Top Universities in Ireland

Here is our comprehensive guide listing down the top universities in Ireland.

Rated consistently in the top 10 study destinations across the world for International students and growing every year, Ireland has a lot to offer. One of the primary reasons why it’s a popular destination is the number of top universities present in the country. We have compiled the list of top-ranked colleges and universities in Ireland for you along with the details.

For the QS world ranking of top Ireland universities, please click here.

Trinity College Dublin

Founded: 1592

City: Dublin

Ranking: 104^th in the World, 1^st in Ireland

Fee Structure:

Undergraduate: EUR 18,600 -35,000 (Approximately)

Postgraduate: EUR 18,600 -25,000 (Approximately)

Eligibility Requirements:

Undergraduate: 80% in 12th

Postgraduate: 69% in Graduation

Some Facts:

• It is one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland, as well as Ireland’s oldest surviving university
• The Library of Trinity College is a legal deposit library for Ireland and Great Britain, containing over 6.2 million printed volumes and significant quantities of manuscripts, including the Book of Kells
• The University of Dublin was modeled on the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge in the form of a collegiate university, Trinity College being named by the Queen as the mater Universitas (“mother of the university”)
• Trinity College is a sister college to Oriel College of the University of Oxford and St John’s College of the University of Cambridge
• The dentistry program offered by the Dublin Dental University Hospital is ranked 51–75 in the world.      

University College, Dublin

Founded: 1854

City: Dublin

Ranking: 185^th in the World, 2^nd in Ireland

Fee Structure:

Undergraduate: EUR 18,600 -35,000 (Approximately)

Postgraduate: EUR 18,600 -25,000 (Approximately)

Eligibility Requirements:

Undergraduate: 80-85% in 12th

Postgraduate: 65% in Graduation

Some Facts:

• Five Nobel Laureates are among UCD’s alumni and current and former staff
• UCD is a leading research center within Ireland with a research income of €114.1 million during 2013/14
• UCD has over 60 sports clubs based on campus with 28 sports scholarships awarded annually.
• UCD also has a student radio station, Belfield FM, broadcasting throughout the academic year online on the station’s website

National University of Ireland

Founded: 1845

City: Galway

Ranking: 259^th in the World, 3^rd in Ireland

Fee Structure:

Undergraduate: EUR 12,600 -24,000 (Approximately)

Postgraduate: EUR 12,600 -18,000 (Approximately)

Eligibility Requirements:

Undergraduate: 65% in 12th

Postgraduate: 60-65% in Graduation

Some Facts:

• NUI Galway is a member of the Coimbra Group, a network of 40 long-established European universities
• The campus is home to a wide range of sport facilities. Facilities include Dungan Sportsground, where the university’s GAA teams compete, and the Kingfisher, where Moycullen Basketball Club play their games
• International students make up over 12 percent of the student population at NUI Galway

Galway has been awarded the full five QS stars for excellence and is ranked among the top 1 percent of universities according to the 2018 QS World University Rankings. These rankings marked the sixth consecutive year that the University’s ranking improved by these standards

University College, Cork

Founded: 1845

City: Cork

Ranking: 310^th in the World, 4^th in Ireland

Fee Structure:

Undergraduate: EUR 17,600 -45,000 (Approximately)

Postgraduate: EUR 12,600 -18,000 (Approximately)

Eligibility Requirements:

Undergraduate: 85% in 12th

Postgraduate: 60-65% in Graduation

Some Facts:

• As of 2016, University College Cork (UCC) had 21,000 students. These included 15,000 in undergraduate programs, 4,400 in postgraduate study and research
• In 2018, UCC’s campus became home to the first “plastic-free” café in Ireland, with the opening of the Bio Green Café in the Biosciences building
• The 2011 QS World University Rankings assigned a 5-star rating to UCC, and ranked the university amongst the top 2% of universities worldwide. UCC was ranked 230th in the 2014 edition of the QS World University Rankings. 13 of its subject areas featured in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015 (up from 10 subject areas in 2014), including the Pharmacy & Pharmacology disciplines, which were listed with the top 50 worldwide

Dublin City University

Founded: 1975

City: Dublin

Ranking: 429^th in the World, 5^th in Ireland

Fee Structure:

Undergraduate: EUR 12,600 -18,000 (Approximately)

Postgraduate: EUR 12,600 -18,000 (Approximately)

Eligibility Requirements:

Undergraduate: 70% in 12th

Postgraduate: 60-65% in Graduation

Some Facts:

• The University has been designated as a “Changemaker Campus” by Ashoka U for its work in social innovation in higher education
• DCU is also the location for all professional Actuarial exams in Ireland. It also has a Prometric Test Centre and is the test center for Ireland’s Graduate Management Admission Test
• DCU library is a deposit library, making it legally entitled to a copy of every book published in Ireland
• The University also collaborates with National University of Ireland, Galway and the pharmaceutical multinational Bristol-Myers Squibb on biopharmaceutical research

Check out the general eligibility for applying to other Irish Universities

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