Ireland · Public research university
University College Dublin
Dublin · Founded 1854
QS World #126
THE #198
Official site
Acceptance rate
~40%
Total students
33,000
International
~28% (~9,000 of 33,000 students)
Annual tuition
EUR 21,300–27,840 / year (2025-26 non-EU UG; medicine EUR 60,440)
UCD is Ireland's largest university with a 133-hectare suburban campus 15 minutes south of central Dublin. Particularly strong for business (the Smurfit Graduate Business School is the only Irish institution with triple accreditation: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS) and for veterinary medicine (the only veterinary school on the island of Ireland). UCD's startup accelerator NovaUCD has spun out over 400 companies.
Admissions requirements
- Language
- TOEFL iBT 90; IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0
- Tests
- Apply via CAO; SAT 1330+/ACT 28+ accepted as alternative for non-Irish applicants. Selective programmes (Quinn School of Business) are higher.
- Deadlines
-
- Undergraduate Cao: February 1 standard; late application 1 May
- Postgraduate: Rolling, but priority January–February for Sep intake; final March–April
- Financial aid
- UCD Global Excellence Scholarships — EUR 2,000 to full tuition for selected non-EU undergraduates and master's students. Government of Ireland International Scholarship.
Famous for
Business (Quinn School)
Computer Science
Veterinary
Medicine
Architecture
Notable alumni
- James Joyce
- Maeve Binchy
- Pat Cox (former European Parliament President)
- Brian Lenihan (former Finance Minister)
Cost estimate
$42,500 / year
Tuition $24,500 + living $18,000
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