Sitting to the west of Great Britain in north-west Europe lies Ireland, an EU nation with outstanding natural beauty, a rich history and culture that can be found around the world. Visitors can expect a warm, welcoming spirit and international students will find it a place of great opportunity, with a world class education system.
Universities and colleges in Ireland can be divided into the following groups:
Universities – There are 8 public universities with a focus on research output in Ireland. These include University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin), University of Limerick and National University of Ireland.
Technological universities & Institutes of technology – Historically Ireland has had several Institutes of Technology. Since 2018, many of these have merged to form what are now referred to as Technological universities. There are now 5 Technological universities in Ireland, these include Munster Technological University, South East Technological University and Technological University Dublin.
There are 2 remaining Institutes of technology in Ireland, Institute of Art Design and Technology in Dublin and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
Colleges & Schools – There are many third-level education institutions in Ireland, often referred to as colleges or schools. These include the private Griffith College Dublin, Mary Immaculate College and Cork College of Commerce.
Foreign institutions – There are several foreign universities who offer their degrees through native institutions of Ireland, such as Heriot-Watt University and the University of Reading.
In addition to this, there are many foreign universities who have established satellite campuses in Ireland, including Sacred Heart University, Boston College and the University of Notre Dame.
The most widely spoken language in the Republic of Ireland is English, whilst Irish (also known as Gaelic) is also an official language of Ireland. Most universities in Ireland offer their courses taught in the English language.
If you have an interest in studying Gaelic, there are many options available to you, such as the Irish 4 years Bachelors course at Trinity College Dublin, which is taught entirely in Irish.
University | Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2024 | Best Global Universities | QS World University Ranking |
Trinity College Dublin | 134 | 215 | 81 |
University College Dublin | 201–250 | 236 | 171 |
University of Medicine and Health Sciences | 251–300 | ||
University College Cork | 397 | 292 | |
University of Galway | 551 | 289 | |
University of Limerick | 889 | 426 | |
Dublin City University | 917 | 436 | |
Maynooth University | 1254 | 801-850 | |
Royal College of Surgeons – Ireland | 1254 |
See below for a list of universities and higher education providers in Ireland. Click on universities you are interested in below to read more and to see which courses are available for international students.
For more information about universities in Northern Ireland, please visit our Study in the UK directory.
Degrees in Ireland Masters in IrelandBrowse higher education providers in Ireland
Pharmacy (Graduate Entry) BSc (Hons), MPharm
Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) in Ireland Ireland
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