Despite a moderate population of roughly five million, the Republic of Ireland has a number of excellent higher learning institutions. These are the best universities in the Republic of Ireland based on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021.
Five of the country’s best universities are based in the greater area of Dublin, Ireland’s capital and largest city. Culturally, Dublin is well known for being the setting of the novels of James Joyce. Meanwhile, the Guinness brewery at St James’s Gate, founded in 1759, was the original location for the brewing of Ireland’s best-known stout and is now a popular tourist attraction.
The ancient language of Irish Gaelic is still spoken in places on the Emerald Isle and continues to be taught in schools. However, English is more commonly used by the majority of Irish residents and virtually every university course is taught in the language.
Top 3 universities in Ireland
1. Trinity College Dublin
Established in 1592, Trinity College Dublin is the oldest university in the Republic of Ireland. It was founded as an Irish equivalent to the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge and retains its reputation as a research-centred university.
Trinity College Dublin is located in central Dublin near the River Liffey and is a stone’s throw away from the Irish Houses of Parliament, making the university ideal for aspiring political science students. Although Trinity is not a collegiate structure like Oxbridge, the university offers a huge range of courses, from acting to zoology. Trinity also supports its students by assigning each student a personal tutor and providing a campus-based careers advisory service.
Among the university’s alumni is mathematician William Rowan Hamilton, who has a research institute at Trinity named in his honour. Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Mairead Maguire are other well-known graduates.
2. RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
The RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has been a renowned surgical college since it was granted a royal charter in 1784, and now serves as Ireland’s largest medical school. A private institution, RCSI offers a number of scholarships for both Irish and international students in PhD and master’s programmes. There are multiple EU and non-EU student admission pathways for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
RCSI has expanded to offer postgraduate courses in bereavement studies and healthcare technologies, as well as offering five-year undergraduate degree courses in pharmacy and four-year courses in physiotherapy. These are among many other science- and healthcare-related undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Many renowned figures from the worlds of surgical and medical development have received their degrees at RCSI. One such example is Nada Haffadh, who became Bahrain’s first female cabinet minster when she was appointed health minister in 2004. Another is Lord Ara Darzi, a pioneer in the fields of surgical robotics and minimally invasive surgery.
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3. University College Dublin (UCD)
While the university retains the Dublin name from its history of scattered campuses across the city, University College Dublin is now based in Belfield, about four kilometres south of the capital. This consolidation of Ireland’s largest university allows for a genuine campus experience, especially for first-year students who can take advantage of accommodation on site.
The university has a reputation for excellence in research across the humanities and sciences. In clinical and health fields the university is among the top-scoring worldwide.
It is also known as Ireland’s Global University. This is a result of the university hosting thousands of international students, exchange programmes with hundreds of universities worldwide and the Overseas Chapters programme, which hosts events throughout the year.
Notable graduates include author James Joyce, Amnesty International founder Seán MacBride and comedian Dara Ó Briain.
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Top universities in Ireland 2021
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2021 results
| World University Rank 2021 | Ireland Rank 2021 | University | City |
| =155 | 1 | Trinity College Dublin | Dublin |
| 201–250 | 2 | RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences | Dublin |
| 251–300 | 3 | University College Dublin | Belfield |
| 301–350 | =4 | National University of Ireland, Galway | Galway |
| 301–350 | =4 | University College Cork | Cork |
| 401–500 | 6 | Maynooth University | Maynooth |
| 501–600 | =7 | Dublin City University | Dublin |
| 501–600 | =7 | University of Limerick | Limerick |
| 801–1000 | 9 | Technological University Dublin | Dublin |
Read more: Best universities in the world
