The results of the first phase of the national competition for access to Higher Education 2023/2024 have been released. According to data from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, 49,000 students entered the first access phase, leaving 5,212 places open for the second phase. While at the top the courses with the highest average are practically the same, at the bottom there is more diversity. Another aspect to consider: the highest averages are mostly found in Lisbon and Porto, the lowest in the interior of the country The 12 courses with the highest average: Name of Institution Course Name Last-placed grade (general cont.) University of Minho Aerospace Engineering 188,6 University of Porto - Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences Medicine 186,8 University of Lisbon - Instituto Superior Técnico Aerospace Engineering 186,8 University of Porto - Faculty of Engineering Industrial Engineering and Management 185,5 University of Aveiro Aerospace Engineering 185,2 University of Porto - Faculty of Architecture Architecture 184,5 University of Porto - Faculty of Engineering Bioengineering 184,5 University of Porto - Faculty of Medicine Medical School 183,5 University of Minho Medical School 182,8 University of Porto - Faculty of Arts and Humanities Languages and International Relations 182,8 University of Lisbon - Higher Institute of Economics and Management Mathematics Applied to Economics and Management 182,0 University of Porto - Faculty of Law Law 181,4 The 12 courses with the lowest average: Name of Institution Course Name Last-placed grade (overall count) University of Évora - School of Science and Technology Oenology 95,0 Polytechnic Institute of Beja - School of Agriculture Food Science and Technology 95,0 Bragança Polytechnic Institute - Bragança School of Technology and Management International Business Management (European course, taught in English) 95,0 Castelo Branco Polytechnic Institute - Castelo Branco School of Education Secretarial 95,0 Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo - School of Agriculture Agronomy 95,0 Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo - School of Technology and Management Management (evening) 95,0 University of Évora - School of Science and Technology Ecology and Environment 96,0 University of Madeira - Faculty of Arts and Humanities Culture Studies 96,0 Guarda Polytechnic Institute - School of Technology and Management Equipment Design 96,0 University of Madeira - Faculty of Exact Sciences and Engineering Biochemistry 97,0 Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra - Coimbra School of Agriculture Environmental Technology and Management 98,0 University of the Azores - Faculty of Economics and Management Management 99,0 Executive Digest