NOVA University Lisbon rose 61 places in the 2026 edition of the QS to position 327 worldwide. In this way it overtook the University of Coimbra, establishing itself as the third best Portuguese university, in a context in which almost all national universities improved their positioning, reinforcing the prestige of higher education in the country.
NOVA leads the way in internationalisation
NOVA stands out as a national leader in three indicators related to internationalisation: International Faculty, International Students and International Student Diversity, reinforcing its strategy as a Global university.
The international labour market’s recognition of the quality of NOVA’s graduates has also been growing. The Employer Reputation indicator saw the largest increase in the institution, with a rise of 110 places, and our University now occupies position 315 in this criterion.
“These results reflect the University’s transversal effort over the last few years to recruit quality international talent, both at teaching and student level. This success has only been possible given the growing recognition of NOVA’s quality and reputation among the main international employers, as the results of this ranking clearly attest to”, states João Amaro de Matos, NOVA’s Vice-Reitor da NOVA for Education and International Development.
Internationalisation has been a strategic priority for NOVA in recent years. Internally, this can be seen in the growing diversity of teachers, researchers, students and technicians. Externally, its role is emphasised in the international alliances and collaborations it maintains and, above all, in those it has developed in a transformative way more recently.
NOVA is the only Portuguese university with a campus abroad, is a member of the EUTOPIA alliance, leads the country in ERC scholarships per capita and has raised more than 200 million euros in competitive European projects.
With this rise and the strengthening of its strategic indicators, NOVA is consolidating its position as a leading university on the European and international scene.