The Top Universities In Ireland - Freshered

Many students want to study at the best universities. If you’re thinking of studying in the Emerald Isle, or you’re lucky enough to call it home, then here are the top universities in Ireland for 2023.

There are many reasons why you might want to study in Ireland if it’s not already where you live. It means you can travel without going too far away, they speak English and it has a beautiful landscape.

Plus, it has some high-ranking universities that could be just what you’re looking for.

The Top Universities In Ireland

According to the Times Higher Education ranking, these are the top five institutions in Ireland. Plus, we’ve got the world rankings so you can see how they compare to other countries’ universities.

4: University College Cork

Unsurprisingly, this is in Cork, which is the third largest city in Ireland, located in the Republic of Ireland.

The university ranks between 301-350 in the world and has a student population of around 20,000. It’s only 10 minutes from the city centre but also sits on 42 acres of land. If you were looking for some beautiful Irish landscape as well as amenities, then this could be the choice for you.

4: University of Galway

As with the above, there’s no guessing where this is. Also like the above, it ranks fourth, making them in joint position as are both in the 301-350 section in world rankings.

Packed with history and landscape, the university is in the West of Ireland. Its research led and was awarded the five QS Stars of Excellence in 2012. In 2018, it was ranked in the top one per cent of universities in the world by QS too.

garage door painted haphazardly in the Irish flag
Photo by Khara Woods on Unsplash

2: University College Dublin

The first of the two joint in second place is University College Dublin. This jumps up into the 201-250 category in THE world rankings and is one of Europe’s leading research universities. It also has a huge amount of international students, with 38,000 from 152 countries making it the most globally engaged university in the country.

It’s also Ireland’s largest university, offering world-leading facilities in Science, Law and Business.

2: RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

Staying in the number two spot and also in Dublin, RCSI is next. It also ranks in the same position as UCD in the world rankings, so there’s clearly not a lot of difference in how they’re received.

Of course, RCSI specialises in Medicine and Health Sciences, making it a great choice for anyone looking to get into the profession. Not only is it the largest medical school in Ireland, but it has the largest clinical simulation facility in Europe.

The Best University In Ireland

And now, on to the university considered the very best in the country. Times Higher Education awards this accolade to Trinity College Dublin, which comes in at 161 in the world.

Dublin Daily Life
Photo by Joaquin Gomez Sastre/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Although it’s in the heart of Dublin, the campus sits on 47 acres and offers a wide range of subjects. Founded in 1582, the university is rich in history and was modelled after Oxford and Cambridge. It is also a member of the prestigious Russell Group and is considered one of the best in Europe.

Though it has a huge range of subjects, it does particularly well in law, humanities and literature.

This is certainly a great choice if you wish to study in Ireland, but we warned that there will be plenty of competition to get in.