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Ireland

English-speaking, in the EU, and the one place a Chinese high-school certificate can be enough on its own.

Figures are for 2027 entryLast checked

At a glance

Who it suitsStudents who want an English-taught EU degree at below British fees, and Gaokao students, who are treated very differently from one Irish university to the next.

Tuition, non-EU
€15,900 to €29,570 a year across the universities here, 2026/27; medicine runs €52,100 to €60,000 [1]
How you apply
Directly to each university, not through the CAO — the CAO's 1 February date is for EU applicants [10]
Money you must show
€10,000 for each year of study, at the visa stage [11]
Work during term
20 hours a week, and 40 in June to September and 15 December to 15 January [6]
Stay and work after
12 months on Stamp 1G after a level 8 degree, with full-time work allowed [7]
A cap worth knowing
Your total time in Ireland as a student is limited to 7 years [11]

Which qualification leads where

  • A-LevelGood route

    Trinity scores your best three A-Levels on a points table, with 25 extra points for a pass in Mathematics, and asks for six subjects at grade C or better overall. [12]

  • IB DiplomaGood route

    Three higher-level subjects at 5 and three standard-level at 4, including English, mathematics and another language, all in one sitting. [12]

  • AP and a US high-school diplomaPossible

    No Irish university publishes a required number of APs. The route is the diploma plus a GPA plus SAT or ACT — Trinity asks for a 3.2 unweighted GPA and 1250 SAT or 27 ACT — with APs counted as supporting evidence. [12]

  • GaokaoGood route

    Accepted, but the three universities treat it differently: Galway prices entry off your Gaokao percentage, from 60% to 80% by band; Trinity wants an 80% school average AND your Gaokao; Cork does not mention the Gaokao at all. [13]

  • Chinese high-school diploma onlyPossible

    Cork admits on the senior secondary certificate alone, at an 80% to 90% average depending on the band — one of very few places in this section where that is enough. Trinity additionally requires the Gaokao. [15]

English you need

IELTS
6.5 [8] Prepare for IELTS →
TOEFL iBT
4.5 [8] Prepare for TOEFL →

Trinity asks for 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each band; on the old TOEFL scale, 90. Galway and Cork ask the same 6.5, and nursing and midwifery ask 7.0.

Universities to look at

  • Trinity College Dublin Dublin

    Accepts Requires an 80% school average and your Gaokao results; offers a foundation programme for students who have not sat the Gaokao.

    Tuition a year €22,580 for law, business and humanities, €29,570 for computer science and engineering (2026/27); medicine up to €60,000

    Admissions page → [2]

  • University College Cork Cork

    Accepts Admits on the Chinese senior secondary certificate alone — 80% to 90% by band, with 82% in maths or a lab science where the degree needs it.

    Tuition a year €18,500 for arts (2026/27)

    Admissions page → [15]

  • University of Galway Galway

    Accepts Bands entry directly on your Gaokao percentage, from 60% to 80%.

    Tuition a year €19,390 for arts and commerce, €27,640 for computer science and engineering (2026/27)

    Admissions page → [13]

  • Dublin City University Dublin

    Accepts Its faculty scholarships are automatic fee reductions of €1,850 to €6,100, the largest proportional award found here.

    Tuition a year €15,900 to €23,000 (2026/27) — the cheapest of the universities here

    Admissions page → [1]

  • University of Limerick Limerick

    Tuition a year €17,500 for arts, business and law, €22,700 for computer science and engineering (2026/27)

    Admissions page → [16]

Your checklist

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Choose and apply

Scholarships

Visa and permission

Before you fly

Timeline

  1. May 2026 16 months before passed

    Check how each university treats your qualification — they differ more than in any other destination here. [15]

  2. Sep 2026 12 months before passed

    Sit an English test; you will need the certificate for the visa as well as the offer. [20]

  3. Dec 2026 9 months before

    Apply directly to your two chosen courses at each university. [5]

  4. Feb 2027 7 months before

    Apply for the Claddagh scholarship if you are eligible; it closes 31 May and is assessed on a rolling basis. [18]

  5. May 2027 4 months before

    Accept your place and pay the fees the visa application requires. [20]

  6. Jun 2027 3 months before

    Apply for the study visa with your funds evidence and English certificate. [20]

  7. Sep 2027 At the start

    Arrive, register for your residence permit and open a bank account.

