Have you considered the prospect of studying in Ireland? If you already have, this article will validate and support your decision. If you have not, this should convince you that Ireland is indeed one of the best places for higher studies.

There are more than 2000 Indian students in Ireland. Clearly, they would have found something more attractive than the other major study abroad destinations, which led them to choose Ireland above others. Let us tell you what attracts students to Ireland, and which are the universities that they are applying to.

7 reasons why Indian students prefer to study in Ireland

Ireland checks all the boxes for a typical Indian student looking to study abroad. World-class education, good job, safe environment – you have it all!

1. The job opportunities that it offers. There are almost 1000 multi-national companies in Ireland. Did you know that companies like Google, Accenture, CRH and Facebook have their headquarters in Ireland?
2. The high safety index of the country. Ireland’s peace index is tagged as ‘very high’ in the global peace index of 2020. It ranks 12 among the list of 163 countries. India ranks 139.
3. Access to quality education. Ireland has several top-ranking institutions that made their way to the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education rankings. Learn about these rankings so that your decision to study in Ireland is an informed one. The country is considered a centre for quality research work which is backed by world-class amenities. The universities in Ireland form the top 1% of institutions worldwide in several research fields.
4. Access to a quality life. Ireland ranks 18 in the 2020 social mobility rankings published by the World Economic Forum. If you would like to understand what it means - the ranking takes into consideration the health, education, working conditions, equality of wages etc. of the people in the country.
5. Ireland is an English-speaking country. We don’t have to explain how that helps.
6. They offer several scholarships and financial aids to students including international students. Read further to learn more about these and how else the country is supporting international students.
7. Their immigration rules. Students have the option to remain in Ireland to seek employment, for up to 2 years after completing postgraduation or above.

Apart from these, there is no doubt that Ireland is a stunningly attractive country. They have several castles, museums, cliffs, ancient sites, beaches and more. It is blessed with greenery which gives it the name Emerald’s Isle. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll be deprived of city life. Dublin city is a striking contrast to the Irish countryside.

3 Irish institutions popular among Indian students

Before we tell you about the institutions popular among Indians, here is a brief about the higher education system in Ireland. The college-level education in Ireland is called the Third-level education and it falls under 3 sectors

1. University sector: There are autonomous universities that offer bachelors and masters level courses as well as doctoral-level studies. These universities in Ireland include the major universities that you might have heard of. University of Limerick, Maynooth University, University College Cork, University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University.
2. Technological sector: The technological sector includes the 14 institutes of Technology. Of these, the Dublin Institute of Technology stands out in that it can award degrees way up to the doctoral level. This is much like the deemed universities in our country. Some other technological institutes are Institute of Technology Carlow, Institute of Technology Sligo, Waterford Institute of Technology and Dundalk Institute of Technology.
3. Other colleges of education: The colleges of education are for training primary school teachers.

Other than these institutions supported by the government, there are private colleges too.

The number of international students interested in studying in Ireland are on the rise. As reported by the Irish Times, the international student numbers grew by 26% between 2016 and 2019. Majority of the international students in Ireland come from Asia. When considering the numbers from India, around 5000 Indian students received admission offers from universities in Ireland in the year 2019. There was no major difference in these numbers in the year 2020 too, which could be attributed to the country’s efficient management of the pandemic.

Let’s take a look at the institutions preferred by Indian students, the courses of their choice and the other interesting programmes at these institutions.

1. University College, Dublin

University College Dublin is one of the institutions most preferred by Indian students. Of the 12000+ students in the university, 4000+ are international students. UCD is in the 177th position as Ireland as per the QS World University Rankings and it is the second-best university in the country as per the same rankings. They have the highest graduate Employment Rate in the country; 68.8. The score indicates that the university prepares the students for employment after graduation. Having a job is the top priority for several of us. There is no wonder as to why our students choose UCD as their preferred university to study in Ireland.

Which are the subjects taught at UCD?

In the 2020 World University Rankings by subject, Veterinary Science, Library and Information management, Agriculture and Forestry and Petroleum Engineering are some subjects for which the university found a place in the top 50. Other subjects that you might be interested in, include Law and Criminal Justice, Arts and Humanities, Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy. Ever heard of Landscape Architecture? UCD is the only university in Ireland that offers an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture.

Which courses are Indian students interested in?

The applications we receive are majorly for masters in business Analytics. The popularity of MSc in Data and Computational Science is also on the rise. Master’s in the following courses - Management, Finance, Marketing and Computer Science - have sustained the interest of Indian students in the last 2 years. The undergraduate courses that attract students from our country include BSc Architecture, BSc Economics and BSc Philosophy.

