Engineering students have formed a student group that promotes many activities for personal and professional growth. Some of them include workshops, training actions, internships, tech conferences, recreation activities, and other study-related events. 


2. Lisbon Superior Institute of Engineering

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The Lisbon Superior Institute of Engineering (also known as ISEL)  was established in 1852. This public institute has a major significance in teaching, professional training, research, and providing public services that meet the needs of the community.


Best Lisbon Superior Institute of Engineering IT Programs:

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Computer Engineering
  • Bachelor of Science in Informatics and Multimedia Engineering
  • Bachelor of Science in Electronic, Telecommunications, and Computer Engineering
  • Master of Science in Computer Science and Engineering
  • Master of Science in Informatics and Multimedia Engineering


Why look for Lisbon Superior Institute of Engineering IT graduates:


The student-to-faculty ratio at ISEL is pretty low. This means that students get to establish close relationships with their professors and receive an extremely practical education. The school’s Department of Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications, and Computers (DEETC) is well-known for training great experts in the field. Graduates experience an employability rate of around 100%.


3. University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE)

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The University Institute of Lisbon was founded in 1972. It is a public, but privately managed university, with around 9,000 enrolled students across a wide variety of study areas including business sciences, social sciences, tech, and architecture.

Campus life offers a rich intellectual tradition that involves all kinds of educational perks from mentorship programs to access to cutting-edge research. There’s also a great multicultural environment: around 20% of students are international, from 80 different countries.


Best University Institute of Lisbon Programs:

  • Bachelor of Science in Software and Applications Development
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
  • Master of Science in Computer Engineering
  • Master of Science in Telecommunications and Computer Engineering
  • Master of Integrated Business Intelligence Systems
  • PhD in Information Science and Technology


Why look for University Institute of Lisbon IT graduates:


IT students from the University Institute of Lisbon become a part of the school’s Department of Information Technology and Science. This department is filled with expert faculty that aim to articulate their courses with the job market needs and current international policy. This results in an employment rate of over 99% for graduate students.


4. University of Oporto – Faculty of Engineering

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The University of Porto was established in 1911. It encompasses 14 different schools where students have access to great education across all types of study areas. The Faculty of Engineering is one of those schools. It was founded in 1926 and has, since then, dedicated its efforts to teaching the best Engineering programs.

It has over 7,500 students enrolled throughout its many programs, which are accredited by the Order of Engineers. All programs are also acknowledged by the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE).


Best University of Oporto – Faculty of Engineering Programs:

  • Bachelor of Science in Informatics and Computing Engineering
  • Master of Science in Software Engineering
  • Master of Science in Informatics and Computing Engineering
  • Master of Science in Computer Vision
  • PhD in Computer Science


Why look for University of Oporto – Faculty of Engineering IT graduates:


IT graduates from this school are trained by solving real-world problems. Faculty are highly trained professionals in their field that encourage their students to learn by doing. Students learn how to manage different types of IT projects, providing nothing short of high-quality performances.


5. Oporto Superior Institute of Engineering

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Oporto Superior Institute of Engineering is a public school established in 1852. It is one of the country’s oldest schools of engineering that offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in all fields of engineering.


Best Oporto Superior Institute of Engineering Programs:

  • Bachelor of Science in Informatics Engineering
  • Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications and Informatics Engineering
  • Master of Science in Informatics Engineering
  • Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Engineering


Why look for Oporto Superior Institute of Engineering IT graduates:


IT students from this engineering school graduate with a high level of practical knowledge in their fields. In fact, the school’s motto translates to something like “Knowing how to do”, which means that it prioritizes hands-on teaching when it comes to preparing students for the workforce.


Top 5 IT Schools in Portugal – What to Look for When Building the Best IT Team: Final Remarks

If you want to build a great IT team in Portugal, you need to know how to look for the best professionals. One way to do that is to look at their academic background, namely the schools that they went to and the programs they enrolled in.

Portuguese universities are among some of the best in the entire world, however, a few of them stand out when it comes to educating future programmers, engineers, and developers. Recruiting graduates from the top IT schools in Portugal will guarantee that you have knowledgeable professionals who also have some hands-on experience in the field.

Of course, not all great programmers attended these specific universities or even attended university at all…there are many ways to become a developer!

Many of them are self-taught by using free online platforms to learn their IT skills or even by enrolling in tech bootcamps. So, while the academic background is definitely a parameter to consider when analyzing CVs, make sure you’re not dismissing potential employees just because they don’t have one – at the end of the day, what matters the most is making sure your employees are the right ones for your team, with the right soft and hard skills.

Yes, we said the right skills and the right candidates, not necessarily the best ones. We wrote a whole article about that.

We hope you found this introduction to the best tech university programs in Portugal useful, but if you still feel unsure regarding how to hire Portuguese tech professionals, count on the experience of KWAN to help you out! Get in touch and let’s explore the needs of your tech team.