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The basics
Ireland: Student Finances - Must read

How much do tuition fees in Ireland cost?

When preparing to study abroad, you want to get a sense of how much it will cost you. We take a closer look at the cost of tuition fees in Ireland.

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Studying abroad is an exciting opportunity for any international student – a chance to live and study in a whole new country can be a real adventure. But, it’s important to understand the financial side of things too, and tuition fees are often the most significant expenditure you’ll encounter.

 

In Ireland, as in many countries, tuition fees vary considerably depending on several factors and trying to make sense of it can feel overwhelming. We’ve done the research and compiled all the information for you.

 

All costs in this article are provided in US dollars, with a conversion rate of 1 USD: 0.95 EUR at the time of writing.

 

What do tuition fees cover?

 

In Ireland, tuition fees are charged annually and cover all teaching offered as part of your chosen course or modules, including tutorials, seminars, and lectures.

 

Tuition fees do not cover student supplies (e.g. textbooks or stationery) or living expenses (e.g. rent, travel or bills). For more information about these, why not read our article about the cost of living in Ireland.

 

Most Irish universities charge a compulsory student contribution (also known as a registration fee) separate from their tuition fees. This covers non-tuition student services and examinations. The maximum rate chargeable for the 2022/23 academic year is USD 3,158. However, some universities incorporate the student contribution within their tuition fees, so be sure to check how things work at the institution you’re applying to.

 

Understanding tuition fees

When calculating the price of tuition fees in Ireland, you’ll need to consider several important elements, as the costs can vary so widely.

 

EU, EEA, British and Swiss students

 

If you are an EU or EEA citizen or British or Swiss national, you’ll have ‘EU fee status', meaning you’ll get cheaper rates than other international students:

 

 

Academic institution

Tuition fees vary significantly between institutions. Fees will generally be more at universities that place higher on rankings, such as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings.

 

Type of qualification

Often, tuition fees for postgraduate degrees are more costly per year than they are at the undergraduate level.

 

Subject studied

Typically, STEM degrees cost more than arts or humanities degrees. Medical and veterinary sciences are usually much more expensive than other degree types.

 

Course length

Don’t forget to consider the length of your course. As tuition fees are not usually charged as a one-off payment, the longer your course takes, the more expensive it will be. Undergraduate degrees in Ireland are typically three years long.

 

Method of learning

If you decide to study your course online, this is often considerably cheaper than traditional methods of study. Similarly, at the postgraduate level, research-based courses will be cheaper than those that are taught.

 

Years abroad

If your course offers a year abroad, the tuition fees for that year may be different to other years.

 

How much do international undergraduate fees cost in Ireland?

 

Undergraduate tuition rates for students vary considerably in Ireland, typically costing non-EU Students USD 11,000 to USD 30,000 per year.

 

We know there are big differences, but don’t worry, we’ve compiled the data so that you can put together a better picture of what you might expect to pay.

 

In our first table, you can see the cost of overseas undergraduate tuition fees (per year) at Ireland’s top five universities. These fees are for full-time courses starting in the 2022/2023 academic year.

 

Typical Irish (non-EU) international undergraduate tuition fees per year

University

Average fees [USD]

(note: some courses may fall outside this range)

Trinity College Dublin

USD 21,055 – USD 52,105*

University College Dublin

USD 17,684 – USD 59,779*

National University of Ireland

USD 14,357 – USD 52,773*

University College Cork

USD 11,368 – USD 48,421*

Dublin City University

USD 13,895 – USD 15,789

*fees at the higher end of these ranges represent the more expensive years in medical and/or veterinary subjects

 

Want to get an idea of tuition fees for some of the most popular undergraduate courses in Ireland? Our next table will help.

 

Typical Irish annual international (non-EU) undergraduate tuition fees (by course)

 

University

 

 

Average fees [USD]

Engineering

Health sciences and medicine

Business and management

Social sciences

Humanities

Trinity College Dublin

USD 28,405

USD 20,388 – USD 52,105

      USD 19,842 –    USD 21,693

USD 21,693

 USD 21,062 –USD 21,693

University College Dublin

USD 27,789

 USD 27,789 – USD 59,779

USD 21,579

USD 21,578

USD 21,578

National University of Ireland

USD 24,358

   USD 25,410 – USD 52,773

      USD 14,357 –    USD 17,937

    USD 17,410 –   USD 24,357

USD 17,410- USD 18,673

University College Cork

USD 23,684

   USD 17,579 – USD 48,421

USD 21,578

    USD 17,263 –  USD 19,368

USD 17,263

Dublin City University

USD 15,789

USD 13,894 – USD 15,789*

USD 14,737

USD 15,789

USD 15,789

*health sciences only

 

With these tables, hopefully, you can get a basic understanding of what you might expect to pay in tuition fees as an undergraduate in Ireland. And of course, if you already know which universities you are interested in, you can request prospectuses for more information about courses and fees.

 

How much do international postgraduate tuition fees cost in Ireland?

 

The range in postgraduate international tuition fees in Ireland is about:

 

  • USD 3,000 to USD 52,000 per year (non-EU students)
  • USD 2,000 to USD 26,000 per year (EU/EEA, British and Swiss students)

 

There are some big differences, so our tables should help you get an idea of what you might expect to pay as an international postgraduate student. These fees are for courses starting in the 2022/2023 academic year, and are split to show costs for students applying from both inside and outside the EU.

