My son is worried that he won’t get enough CAO points to get the course he has in mind. As a result, he’s talking about other options in the Netherlands and beyond where courses are taught through English. I have heard both good and bad stories regarding Irish students’ experiences from parents but hard facts are hard to come by. Would you recommend it as an option?
Over the past decade, more and more Irish students have been embracing the opportunity to study courses in European universities which are often beyond their CAO points scores.
These courses tend to be academically demanding and some students end up dropping out – but the vast majority persevere to graduation.
Most then return to Ireland entering the labour market or seeking professional recognition of their qualifications, while some have settled in their adopted countries.
My son in thinking of going to college abroad due to high CAO points at home. Is this wise?
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There are almost 400 English-taught undergraduate degree programmes in the Netherlands, which is by far the most popular study destination with Irish students. In 2023, there were almost 2,000 Irish students studying in the Netherlands. This is up from just under 250 in 2013.
Fees are about €2,200 per year for most programmes. As in Ireland, accommodation can be very tight but if students secure their room in April-May they will find one for €500-550 per month in Groningen/Maastricht. Accommodation in Amsterdam/Rotterdam is more expensive. In terms of overall popularity, Groningen tops the destination charts.
From a subject perspective, Netherlands the most popular disciplines with Irish students on the Netherlands are psychology, business/economics and physiotherapy.
About 90 per cent of programmes in the Netherlands do not have a selection procedure and only require minimum entry requirements, expressed in terms of Leaving Cert grades as two H5s and four O6s.
In terms of world rankings, seven Dutch universities are regularly among the top 100 internationally.
Elsewhere, Poland and Italy attract the next greatest number of Irish applicants. The most popular subjects in Italy and Poland are currently veterinary medicine. There are more than 60 first-year students from Ireland in Warsaw in 2024/25, studying veterinary, medicine and dentistry.
Politics/international relations is popular with Irish students across Europe. I am aware of a student from Limerick who read her undergraduate degree in international relations at the University of Leiden, progressed on to her master’s in University of Bologna in Italy, where she was awarded a joint degree with Johns Hopkins University of Maryland USA.
At a recent event organised by Eunicas, the Irish agency that supports Irish students seeking places in Europe, a mother asked a professor from University of Milan what Leaving Cert grades, CAO points, or specific subjects were required to study medicine/dentistry in Italy. He replied: “I don’t care.” Selection is solely based on the IMAT aptitude test. Furthermore, fees to study medicine in Italy are low, €156–€4,000, based on family income.
In short, studying abroad is a valuable pathway for students who would not otherwise gain the CAO points needed to study their dream course.
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