2. National College of Ireland

This college might not come up in any major university rankings, but National College of Ireland is popular among Indian students. It is located in Dublin. The preference might be because the courses offered are more career-oriented and according to the university website, their career services ensure that 96% of their graduates are employed. That is quite a promising number.

Which subjects are taught at National College Ireland?

The undergraduate courses include bachelor’s degree courses and Higher Diploma courses. Bachelor’s degree courses are offered in Human Resource Management, Business, Marketing Practice, Psychology, Computing etc. Postgraduate courses include business master’s courses and computing master’s courses.

Which courses are preferred by Indian students?

Courses preferred by Indians studying at National College Ireland include MSc in Data analytics and MSc in Cybersecurity. Master’s in Management, Master’s in Cloud Computing and Master’s in International Business are some of the other courses preferred by Indian students applying to National College in Ireland.

3. Trinity College Dublin

TCD is the best university in Ireland as per the 2021 QS World University Rankings. They rank 101 among the best universities in the world. It is located right in the city and has people from more than 120 countries!

Which subjects are taught at TCD?

Trinity College Dublin offers courses in all major disciplines including arts, humanities, business, law, engineering, science, maths and health science. The university ranks in the first 50 for several subjects including English Language and Literature, classics and ancient history and Nursing.

Which are the courses preferred by Indian students?

The popular postgraduate courses among Indian students include master’s of science in Data Science, Computer Science, Management, Finance, Digital marketing strategy, Operations and Supply chain management, marketing, international management, financial risk management etc. The list is quite long and varied.

The undergraduate courses preferred include BA computer science, and BA Economics and Social studies. The applications are more for postgraduate courses when compared to undergraduate courses.

What are the requirements to apply to universities in Ireland?

The requirements will vary based on the university, course and whether you are applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate course.

IELTS requirement

The minimum IELTS (academic) socre requirement set by Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) is 5.0. However, the requirement will differ based on the institutions, level of study or courses. If you are interested in studying in Ireland, do check out the university websites for up to date information.

For example, the score required to apply to the University College Dublin is an overall 6.5 with no band below 6.

At National College of Ireland, undergraduate and postgraduate computing courses, as well as undergraduate business courses, will require a minimum IELTS score of 6. Postgraduate business courses will require an overall 6.5 IELTS score.

The overall IELTS score required for applying to Trinity College, Dublin is 6.5 with no band less than 6. An overall score of 7 is required for dental and medical courses at TCD.

Academic requirements

Apart from IELTS score requirements, the crucial requirement would be your academic scores. This can be anywhere between 55% and 75%.

For example, the academic requirements at the National College of Ireland will vary based on which board exam you attended. If you attended the Tamil Nadu or Kolkata board exams, you need an average of 70% or higher to apply for undergraduate courses. The average is 58% or above for West Bengal board. If you attended the Maharashtra or Gujarat board exams, you need an overall average of 75% or above.

Others

GRE is not a requirement to study in Irish universities. GMAT would be required for MBA programmes in University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. If you are having gaps in your educational history, you will have to submit evidence accounting for this. You will also have to prove that you can support yourself financially during your stay in the country and that you have medical insurance.

The intake to Ireland institutions happens twice in a year; Autumn or semester 1 intake and Spring or semester 2 intake. It usually happens between February to July and September to October respectively.

Talk to our counsellors for more up to date information on the cost of studying in Ireland and what the student life would be like. any of these aspects.

3 ways in which Ireland supports international students

1. Scholarships

Some of the popular scholarships that Irish universities give to international students are:

• NUI Galway International student scholarship
• Government of Ireland International Education scholarship
• University College Dublin scholarship
• Trinity College Dublin scholarship

2. Encouraging immigration rules

International students can work 20 hours per week while continuing their studies. They can work 40 hours per week, on a full-time basis during holidays. They can remain in the country for up to 2 years after completing postgraduation, and seek employment.

3. Orientation programmes

Several programmes are offered by the higher education institutions to prepare the students for studying at the Irish college they enrolled. Some institutions also provide preparatory programmes for international students in their home countries. For example, most of the institutes of technology provide pre-arrival orientation support.

A word on the support offered during the pandemic

Ireland provides access to crucial healthcare for all international students directly affected by the pandemic, that too, free of cost. The institutions will be taking full responsibility for international students coming to the country. Right from transport facility to arranging quarantine facility, the universities will be taking care of their students. They even conducted events specifically for Indian students who received offers from Irish universities.

Ireland is slowly emerging as a popular destination from students in India. If you are convinced that Ireland is the best study destination for you, contact our counsellors without further ado and kick-start the process!