 

Postgraduates applying from outside the EU/EEA

 

Typical Irish international (non-EU) postgraduate tuition fees per year (or course length, where the full course is shorter than a year)

 

University

Average fees [USD]

(note: some courses may fall outside this range)

Postgraduate Diplomas/Certificates

Masters

Doctorates

Trinity College Dublin

USD 7,697 – USD 17,976

            USD 11,962 –           USD 52,248

         USD 11,962 –         USD 52,248

University College Dublin

USD 4,884 – USD 21,578

          USD 10,789 –         USD 36,842

          USD 9,221 –           USD 34,526

National University of Ireland

USD 2,661 – USD 25,410

          USD 5,668 –            USD 25,410

          USD 14,911 –           USD 15,437

University College Cork

USD 5,473 – USD 19,473

         USD 12,210 –             USD 23,789

         USD 1,789 –          USD 15,789

Dublin City University

N/A

           USD 13,684 –             USD 17,894

         USD 9,263 –          USD 14,736

 

Next, we show the tuition fees for some popular postgraduate course options at the same five universities. Remember, the range shown for each course may include options at every level of study, from postgraduate certificates all the way through to doctorates.

 

Typical Irish annual international (non-EU) postgraduate tuition fee per year (or course length, where the full course is shorter than a year) by course type

 

University

 

 

Average fees [USD]

(note: some courses may fall outside this range)

Engineering

Health sciences and medicine

MBA

Computer science and IT

Psychology

Trinity College Dublin

USD 13,684 – USD 26,953

  USD 7,697 –  USD 52,248

USD 38,421*

USD 25,967

USD 16,638 – USD 23,097

University College Dublin

  USD 15,473 – USD 27,789

  USD 7,126 –  USD 27,789

USD 36,842*

       USD 7,337 –       USD 27,789

USD 10,789 – USD 34,526

National University of Ireland

 USD 7,936 –  USD 25,140

USD 13,858 – USD 20,463

USD 16,302

USD 25,410

USD 14,911 – USD 18,357

University College Cork

USD 15,789 – USD 23,789

 USD 1,789 –  USD 22,631

Not open to non-EU

USD 19,473

USD 17,263 – USD 30,526

Dublin City University

USD 17,894

USD 13,684 – USD 17,684

USD 26,842

USD 17,894

USD 16,105

* charged as a one-off payment for the full course rather than an annual fee

 

Postgraduates applying from within the EU/EEA (plus British and Swiss nationals)

 

Typical Irish international (EU, EEA, British and Swiss nationals) postgraduate tuition fees per year (or course length, where the full course is shorter than a year)

 

University

Averages fees [USD]

(note: some courses may fall outside this range)

Postgraduate Diplomas/Certificates

Masters

Doctorates

Trinity College Dublin

USD 3,849 – USD 11,579

USD 7,136 – USD 38,421

USD 7,136 – USD 26,904

University College Dublin

USD 2,874 – USD 18,856

USD 4,005 – USD 36,842

USD 4,726 – USD 16,600

National University of Ireland

USD 2,134 – USD 9,368

USD 2,047 – USD 15,110

USD 5,437 – USD 5,964

University College Cork

USD 2,768 – USD 9,610

USD 6,073 – USD 13,630

USD 1,789 – USD 30,526

Dublin City University

N/A

USD 5,263 – USD 9,058

USD 4,736 – USD 7,370

 

Next, we’ve researched popular postgraduate courses at the same five universities. Remember, the ranges shown may include courses at every level of study, from postgraduate certificates all the way through to doctorates.

 

Typical Irish annual international (EU, EEA, British and Swiss nationals) postgraduate tuition fee per year (or course length, where the full course is shorter than a year) by course type

 

University

 

 

Average fees [USD]

(note: some courses may fall outside this range)

Engineering

Health sciences and medicine

MBA

Computer science and IT

Psychology

Trinity College Dublin

   USD 5,766 –  USD 8,909

USD 3,849 –  USD 26,904

USD 38,421*

     USD 7,917 –     USD 8,649

  USD 9,863 –  USD 15,709

University College Dublin

   USD 8,042 –  USD 8,852

USD 3,600 –  USD 18,857

USD 36,842*

    USD 5,978 –     USD 10,568

 USD 7,295 –  USD 16,600

National University of Ireland

   USD 3,326 –  USD 8,168

USD 2,134 –  USD 10,157

USD 15,110

      USD 5,968 –     USD 8,168

 USD 7,842 –  USD 13,685

University College Cork

  USD 4,873 –   USD 13,821

USD 1,789 –  USD 11,715

USD 13,630

USD 8,031

  USD 6,452 –  USD 15,263

Dublin City University

USD 7,621

 USD 7,894 – USD 8,842

USD 13,421

USD 7,621

USD 8,842

* charged as a one-off payment for the full course rather than an annual fee

 

Feeling a little more confident about what to expect? Perhaps now would be a good time to order some prospectuses and narrow down your university choices.

 

How do I pay my tuition fees in Ireland?

 

In Ireland, tuition fees are paid to the university before the start of the academic year.  You will need to prove you have paid at least USD 6,316 of your course fees (or the full amount if it is less) when you apply for your student visa.

 

Since tuition fees are charged annually, if your course is longer than a year, you will usually need to pay your tuition fees before every academic year of study. However, different institutions may have different payment structures, so be sure to check the requirements with your chosen university before you apply.

 

Did you know?

Many universities offer scholarships and funding opportunities to international students. It’s worth checking to see if there’s one that might suit you.

 

Now that you know all you need to about the cost of tuition fees, why not learn about the application process for universities in Ireland? You can also start searching for your ideal degree in Ireland using our course matcher tool

 

Disclaimer: Whilst we’ve done all we can to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this article, be aware that these are guidelines and averages only. Costs may vary or change at any time, so be sure to verify fee structures with any prospective institutions.