Money

Compare all destinations →
A year
¥280,000 – ¥450,000
Whole degree
¥1,100,000 – ¥1,800,000 over 4 years

Converted to RMB at two significant figures — the rate moves and the ranges are wide. Rate: European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates, 18 September 2026, checked .

Tuition, non-EU
€15,900 at DCU up to €29,570 for Trinity science and engineering (2026/27) [1]
Living costs in Dublin
€19,937 to €29,050 a year including accommodation; €11,750 to €15,750 without it [3]
Accommodation
€7,227 in a Trinity hall, €9,000 to €13,000 in the city centre [3]
Money to show for the visa
€10,000 a year — a visa test, not a budget [11]
Application fee
€55 a course at Trinity, €50 at Cork, €35 at Galway [10]

Scholarships and funding

  • ⛔ Trinity Global Excellence excludes Chinese students [17]

    €2,000 to €5,000 off the first year's fees, by region.

    Trinity states plainly that students from China are not eligible. This is the scholarship most often recommended to international applicants, so check it before you plan on it.

  • Trinity Claddagh Undergraduate Scholarship, for China [18]

    €2,000 to €5,000, for Chinese nationals resident in China holding a first-year offer.

    ⚠️ It excludes medicine, dentistry, acting, engineering, natural sciences and computer science — most of STEM. Closes 31 May, assessed on a rolling basis.

  • DCU faculty scholarships [19]

    An automatic fee reduction of €6,100 in science and health, €5,000 in engineering and computing, €2,800 in business, €1,850 in humanities.

    Against DCU's own fees this is the largest proportional award in this guide, and it needs no separate application.

Visa

  • Pay your course fees before applying: in full if they are under €6,000, or at least €6,000 if they are above it. [20]
  • Submit an English test certificate from the provider with the visa application. [20]
  • You must show access to €10,000 for each year of study. [11]
  • Your total time in Ireland at degree level is capped at 7 years, so plan any postgraduate study inside that. [11]

Work during and after studies

  • On Stamp 2 you may work 20 hours a week during term. [11]
  • 40 hours a week is allowed only in June to September and from 15 December to 15 January. [6]
  • After a level 8 degree the Third Level Graduate Programme gives 12 months on Stamp 1G, with full-time work allowed and no employment permit needed. [7]
  • Apply within 6 months of being told you have the award, and you may use the programme at most twice. [7]

When you arrive

  • Register for your Irish Residence Permit at your local registration office.
  • Open a bank account and get a local phone number in the first week.
  • Buy health insurance if your course does not include it; Trinity budgets about €550 a year for it. [3]

Common mistakes

  • The CAO's 1 February deadline is not yours. As a non-EU applicant you apply directly to each university, on its own timetable. [10]
  • Trinity's headline Global Excellence scholarship excludes Chinese students outright, and the China-specific one excludes most of STEM. [17]
  • Dublin is much dearer than the rest of Ireland. Cork, Galway and Limerick charge less in fees and much less in rent. [3]
  • An Irish honours degree is often four years, not three — a year more tuition and living costs than the same subject in England. [4]

Sources

  1. Dublin City University: undergraduate fees 2026/27 checked
  2. Trinity College Dublin: undergraduate fees checked
  3. Trinity College Dublin: cost of living checked
  4. QQI: the National Framework of Qualifications checked
  5. University College Cork: undergraduate programmes for international students checked
  6. Workplace Relations Commission: employment entitlements of Stamp 2 students checked
  7. Irish Immigration Service: Third Level Graduate Programme checked
  8. Trinity College Dublin: English language requirements checked
  9. University of Galway: entry requirements checked
  10. Trinity College Dublin: how to apply checked
  11. Irish Immigration Service: guidelines for degree programme students checked
  12. Trinity College Dublin: undergraduate admission requirements checked
  13. University of Galway: entry requirements for China checked
  14. Trinity College Dublin: entry requirements for China checked
  15. University College Cork: entry requirements for China checked
  16. University of Limerick: undergraduate fees 2026/27 checked
  17. Trinity College Dublin: Global Excellence Undergraduate Scholarships checked
  18. Trinity College Dublin: Claddagh Undergraduate Scholarship for China checked
  19. Dublin City University: international faculty scholarships checked
  20. Ireland: study visa checklist checked

Rules and fees change. Everything here was checked against the official pages on the date shown. Confirm on those pages before you apply or pay.

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