Should I consider allowing my child to study abroad?

Question

Several of my friends’ children are studying in European universities through English.

Is this an attractive option?

Answer

Recently, more Irish students have been embracing the opportunity to study degree programmes in European universities which are either beyond their CAO points scores or simply because they’re more adventurous than most of their peers.

In the research universities, these programmes tend to be academically demanding, and some students end up dropping out – but the vast majority persevere to graduation.

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Many then return to Ireland, entering the labour market, where the skill set they acquired abroad is highly attractive, while others have settled in their adopted countries.

There are almost 400 English-taught undergraduate degree programmes in the Netherlands, which is by far the most popular study destination for Irish students going abroad. In 2024, there were more than 2,000 Irish students studying in the Netherlands.

For both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, tuition fees are free in Scandinavian and German universities, and about €2,600 per year for most programmes in the Netherlands.

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 for Irish students. From a subject perspective, the most popular disciplines with Irish students in 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. Of those that do have a selection procedure, rarely does this operate based on LC grades,

Elsewhere, Poland and Italy attract the next greatest number of Irish applicants. In Poland, the most popular subjects are veterinary medicine and medicine. There are just under 60 first-year students from Ireland studying veterinary in Warsaw in 2025-26. Smaller numbers opt for Budapest and other eastern European cities.

Politics/international relations is popular with Irish students across Europe. I am aware of a student from Limerick who, despite achieving more than 500 points, decided to 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.

For those considering studying medicine/dentistry in Italy, selection is based solely on an 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 see the clear advantages of studying abroad and turn down offers of a CAO place here or, particularly in the Health Sciences, would not gain the CAO points needed to study their dream course.

Details on all these programmes taught through English eunicas.ie