In the Autonomous Region of Madeira, for every 100 students who completed general secondary education courses in 2023/24, only 42 enrolled in undergraduate or integrated master's degrees in the following academic year, through the general access scheme. This 42% ratio is one of the lowest in the country, according to an overview of the education system published by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation (FFMS), via Pordata.
The study, titled 'From preschool to doctorate: more students, strong asymmetries, and challenges throughout the educational path,' analyzed recent official data and highlighted significant territorial differences in the transition between educational levels. In Madeira, 658 entries into higher education were recorded against 1,563 secondary school completions in the analyzed period, placing the region seventh among nine regions considered.
This indicator does not reflect the total percentage of Madeira's graduates who pursue higher education or their retention in the region, but rather compares higher education entries with secondary school completions by territory. Greater Lisbon leads with 152%, while the Azores register 41% and Oeste and Vale do Tejo 36%.
Regarding Higher Professional Technical Courses (TeSP), Madeira recorded 184 entries for 976 vocational secondary completions, a ratio of 19%, the second lowest percentage nationally, only surpassed by the Azores' 6%. The national average for TeSP stands at 37%.
