Ireland becoming more popular with international students

The number of international students choosing to study in Ireland has increased significantly in recent years, a new study has found.

Conducted by the European Migration Network, the study found that the number of international students coming to Ireland increased by 45 per cent between 2013 and 2017.

The country with the highest number of international students studying in the country was China, with Malaysia, America, Canada, India, and Saudi Arabia also among the most common countries of origin.

In recent years, Ireland has been increasing promoting itself abroad as a destination for international students, with foreign students not only viewed as providing economic benefits to Irish education institutions, but also as a useful source of future workers.

The number of international students who went on to secure employment permits in Ireland after graduating has increased from less than 50 in 2013, to 871 in 2017.

The most common courses international students enrolled in at Irish universities were healthcare-related degrees.

International students can provide a welcome source of extra revenue for often cash-strapped institutions. Non-European Economic Area (EEA) students pay higher fees to study in Ireland than those from within the EEA, generally of between €9,000 and €25,000, but for some courses such as medicine as much as €54,000 a year.

Article published 22nd May 2019