The Cost-Benefit Inversion of Higher Education

Higher education in Portugal is currently showing a worrying symptom that cannot be ignored. For the first time in many years, there are more vacancies than applicants: 49,595 young people applied for the first phase this year, 9,046 fewer than in 2024. This figure doesn't indicate a lack of talent or ambition, but rather a shift in perception: studying no longer pays off in the same way it did in the past.

The financial burden is crucial. Renting a room to study in Lisbon costs an average of €500 per month, with some cases reaching €700. In Porto, prices range from €400 to €450, while the national average is €415. Adding food and transportation, a displaced student's annual expenses can amount to €10,000 to €12,000. This is an unbearable burden for many families, especially when a professional return is not guaranteed.

The truth is that, in too many cases, this return fails. The unemployment rate among graduates hovers around 15%, and entry-level salaries in several fields don't exceed €900 to €1,000 net. Many graduates still end up in jobs outside their field of study, which represents a waste of talent and investment. At the same time, strategic sectors in the country continue to cry out for professionals: engineers, technology specialists, maintenance technicians, electricians, or skilled workers in the primary sector. In these fields, there is real demand, more competitive salaries, and a secure future, yet higher education insists on maintaining programs disconnected from these needs.

For too long, the university system was measured by the number of graduates, not by its relevance to the economy. Places and courses were created that fueled statistics, but failed to address the central challenge: preparing young people for the job market and national development. Today, the bill is coming due. Young people are doing the math and realizing that university is no longer always an investment with a return, but often a financial risk.

Portugal needs to shift higher education toward the country's true needs. This means reorienting the training offerings, bringing universities and polytechnics closer to businesses, strengthening strategic areas, and, at the same time, upholding the dignity of technical and vocational education, so that careers like electricity, industrial maintenance, or modern agriculture are not seen as lesser options, but rather as pillars of the economic future. It is also essential to expand the public student housing network, as housing is currently the biggest barrier to access to higher education.

More than statistics, what's at stake is the transformative role of education. We can't continue to insist on dead-end courses while there's a shortage of professionals in sectors crucial to economic growth. Higher education must once again become a true social elevator, capable of ensuring that the effort of studying translates into real life opportunities and progress for the country.