Higher Education: Europe’s Best Performer
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Talent is still the main reason to invest in Ireland, thanks to outstanding universities that are focused on enterprise engagement.
Ireland’s 65.2% tertiary education participation rate is the highest in the European Union. “There’s strong cultural commitment to education for personal development and economic opportunities,” explains Tim Conlon, head of policy and strategic planning at the Higher Education Authority.
The country has seven traditional and five technological universities that all provide free tuition to the local population. Eight of them appear in the QS World University Rankings’ top 800 institutions, which Conlon puts down to an emphasis on enterprise engagement, as well as research that generates real impact.
“One significant recent development in this respect is the government’s allocation of $865 million for research infrastructure across the country in a major new initiative called Inspire,” states Linda Doyle, provost at Trinity College Dublin, the nation’s oldest university.
Catalysts for innovation
“Building on Inspire, the government has committed $530 million to a new network of research centers,” says John O’Halloran, president of University College Cork (UCC), which will receive a substantial amount of this funding for a semiconductor research center at its Tyndall National Institute, Ireland’s largest facility for deep-tech innovation.
UCC was founded in 1845 and is the biggest research-intensive comprehensive university in southern Ireland. Within its student body of about 27,000, 21% are international, and demand for places is rising. “We’ve developed strengths in fields such as semiconductors, food, microbiome and health, sustainability, pharmacy and future medicine,” O’Halloran explains. “95% of our students are in employment or further education within nine months of graduating.”
The university’s identity is centered on sustainability and inclusion. “We’re ranked second globally for sustainability in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings and are the only university in Europe to receive a platinum award through the U.S.’s STARS sustainability framework, while around 24% of our undergraduates enter through nontraditional pathways,” he continues.
UCC generates nearly $1.4 billion annually for the economy and one way it does that is by nurturing entrepreneurs. For example, it operates Ireland’s leading full-time startup program for recent graduates. The president notes that UCC is increasingly popular with U.S. researchers and students, who make up its second-largest international cohort. “Ireland is a safe place with a warm, welcoming culture. It’s small, but globally connected,” O’Halloran concludes.
According to the president of the University of Galway, David Burn, “One advantage of Ireland’s size is that universities can be highly collaborative.” Established 180 years ago, his institution is a catalyst for innovation in the western city. “We’ve created a powerful partnership between the university and industry,” he says. “For instance, Galway is one of the world’s leading medtech hubs and we work closely with Irish medtech businesses and multinationals such as Medtronic and Boston Scientific.”
The university is also expanding Ireland’s industrial ecosystem — it currently supports over 35 spinouts, 24 of which have launched since 2020. Most are connected to its four research strengths. “First is health innovation, covering medtech, clinical trials and related fields. Second is sustainable and resilient environments, reflecting our Atlantic location,” Burn details. “Third is transformative data and artificial intelligence, including hosting Ireland’s national supercomputer, and fourth is culture, creativity and society. We are Ireland’s only bilingual university and have a deep connection to Irish language, arts and culture.”
About 20% of the university’s staff and of its 20,000 students come from international backgrounds. “Galway is attractive to academics, students and companies alike. It’s a beautiful city,” he stresses.
Industry-ready graduates
A key differentiator within the country’s higher education system is its technological universities. “These complement Ireland’s traditional universities but, crucially, they are regionally based. They develop talent, helping attract and retain foreign investment throughout their regions,” says Vincent Cunnane, president of the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS).
TUS, for instance, was set up in 2021 to serve Ireland’s midlands and midwest. It has seven campuses in five towns, about 2,000 staff, over 400 PhD researchers and more than 16,500 students. “Despite its young age, we have already achieved a five-star QS rating across all assessed areas,” he notes.
Ties between the technological universities and their local industries are especially strong. For instance, TUS’s students enjoy extended work placements, and regional employers are involved in designing, developing and reviewing its education programs. “As a result, TUS has had the highest graduate employability rate of any Irish university for three consecutive years,” Cunnane states. “We’re producing industry-ready in-demand graduates.”
TUS also works across the innovation spectrum from research, development and commercialization to fostering startups. Another part of its mission is widening access to education. “For example, we support over 2,000 apprentices in various fields and prioritize lifelong learning,” he says. “We support talent development and retention, helping individuals and employers continuously upgrade skills.”
Around 1,500 of TUS’s students are international, and it sees potential to expand that, particularly from the U.S., where it will launch summer schools next year. “TUS offers excellent academic and life quality,” he states. “We’ve transformed our locations into university towns, strengthening talent and ensuring investors succeed in our region.”
The more traditional University of Limerick is based in the same region. Its president, Shane Kilcommins, confirms that the local education system benefits investors. “Companies such as Verizon, Eli Lilly, Analog Devices, Johnson & Johnson, Regeneron and Northern Trust have a strong presence here, largely because of the talent pool,” he says. “Recently, we have also seen more international students staying here after they graduate as opportunities have developed locally.”
Foreign students are increasingly studying and establishing careers throughout Ireland. In 2025, 44,500 international students enrolled in its institutions, 10% more than the year before. Dominic Dillane, registrar of Technological University Dublin, is unsurprised: “As a country to study and live in, Ireland is highly attractive. Irish people are welcoming and we have one of the youngest populations in Europe. Our education institutions also offer very differentiated, best-in-class education. We have small classes and lecturers know their students by name — the experience is just better.”
