Universities in Cape Verde: Admission, Costs and How to Apply
By Muntasir • Published Dec 16, 2025 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • African Countries & Cities, Africa Admissions & Exams
Cape Verde runs one public university and about eight private institutions, most based in Praia (Santiago) or Mindelo (Sao Vicente). You apply directly to each school with your secondary school certificate, and Universidade de Cabo Verde also sets entrance exams for its most competitive courses.
🎓 Universidade de Cabo Verde (Uni-CV) is the only public university, formed in 2006 from three older public institutes.
Private options include Universidade Jean Piaget, Uni-Mindelo, ISCEE, Universidade de Santiago, UNICA, and others.
📩 Apply straight to the admissions office of your chosen school with your school certificate, ID, and photos.
💵 Budget for a registration fee plus tuition that differs by school and program; confirm the current amount before you apply.
Higher education in Cape Verde at a glance
Cape Verde is a small island nation, and its higher education system matches that scale. The country has one public university and about eight private institutions, and most of them sit in two cities: Praia, the capital on Santiago island, and Mindelo, the main city on Sao Vicente. If you live on one of the other islands, plan on relocating to one of these two cities to study, since none of the smaller islands host a full university campus.
The Directorate General for Higher Education (DGES) , part of the Ministry of Education, oversees accreditation and runs the national scholarship competition each year. Confirm with DGES that a program holds valid accreditation before you commit to it, especially for newer private courses.
The public university: Universidade de Cabo Verde
Universidade de Cabo Verde, known as Uni-CV, is the country's only public university. The government created it in 2006, merging three older public institutes: the Instituto Superior de Educacao and the Instituto Nacional de Administracao e Gestao, both based in Praia, and the Instituto Superior de Engenharia e Ciencias do Mar in Mindelo. Uni-CV now runs faculties and higher schools across both cities, teaching pre-bachelor, bachelor, master, and doctorate programs.
A second public institution, Instituto Universitario da Educacao, operates separately from Uni-CV out of Praia and focuses on training teachers.
Private universities and institutes
Cape Verde's government has officially recognized eight private higher education institutions. Each tends to specialize in a narrower set of fields than Uni-CV, so match your program interest to the right school before you apply.
| Institution | City | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde | Praia | Management, law, education |
| Instituto Superior de Ciencias Economicas e Empresariais (ISCEE) | Mindelo | Economics, management, accounting |
| Universidade do Mindelo | Mindelo | General undergraduate programs |
| Universidade Lusofona de Cabo Verde | Mindelo | General undergraduate and graduate programs |
| Mindelo Escola Internacional de Arte (M_EIA) | Mindelo | Art, design, architecture |
| Instituto Superior de Ciencias Juridicas e Sociais (ISCJS) | Praia | Law and social sciences |
| Universidade Intercontinental de Cabo Verde (UNICA) | Praia | General undergraduate programs |
| Universidade de Santiago | Assomada | General undergraduate programs |
Source: Government of Cape Verde .
Degree levels and language of instruction
Cape Verde's degree structure follows the layered pattern common across Portuguese-speaking higher education. A bachelor's degree (licenciatura) generally takes three to four years, a master's adds one to two more, and a doctorate runs three years or longer. Portuguese is the language of instruction at every institution, even though Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu) is what most people speak day to day, so strong Portuguese is a practical requirement for university study.
Admission requirements
Every institution asks for your secondary school completion certificate, and most programs set specific subject prerequisites, science subjects for engineering or health courses, for example. Bring a valid ID or birth certificate and passport-style photos to your application. If you finished school outside Cape Verde, check with the admissions office about certificate equivalence before you apply.
Uni-CV runs competitive entrance exams for its most sought-after courses, since demand outpaces the number of places. Private institutions more commonly admit students by reviewing the school certificate and transcript alone, though this differs by program, so confirm directly with your chosen school.
How to apply, step by step
Pick your program and institution, and check its specific subject and grade requirements.
Gather your documents: secondary school certificate, ID or birth certificate, and photos.
Submit your application to the institution's admissions office within its published window, typically before the academic year starts in September or October.
Sit the entrance exam if your program requires one, mainly at Uni-CV.
Pay the registration fee once admitted to confirm your place.
Costs to expect
Public and private institutions each publish their own fee schedules, and these change from year to year, so confirm the current figures with your chosen school before you commit. Expect a registration fee at enrollment, then a tuition installment each semester or year. Private institutions generally charge more than Uni-CV, since the public university receives a government subsidy that private schools do not.
Tuition is only part of the budget. Rent, food, books, and transport between islands add up, and these costs differ between Praia and Mindelo.
Funding your studies
Most students who need help paying for university apply to the state Study Grants Program, run by the Ministry of Education through DGES and administered by the agency FICASE. Awards are non-reimbursable and go first to students who could not continue their studies without support.
Choosing between Praia and Mindelo
Praia, on Santiago island, is Cape Verde's capital and largest city, and hosts the widest range of programs across Uni-CV and several private schools. Mindelo, on Sao Vicente, has a smaller but solid set of options, including ISCEE, Universidade do Mindelo, and the arts-focused M_EIA. If your program runs in both cities, weigh cost of living, distance from family, and which campus has the stronger reputation in your field before you decide.