Ireland universities offer a wide range of programs. Ireland universities are known for the diversity of their educational programs, from general education to field-specific majors, academic excellence and research, providing a world-class education and training future professionals. Ireland universities also have strong ties with industry, providing students with internship opportunities, the opportunity to work on research projects with world-class faculty members, post-graduate professional training programs and career guidance. The best universities in the country are listed below. You can contact us for free preliminary information about Ireland and universities.

Study In Ireland

Irish universities hold impressive ranks in world university rankings and Ireland, as a country, is among the most popular choices for international students. The diversity of universities, historic cities, green countryside and Ireland’s unique culture make Ireland an excellent study destination. Higher education institutions in Ireland consist of universities, public and private university colleges and institutes of technology, which focus on providing education in specific fields. Institutes of technology, in addition to programs related to the fields of science and technology, offer vocational education opportunities in fields including but not limited to tourism and hospitality management, health sciences and healthcare, pharmaceutics, media, textile, marketing, etc.

University Education in Ireland

Public higher education institutions among the universities in Ireland are funded by the state and generally autonomous in nature. There are 7 public universities in Ireland and each of these universities offer a wide range of programs at bachelor’s and master’s degree levels in various fields of study. In terms of academic achievement, however, Irish universities excel at science, technology, economics and humanities.

The institutes of technology among Irish universities offer education programs at certificate, diploma, and degree levels in many fields such as business, science, engineering, linguistics, music, etc. Ireland has 14 institutes of technology and each of these institutes has their own programs, courses and credit systems.

Colleges of educational sciences, as the name suggests, train prospective teachers through bachelor’s programs in educational sciences, which may be completed in 3 years, and master’s programs again in educational sciences, which may be completed in 1.5 years.

Private university colleges offer programs in fields such as vocational training, art and design, business, rural development, theology, music, law, etc. Programs are usually offered as vocational training programs, certificate programs and degree programs, but they can vary greatly depending on the institution and the training program.

How Long Does It Take To Complete Your Studies?

In Irish universities, a typical bachelor’s degree program in a general field of study can be completed in 3 to 4 years of time with the exceptions of architecture, veterinary medicine, and dentistry which take 5 years to complete. The degree programs offered at Irish universities are specific to each institution and each program has different credit and course requirements. Master’s degree programs typically involve both coursework and a thesis element and can usually be completed in 1 to 2 years.

Cost of Studying in Ireland

The cost of studying at Irish universities is subject to change depending on the university and the program of study, however, international students from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area can expect to pay between €9,850 and €25,500 per year on average for undergraduate programs, while tuition fees can go up to €55,000 per year on average for programs such as medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry. For master’s degree programs, international students from outside EU and EEA can expect to pay between €9,950 to €36,500 per year on average, while master's programs in fields such as medicine, veterinary medicine, clinical studies, dentistry and business administration can go up to €50,000 on average per year in tuition fees.

Cost of Living in Ireland

Costs of living and studying in Ireland, similarly to other study destinations, vary depending on the city and university. As in almost every country, accommodation costs correspond to the largest part of living expenses. Cities like Dublin and Cork are in the lead when it comes to cost of living, with smaller cities like Galway following closely behind. The cost of living in Ireland is relatively higher when compared to neighboring countries and other countries in Europe. While the average monthly cost of living in Dublin is between €1,100 and €1,800, it is between €860 and €1,400 in cities like Cork and Limerick. In smaller cities such as Galway, the monthly cost of living ranges from €800 to €1,100.

A breakdown of average monthly expenses (accommodation not included) may look like;

Food and Meals: €250 - €350
Utilities: €30 - €50
Transportation: €65 - €85
Course Materials, Books: €75
Internet and Cell Phone Plan: €80
Social Activities, Personal Expenses: €250
Compulsory Health Insurance: €45

It should be noted that Ireland permits students to work part-time, provided that weekly work hours do not exceed 20 hours.

Accommodation in Ireland

As in many other countries, accommodation costs account for the largest part of monthly expenses. Many Irish universities offer on-campus accommodation for international students, with monthly fees of residence halls ranging between €550 and €1.000. As an alternative, students can opt for private accommodation and while rents may vary depending on the city, the average is between €400 and €900 for Ireland in general.

Why Study in Ireland?

One of the reasons why international students from all over the world choose Irish universities to further their education is, of course, the quality of education. Ireland is the perfect study destination for students who want to receive a world-class education in an innovative country offering particularly promising career prospects. Moreover, for students who wish to continue their academic studies after graduation, Ireland offers a so-called “stay-back visa”, which permits students to stay in Ireland for 1 or 2 years.

Additionally, being ranked 12th in the World Peace Index and 22nd in the World Happiness Index, Ireland is a safe, friendly and welcoming country. Furthermore, the OECD Education Report ranks Ireland 4th among the countries with the highest education standards. While the Bloomberg Innovation Index puts Ireland to 16th place among the world’s most innovative countries, industry giants such as Apple, Google, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Samsung have headquarters and many branch offices in Ireland and offer a plethora of job opportunities for recent graduates.

How to Apply as an International Student?

International students who wish to apply for undergraduate and graduate programs offered by French universities must meet certain academic and language requirements. Although these requirements may vary depending on the university and the program, general admission requirements may be summarized as follows;

Admission Requirements - Academic (Bachelor’s Degree)

To Have Completed 11 or 12 Years of Primary and Secondary Education
Certificate of Secondary Education
- Please note that a certificate of secondary education awarded by a foreign institution requires an equivalency review by the relevant authorities in Ireland. Moreover, universities in Ireland, in addition to a certificate of secondary education (received as a result of a high school education of at least 4 years), require international students to have taken and passed 5 Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
A High Grade Point Average
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
or
GCE A-Level / International A-Level Diploma
or
SAT/ACT Standardized Test Scores

Please bear in mind that international students who are going to apply to programs that are directly or indirectly related to the fields of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, civil engineering, industrial engineering, bioengineering, mathematics, physics and pharmaceutics may be asked to apply and take the relevant exams administered by the Irish government or by the respective university.

Admission Requirements - Academic (Master’s Degree)

Bachelor’s Degree (of a 3 or 4-year undergraduate program)
High Grade Point Average
To have accumulated at least 180 ECTS course credit during your university studies

Please note that you may be asked to submit GRE or GMAT test scores depending on the admission requirements specific to the program you are applying to.

Admission Requirements - Language

Certificate of Proficiency in English (for programs taught in English)
- You will be asked to submit the scores of at least one of the internationally recognized proficiency tests like IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, CAE, CPE, etc.

Application Deadlines

The application process at Irish universities varies depending on where international students are from. While students from the United Kingdom or from countries member to the European Union are required to apply to universities through the “Central Applications Office”, international students from non-EU countries must apply directly to the universities they wish to be admitted to. Although the application deadlines for Irish universities are the same for students hailing from the United Kingdom or member states of the European Union, they vary from university to university for international students from outside these regions. The application deadlines are generally June and July of the previous academic year at the latest in order to begin studies in the fall semester of the next academic year, and September and October of the previous year at the latest in order to begin studies in the spring semester of the next academic year. Moreover, an academic year at Irish universities consists of two semesters, with the fall semester starting in September and ending in December, while the spring semester starts in January or February and comes to an end in May.