A Guide to the Best Universities in Ireland (for U.S. students)
Some of America’s top schools have long and storied histories. Harvard University, for one, was established in 1636. It may surprise you that some of Ireland’s top schools have operated for an even longer period of time—Trinity College Dublin was founded in 1592. While Trinity may be the Emerald Isle’s most famous institute of higher education, it is only one of many worth the consideration of American high school students. The following list will provide key information about Ireland’s top colleges including: Full-time undergraduate enrollment, the percentage of international students, the number of U.S. undergraduate students, tuition, entry requirements, domestic and world rankings, as well as each school’s top academic programs.
To view additional data columns, click the + icon to the left of the institution's name
Updated August 2021
| Institution | FT Undergradate Enrollment | % International | Tuition | Entry Requirements | Entry Requirements(Additional Info) | Domestic Rankings | World Rankings | Strong Programs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity College Dublin | 12,250 | 32% | €20,003 - €26,985 (Excluding Medicine) | A minimum SAT score of 1290 and no Math or Reading/Writing score less than 500 OR a minimum ACT composite score of 29; AND a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better (B+ average) unweighted. Most competitive applicants possess higher test scores/grades. | #1 - AWRU #1 - Times Higher Education | #151-200 - AWRU #101 - QS #155 - Times Higher Education #244 - U.S. News | Classics and Ancient History; Computer Science; Engineering; English; Law and Politics; Medicine; Performing Arts | https://www.tcd.ie/ | |
| University College Dublin | 13,239 | 30% | €19,900 - €30,685 (Excluding Medicine) | A minimum SAT score of 1090 OR a minimum ACT composite score of 22; AND a cumulative GPA of 3.0 unweighted. Most competitive applicants possess higher test scores/grades. | #2 - AWRU; #3 - Times Higher Education | #301-400 - AWRU; #177 - QS; #251-300 - Times Higher Education; #226 - U.S. News | Agriculture; Business; English; Engineering; Law and Politics; Sports and Performance; Veterninary Medicine and Animal Science | https://www.ucd.ie/global/ | |
| National University of Ireland, Galway | 11,650 | 18% | €16,300 - €23,750 (Excluding Medicine) | A minimum SAT score of 1090-1380 (depending on program) OR a minimum ACT composite score of 21-29 (depending on program); AND a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to 3.75 unweighted (depending on program). | #4 - AWRU; #4 - Times Higher Education | #601-700 - AWRU; #259 - QS; #301-350 - Times Higher Education; #599 - U.S. News | Biomedical Science; Commerce; English; Foreign Languages; Law and Politics | https://www.nuigalway.ie/ | |
| University College Cork | 11,050 | 19% | €16,080 - €22,080 (Excluding Medicine) | A minimum SAT score of 1140-1470 (depending on program) OR a minimum ACT composite score of 23-32 (depending on program); AND a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to 3.7 unweighted (depending on program). | #3 - AWRU; #4 - Times Higher Education | #401-500 - AWRU; #286 - QS; #251-300 - Times Higher Education; #437 - U.S. News | Archaeology; English; Law; Medicine; Nursing; Pharmacy | https://www.ucc.ie/en/ | |
| University of Limerick | 8,540 | 19% | €10,056 - €12,514 (Excluding Medicine) | A minimum SAT score of 1090-1350 (depending on program) OR a minimum ACT composite score of 22-28 (depending on program); AND a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to 3.3 unweighted (depending on program). | #5 - AWRU; #7 - Times Higher Education | #701-800 - AWRU; #521-530 - QS; #501-600 - Times Higher Education; #898 - U.S. News | Business; Education; English; Engineering; Exercise Science | https://www.ul.ie/ | |
| Dublin City University | 8,551 | 14% | €12,600 - €18,000 | A minimum SAT score of 1200 OR a minimum ACT composite score of 24; AND a cumulative GPA of 3.0 unweighted. Most competitive applicants possess higher test scores/grades. | #7 - Times Higher Education | #439 - QS; #501-600 - Times Higher Education; #838 - U.S. News | Business; Education; Communication; Computer Science; Foreign Languages | https://www.dcu.ie/ |
Colleges Worth Your Money
2022 Edition
A Guide to What America's Top Schools Can Do for You
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