São Tomé and Príncipe has a regulated higher-education system with university and polytechnic pathways. Instituições de ensino superior, abbreviated as IES, are higher-education institutions with educational, scientific and cultural autonomy under state supervision and financial oversight. Lei n.º 4/2017 provides the main institutional framework. Accreditation and external evaluation are required, and since the 2022/23 academic year only accredited and registered courses may be opened. Enrolment in an accredited course is the basis for legal recognition of the resulting qualification. The public Universidade de São Tomé e Príncipe (USTP) is the main public university. Its units and subject areas include education and communication, health sciences, science and technology, natural resources, marine and environmental sciences, languages, economics and finance, management, engineering, information technology, communication and marketing, as well as social, legal, political and educational sciences. Current USTP programme listings include Biology, Agronomic Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Veterinary Nursing, Agriculture, Marine Biology, French, Portuguese, English, English and German, Economics, Accounting and Auditing, Banking and Insurance Management, Computer Engineering, Communication Sciences, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics programmes. Private provision includes Universidade Lusíada de São Tomé e Príncipe (ULSTP). Its current listed licenciatura programmes are Law, Computer Engineering, Business Economic Sciences, Business Management, International Relations and Tourism. The general duration is four years; the Law programme lists 300 credits. The Instituto Universitário de Contabilidade, Administração e Informática (IUCAI) and the Pólo da Universidade de Évora em São Tomé e Príncipe are also identified in available institutional information, but their current status and complete course offers require direct confirmation before application. A licenciatura is the main undergraduate tertiary qualification. The legal structure provides for eight or ten semesters and 240 to 300 credits, depending on the programme. Students complete the study plan and pass the required course units, then finish with a monograph, project or internship report. A public defence before a jury of three or five members may be required, with final results graded from 10 to 20 out of 20. USTP portal cards commonly show four years and 270 ECTS, while some course details show nine semesters or four and a half years. The institution should confirm the current duration, credit total and completion requirements for the chosen course. A mestrado is a master's-level qualification. Admission normally requires a licenciatura or a legally equivalent qualification. The programme contains 90 to 120 credits over three or four semesters, with specialization accounting for at least half of the credits. A dissertation, project or internship with a final report normally accounts for at least 30 credits and is followed by a public defence. A doutoramento is a doctoral qualification. It normally requires a mestrado or equivalent, although a licenciatura may suffice when the applicant has a recognized academic, scientific or professional record. The programme requires at least 180 credits over six semesters; the thesis represents at least 75% of the programme and research courses may represent no more than 25%. Access to a licenciatura normally requires completed 12.ª classe or a legally equivalent qualification. Institutions and courses may add subject requirements. USTP examples require Biology and Mathematics for Biology, Mathematics and Portuguese for Economics, Biology, Mathematics and Chemistry for Agronomic Engineering, and Mathematics and Portuguese for Mathematics. An applicant who lacks a required subject may be directed to an ano zero, a preparatory year or pathway. USTP's application form requests education details, average grade, up to three course preferences and uploaded documents. ULSTP's Law application information asks for identification, a curriculum-completion certificate for 12.ª classe and the selected course. The national access procedure is not currently published as one fully reliable standard process, so each institution should confirm the current call, dates, documents and selection rules. Tuition fees, called propinas, are set by each institution. USTP fees are governed by Deliberação n.º 17-USTP-2020, but current amounts and payment schedules are not consistently visible in the checked official material. Private tuition fees also require direct confirmation because no reliable national comparison table is available. Ask the institution for the full fee schedule, payment dates, application charges and possible costs for registration, examinations, research or graduation. Study funding includes an internal scholarship, Bolsa de estudo interna, which provides variable annual social assistance to students studying in São Tomé and Príncipe. A ministerial Despacho sets the criteria, and a public call states the application period, required documents, selection criteria and emolument. The scheme can apply to licenciatura and mestrado students. A Bolsa de estudo externa supports study at foreign higher-education institutions through a public call and may cover part of the costs of degree and non-degree programmes. Renewals usually cover ten to eleven months. Additional mobility or living-cost support is mentioned in the available framework, but its current conditions must be checked in the relevant call. The Ministério da Educação, Cultura, Ciência e Ensino Superior is responsible for the current government framework. Its Direcção de Ensino Superior e Ciência, known as DESC, works on higher-education policy, coordination, evaluation, access, student support, accreditation, recognition and statistics. Older DESC pages may use a former ministry name, so applicants should check the date and current authority shown on each notice. The national framework for credit transfer and equivalence is still developing; individual institutions may recognize particular course units under their own procedures. Portuguese is the factual study and administrative language. Current verified institutional offers are concentrated in Cidade de São Tomé. The available official sources do not establish a directly comparable current institution or course offer in Príncipe. School education appears here only as an entry requirement; initial vocational education outside a recognized tertiary institution, standalone language learning and ordinary continuing education belong to other subject areas. After graduation, common immediate pathways include employment, postgraduate study and study or mobility abroad.
Study in São Tomé and Príncipe
Higher education in São Tomé and Príncipe, known locally as Ensino Superior, is provided through university and polytechnic institutions and leads to recognized tertiary qualifications. The system includes public and private providers, with Portuguese used for teaching and administration. The main qualifications are licenciatura, mestrado and doutoramento, and admission usually requires completed 12.ª classe or a legally equivalent qualification. Accreditation, current course registration, institution-specific tuition fees and entry conditions determine what students can study and what they must arrange.
Tip
Choose a course only after confirming its current accreditation, registration, entry requirements, duration, credits and total cost with the institution. Treat USTP, ULSTP and any less-documented provider as separate options, because their courses, fees and application rules may differ. Do not base your plan on a scholarship, a portal summary or availability in Príncipe until the responsible institution confirms it.