ISEC - Higher Institute of Education and Sciences

What ISEC - Higher Institute of Education and Sciences does

ISEC Lisboa (Instituto Superior de Educação e Ciências) is a private, non-profit higher education institution based in Lisbon, Portugal, officially recognized in August 1991 and operated by the parent cooperative UNIVERSITAS – Cooperativa de Ensino Superior e Investigação Científica, CRL. The institution delivers academic programs across four tiers — CTeSP (short-cycle professional courses, 2 years), Licenciaturas (3-year bachelor's degrees), Mestrados (2-year master's degrees), and Pós-Graduações (postgraduate specializations) — organized into three schools: EEDH (Education and Human Development), ECAIC (Communication, Arts and Creative Industries), and EGEA (Management, Engineering and Aeronautics). Programmatic scope spans six knowledge areas including education, aviation, civil protection, optometry, graphic arts/design, and data science/digital technologies, delivered through on-campus instruction at the Lumiar campus facilities plus selected online/hybrid programs.

The institution's underlying infrastructure includes dedicated research and teaching facilities such as the AERO Lab, Print Research Lab, Centro de Materiais Celulósicos, Smart Library, and the Clínica de Óptica e Optometria (which doubles as a community service and student training clinic). Technology stack is centered on Moodle-based learning management, complemented by a digital transformation program and the My Campus student-amenity infrastructure inaugurated in 2023. ISEC Lisboa coordinates the UNESCO Chair 'A Cidade que Educa e Transforma' and the RICET international network of 12+ partner institutions across Portugal, Brazil, and Guinea-Bissau, and participates in 72 Erasmus+ mobility agreements across Europe. Maximum 6-year institutional accreditation was granted by A3ES in 2019, with QS Stars recognition including a 5-star employability rating; the institution reports a 98.6% graduate employability rate across 10,000+ alumni.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees priced on a per-ECTS basis (€50–55/ECTS for CTeSP, €63–93/ECTS for bachelor's, €60/ECTS for master's) or as fixed totals for postgraduate programs (€1,180–€2,100), payable in annual, semester, or 12-month installments, supplemented by non-refundable application fees (€150–€290), matriculation and renewal fees, and examination fees. The go-to-market motion is sales-led via the institutional website, the national candidacy portal (candidaturas.iseclisboa.pt), International Relations Office outreach, Teaching Week events, and the KNKH employment network for graduate placement. Primary customer segments are traditional students aged 18–25 (across six knowledge areas), adult learners and working professionals seeking postgraduate qualifications, and international/Erasmus+ students; horizontal segmentation is used across these personas. Governance is led by President Tânia Carraquico, with three school directors, a Secretary-General, and directors across Teaching-Learning, Internationalization, Community Engagement, and Innovation/Sustainability functions.

Name

ISEC - Higher Institute of Education and Sciences

Legal name

UNIVERSITAS – Cooperativa de Ensino Superior e Investigação Científica, CRL

Website

https://iseclisboa.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ISEC Lisboa is a private non-profit higher education institution in Lisbon, Portugal, offering CTeSP, bachelor's, master's, and postgraduate programs across education, aviation, civil protection, optometry, design, and data science, serving 2,040+ students with 98.6% graduate employability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Safety, Security & Emergency Services (OSHA, Fire, EMS, Security CE) (EDAAALAK)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Postgraduate education programs
• Professional higher education
• Vocational training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees (Propinas): Annual tuition fees charged perECTS credit or as total annual amount. Different pricing tiers for CTeSP (short cycle), Bachelor's degrees (Licenciaturas), Master's degrees (Mestrados), and Postgraduate courses (Pós-Graduações). Payment options include annual, semester, or monthly installments.
2. Application and Registration Fees: Non-refundable candidacy fees (150€ for most programs), matriculation fees, student file fees, and renewal fees
3. Examination Fees: Fees for exam registration including improvement exams, special season exams, and extraordinary sessions for working students and finalists

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISEC Lisboa is a private higher education institution that delivers academic programs at four credential levels — CTeSP (short-cycle technical courses), Licenciaturas (bachelor's degrees), Mestrados (master's degrees), and Pós-Graduações (postgraduate programs) — across six knowledge areas including Education, Communication/Design, Aviation/Tourism, Management, Health/Environment, and Data Science. The institution supplements teaching with specialized facilities (AERO Lab, Print Research Lab, Smart Library, Clínica de Óptica e Optometria) and coordinates the UNESCO Chair RICET international research network. The mission centers on scientific, technical, cultural, pedagogical, professional, and human training, with strong applied-research and professional-practice orientation.

