In Ireland, the international student enrolment reached a record higher than the last year to be 44,500 in the 2024/2025 academic year. This growth was driven largely by Indian students, who reached 30% to 9,175 and now make up over one-fifth of all international enrolments. The American students also increased by 8% to 6,125. Both China and the UK, along with the previous countries, account for just over half of Ireland’s international student population.

 

Interest in studying in Ireland is growing across the board. About 70% of Ireland’s top 30 student groups saw an increase in numbers recently. While many of these students come from Europe, like the Netherlands, which saw a huge 41% increase, there is also a big jump in students coming from further away, specifically from Brazil, India, and Mexico.

Both undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments are increasing, but master’s and PhD programs are growing even faster at 11% compared to 9% for bachelor’s degrees. In fact, postgraduate numbers are expected to become more popular than undergraduate ones by the next cycle.

Ireland is known for excellence in STEM, AI, data science, cybersecurity, and sustainability. Families and students value not just the degree but the career outcomes and employability. Ireland’s higher education minister has welcomed international students, highlighting their importance to the sector. EU freedom of movement and programs like Erasmus+ make Ireland attractive for European students.

American students, who had been Ireland’s largest international cohort until 2023/24, continued steady growth for the fourth consecutive year, with more US students planning to study abroad in 2025 and Ireland tying with Italy as the fourth most popular destination.

Beyond the classroom, Ireland offers great career opportunities. International students can stay and work for 12 months after finishing a bachelor's degree or 24 months after a master's or PhD. You can get this "Stamp 1G" visa even if you don't have a job offer yet. This gives you plenty of time to launch your career in Ireland's growing high-tech economy.