University of the Azores strengthens new-student intake in first round

The University of the Azores placed 566 students in the first round of Portugal’s 2026 national higher-education admissions process. This is 145 more placements than in the previous year, strengthening the intake of new students at the Azorean institution.

The university had made 667 places available for this round. The fill rate reached 84.9%, up from 64.8% in 2025, leaving 101 places unfilled after the placements were announced.

The increase comes in a year when the first admissions round also grew nationwide: 49,991 students were placed, 13.9% more than in 2025. The reported total is the highest of the past decade, apart from 2020.

For the Azores, the result matters because of the university’s role in attracting and retaining higher-education students in the region. Applicants seeking remaining places will have another opportunity in the second round, which runs from 24 August to 20 September.