Dublin is an attractive city for international students and there are a ton of reasons why. Before you decide to study in Dublin though, here’s an introduction to some practical information about what you can expect from city’s tertiary education system.
Dublin has four world-ranking universities
For such a small city, Dublin offers excellent educational opportunities. The city has four universities: Trinity College Dublin, DCU, UCD and TU Dublin. All four of them feature in the QS World University Rankings. Three even rank among the top 500 in the world.
Just across the border in Kildare, there is also the university town of Maynooth which is home to another world-ranking institution called NUI Maynooth.
Through public and private colleges, Dublin offers a ton of other third-level options for students to take advantage of too.
The city is home to 32,000 international students
If you decide to study in Dublin, you won’t be alone. The city is home to thousands of students from all over the world.
Around a fifth of students at DCU hail from abroad while a quarter of UCD’s student body is international. According to the Irish Universities Association, more than 32,000 international students currently study in Ireland.
While application numbers dropped during the Covid-19 pandemic, the trend is quickly reversing with record numbers of applications in 2021. Much of this was driven by overseas students looking to Ireland for college places post-Brexit.
Graduates who study in Dublin can kickstart their careers here
Dublin is home to a ton of globally recognised multinationals, particularly in the areas of finance, tech, life sciences and business services. Despite the impacts of Covid-19, it’s economy is still growing too.
So once you’ve graduated, you may have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience here in Dublin. EU and UK citizens are free to take up employment without the need for a visa. While international students from non-EEA countries who study in Ireland can also apply for special student visas once they graduate.
Below, you’ll find out more about what you can expect from studying in Dublin. From student life and stories, through to student visas and planning your move, we’ve got all the most important details covered.