Product overview

ISEC Lisboa is a private non-profit higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs. The core offerings include CTeSP (short-cycle professional programs), Licenciaturas (bachelor's degrees), Mestrados (master's degrees), and Pós-Graduações (postgraduate programs). These are complemented by specialized facilities including the Smart Library, Clínica de Óptica e Optometria, and research labs such as AERO Lab. The institution also coordinates the UNESCO Chair RICET international network. The institution focuses on professional-oriented education across areas including Education, Aviation, Communication, Health, Civil Protection, and Management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTeSP (Cursos Técnicos Superiores Profissionais)
• Licenciaturas (Bachelor's Degrees)
• Mestrados (Master's Degrees)
• Pós-Graduações (Postgraduate Programs)
• Clínica de Óptica e Optometria
• UNESCO Chair - RICET (Rede Internacional Cidade que Educa e Transforma)

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.6% graduate employability rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UNESCO - RICET (Rede Internacional Cidade que Educa e Transforma)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019UNESCO Chair 'A Cidade que Educa e Transforma' led by ISEC Lisboa, uniting 12+ institutions from Portugal, Brazil, and Guinea-Bissau for research, training, and documentation on Educating Cities concepts aligned with SDGs.
• Erasmus+ Partner Institutions (72)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner72 European higher education institutions for student and staff exchange, joint programs, and collaborative research through Erasmus+ mobility actions including studies, internships, teaching, and training.
• KNKH Network (Know Now Know How)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFormal network connecting higher education institutions, corporations, professional associations, non-profits, local councils, and schools for employment, internships, and skills development.
• A3ES (Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior)coreOthersPortuguese agency for evaluation and accreditation of higher education. Granted maximum 6-year institutional accreditation to ISEC Lisboa.
• DGES (Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior)coreOthersPortuguese government body overseeing higher education institutions, course registrations, and regulatory compliance.
• ANEPC (Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational authority for emergency and civil protection. Protocol cooperation for fire safety training certification; collaboration on civil protection education programs.
• ANAC (Autoridade Nacional de Aviação Civil)coreOthersNational Civil Aviation Authority providing regulatory oversight and collaboration for aviation management programs.
• Ordem dos Engenheiros Técnicos (OET)majorOthersProfessional association for technical engineers providing accreditation and professional recognition for graduates.
• Turismo de PortugalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational tourism authority supporting hospitality and tourism management programs through curriculum input and industry connections.
• Associação dos Diretores de Hotéis de Portugal (ADHP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel directors association supporting hospitality management education and industry placement programs.
• OGMA - Indústria Aeronáutica de PortugalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese aeronautical industry providing practical training opportunities and industry expertise for aviation programs.
• Liga dos Bombeiros PortuguesesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese firefighters league collaborating on civil protection education and emergency response training.
• Happy Campus ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project promoting student well-being and mental health in higher education institutions across Europe.
• INOVEDU ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded educational innovation project focused on pedagogical innovation and digital technologies in higher education.
• LCA Care ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project addressing life cycle assessment in healthcare and care services.
• CECAM ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project in the research and innovation ecosystem.
• Câmara Municipal de SintraminorOthersMunicipal government partner for community engagement and local development initiatives through RICET.
• Município de Ponte de SorminorOthersMunicipal government partner for RICET network activities and Educating Cities initiatives.
• European Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean professional association supporting optometry and vision science education and research.
• Universitas - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior e Investigação CientíficacoreOthersParent cooperative entity and legal responsible for ISEC Lisboa, legal person No. 503383082, headquartered at same address.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Universidade Nova de Lisboa: Top public university in Lisbon with strong programs in economics, management, law, and social sciences. Comparable as a Lisbon-based higher education institution with overlapping management and professional programs, but with significantly larger scale, public funding, and brand recognition.
• Universidade Católica Portuguesa: Largest private university in Portugal, recognised across multiple Lisbon, Porto, Braga, and Viseu campuses with strong offerings in law, economics, management, and engineering. Comparable as a private non-profit higher education institution competing for similar student segments, but at significantly larger scale.
• Universidade de Coimbra: One of the oldest and most prestigious public universities in Portugal, with broad coverage across humanities, sciences, engineering, and medicine. Comparable as a Portuguese higher education institution with degree programs in overlapping fields, though operating at much larger scale and with stronger national and international brand recognition.
• ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa: Established public Lisbon university specialising in social sciences, management, and technology, with strong research output and QS rankings. Comparable as a Lisbon-based institution with overlapping management and social science programs, but operates at larger scale with public funding advantages.

Direct peers

• Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa: Private Lisbon-based university offering degrees in economics, management, law, psychology, and social sciences. Comparable as a Lisbon-based private higher education institution competing for the same domestic student pool and operating under the same A3ES accreditation framework.
• Universidade Europeia: Private Portuguese university (part of Laureate International Universities network) offering undergraduate and graduate programs in management, engineering, health, hospitality, and education. Comparable in scale and private-sector positioning, with similar professional orientation and tuition-based model.
• Universidade Lusíada: Private Portuguese university with multiple campuses offering degrees in law, economics, management, architecture, and engineering. Comparable to ISEC as a long-established private Portuguese institution competing for fee-paying domestic and international students.
• Universidade Fernando Pessoa: Private Portuguese university with campuses in Porto and Lisbon, offering programs across health sciences, engineering, social sciences, and education. Comparable as a private, fee-based university offering applied professional programs in overlapping disciplines such as health and education.
• Universidade Portucalense: Private university in Porto offering undergraduate and graduate programs in management, law, engineering, and education. Comparable to ISEC as a private non-public higher education institution in Portugal targeting similar fee-paying student segments.
• Universidade Lusófona: Largest private university group in Portugal, offering multi-disciplinary undergraduate and postgraduate programs across similar knowledge areas including education, management, health, and technology. Directly comparable as a private, fee-based higher education competitor operating in the same regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookpt-pt.facebook.com/Rede-ISEC-Lisboa-1530862230576475
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isec---instituto-superior-de-educa-o-e-ci-ncias

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ISEC - Higher Institute of Education and Sciences