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Minimum IELTS score to study in Ireland universities in 2024

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Published: 2 May 2024

From Dublin to Cork, Ireland is an up-and-coming study destination for many international students across the globe.

This country boasts high-quality education, rich culture and heritage, endless scenic landscapes, and a wide range of employment opportunities, making it one of the top countries in all of Europe for higher education.

But just like in other popular countries, prospective students are required to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, namely the most recognised language proficiency test anywhere in the world.

First off, to seek admission to a university in Ireland, you must obtain an IELTS certification to obtain an Irish study visa.

This way, schools and other educational institutions can assess your ability to listen, read, write, and speak in the English language to deem you qualified to enter your university of choice in Ireland.

Once you hit the minimum scores required by the respective universities, you can then enrol on your chosen undergraduate course.

Minimum scores for Ireland universities

In general, international students need to secure a minimum overall band score of at least 5.5 on the 9-band scale to successfully enter an Irish university.

However, this may still vary from university to university depending on their 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 2024

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 2024 publication included a whopping 1,799 universities and educational institutions covering 104 countries and regions and is measured through 5 important performance indicators including teaching, citations, research, industry income, and international outlook.

Based on this ranking system, Ireland has 8 universities that meet the ranking criteria, with Trinity College Dublin ranked as the top Irish university based on its global ranking at 81.

Here are their minimum IELTS band scores for both undergraduate and postgraduate university programmes.

Rank	University	Global Rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	Trinity College Dublin	161	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	University of Galway (previously National University of Ireland, Galway)	301-350	6.5	6.5
5	University College Cork	301-350	6.5	6.5
6	Dublin City University	401-500	6.5	6.5
7	University of Limerick	401-500	6.0	6.5
8	Maynooth University	401-500	6.5	6.5
9	Technological University Dublin	1001-1200	6.0	6.0

QS World University Rankings in 2024

Besides the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world rankings are 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 these 6 key metrics: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, citations per faculty, international student ratio, and international faculty ratio.

This highly sophisticated system 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	81	6.5	6.5
2	University College Dublin	171	6.5	6.5
3	University of Galway (previously National University of Ireland Galway)	289	6.5	6.5
4	University College Cork	292	6.5	6.5
5	University of Limerick	426	6.5	6.5
6	Dublin City University	436	6.5	6.5
7	Maynooth University	801-850	6.0	6.5
8	Technological University Dublin	851-900	6.0	6.0

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Think you’re ready to conquer Ireland and kickstart your study journey abroad?

If your answer is ‘yes’, we’re here to help you take the first step towards your IELTS application and beyond.

From providing you with study resources to prepare for the respective test components to successfully booking your IELTS test, we’re here to make the experience as seamless as possible to help you throughout the entire process.

Take a look at how we can help you and why IDP is the preferred choice by many to pass their IELTS test.

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