Established in 1979, the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra is a Public Higher Education Institution located in the West centre of Portugal, in the city known for centuries as the “city of students”.

One of the ten largest and major institutions of public higher education in Portugal, with six units

Escola Superior Agrária (Coimbra Agriculture School) (ESAC)
Escola Superior de Educação (Coimbra Education School) (ESEC)
Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde (Coimbra Health School) (ESTeSC)
Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Oliveira do Hospital (Oliveira do Hospital Management and Technology School) (ESTGOH)
Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração (Coimbra Business School) (ISCAC)
Instituto Superior de Engenharia (Coimbra Institute of Engineering) (ISEC)

Covering a huge diversity of training areas, from agriculture and environment, education, communication, tourism, arts, management, accounting and marketing, to health and engineering.

The Polytechnic of Coimbra offers Higher Professional Degree Programmes and Vocational Education, Bachelor's Degrees, Post-graduations and Master’s Degrees, representing a vital part of the city and playing a critical role in local development and national progress.