From Dublin to Cork, Ireland is an up-and-coming study destination for many international students across the globe. This rising education destination could be your port of call for exploring exceptional higher studies, rich culture and heritage, endless scenic landscapes, and a wide range of employment opportunities.
Just like in other popular countries for overseas study, prospective students will need to complete their English proficiency requirements, such as taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the most recognised language proficiency test anywhere in the world.
First off, to seek admission to a university in Ireland, you may opt to take the IELTS Academic test to obtain an Irish study visa.
This way, schools and other educational institutions can assess your ability to listen, read, write and speak in English to qualify you to enter your university of choice in Ireland. IELTS will also be key if you are looking to work in Ireland.
Start preparing for IELTS early for the best chance at getting in the right place for your studies in Ireland.
Minimum scores for Ireland universities
In general, international students need to secure a minimum IELTS overall band score of at least 6.5 to successfully enter an Irish university.
However, this may still vary from university to university depending on their own specific criteria, especially for higher-ranking institutions.
Let’s take a closer look at the minimum IELTS requirements based on the top-ranked universities in Ireland.
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings in 2025
Known as one of the world’s most renowned metrics for higher education assessment, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an invitation-only opinion survey of the world’s most prestigious senior, published academics.
Based on specific metrics, these individuals are responsible for ranking the world’s universities every year in an impartial and balanced manner.
The 2025 publication included more than 2,000 universities and educational institutions covering 115 countries and regions, and is measured through five performance indicators including teaching, research quality, research environment, industry income, and international outlook.
Here are its minimum IELTS overall band scores for both undergraduate and postgraduate university programmes in Irish top institutions.
Rank | University | Global rank | IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes) | IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes) |
1 | Trinity College Dublin | 139 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
2 | University College Dublin | 201-250 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
3 | RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences | 251-300 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
4 | Dublin City University | 351-400 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
5 | University College Cork | 351-400 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
6 | University of Galway | 351-400 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
7 | Maynooth University | 501-600 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
8 | University of Limerick | 501-600 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
9 | Technological University Dublin | 1001-1200 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
QS World University Rankings in 2025
The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world rankings is another one of the world’s most prestigious ranking systems and the most widely read among all.
Based on this ranking system, each university is assessed based on eight key metrics including academic reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, international student ratio and international faculty ratio, international research network and employment outcomes.
This highly rigorous ranking methodology makes it one of the most reputable ones among its counterparts.
Rank | University | Global rank | IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes) | IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes) |
1 | Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin | 87 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
2 | University College Dublin | 126 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
=3 | University College Cork | =273 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
=3 | University of Galway | =273 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
=5 | Dublin City University | =421 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
=5 | University of Limerick | =421 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
7 | Maynooth University | 801-850 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
8 | Technological University Dublin | 851-900 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
Take your overseas study adventure to the next level with IDP
Think you’re ready to conquer Ireland and kickstart your study abroad journey?
If your answer is ‘yes’, you can take the first step towards university application with IELTS by IDP! As a co-owner of the IELTS test, IDP has decades of experience in helping students to prepare and achieve their target IELTS score for study abroad.
Start on the right foot with IDP IELTS Prep Hub, your one-stop online test resource for accessible how-to videos, IELTS Academic practice tests and preparation tips from IELTS experts.
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