The Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (IPS) is a public higher education institution that integrates five Higher Education Colleges – Higher School of Technology of Setúbal, Higher School of Education, Higher School of Business Science, Higher School of Health (Setúbal campus) and Higher School of Technology of Barreiro (Barreiro campus).

Presently it has a wide range of educational offer, among higher technical professional courses, degrees, post-graduations and master programmes, comprising important areas of knowledge, such as different kinds of engineering, technologies, social sciences, education, sports, business sciences and health.

The strong hands-on teaching component, as well as the on-the-job training is the drive of competencies in the innovation and entrepreneurship areas, are distinctive features in its DNA. It is considered a reference not only in the adopted pedagogic methodologies, with the focus on the student, but also in the close connection it keeps with the companies and organisations in the region. Based on these two lines results its performance in what regards employability, with the second highest rate of the whole polytechnic schools.