Ireland is the cheapest English-speaking EU country to study in — and EU students pay just €3,000/year for the famed “Student Contribution” while non-EU students pay €10,000-€25,000. Trinity College Dublin, UCD, and Galway top the rankings, and the post-study work visa runs 2 years.
Costs at a Glance (2026)
| Item | EU | Non-EU |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Bachelor) | €3,000 | €10,000-€26,000 |
| Living (Dublin) | €14,000-€18,000 | €14,000-€18,000 |
| Health insurance | Free (EHIC) | €500-€700 |
Top Scholarships
- Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship — full tuition + €10,000 stipend, 60 awards/year
- Walsh Visiting Scholar Program — STEM PhD funding
- Trinity College Provost’s PhD Award — full fees + stipend
- UCD Global Excellence Scholarship — up to 100% tuition
The EU-Movement Hack
If you hold an EU passport (or can get one via ancestry), you pay €3,000/year instead of €25,000. Irish ancestry within 2 generations qualifies you for an Irish passport.
About This Research
This guide was prepared by the Studies Multiverse editorial team — a network of former international students, scholarship recipients, and university admissions advisors. Our data sources include DAAD, NUFFIC, Campus France, official university websites, and Erasmus+ statistical reports, cross-checked against tuition records from 800+ universities globally. Last verified May 2026. See how we research.