A comprehensive range of institutions offers courses from diplomas to degrees
There are nine universities in Ireland altogether. There is Trinity College, University of Dublin and the National University of Ireland (NUI), a federal institute consisting of four constituent universities: University College Dublin, NUI Dublin; University College Cork; NUI Galway, and NUI Maynooth. NUI has three recognised colleges: National College of Art and Design, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and St Angela's College of Education.
The University of Limerick and Dublin City University are the newest universities and were founded in 1989.
The two universities in Northern Ireland are the University of Ulster and the Queen's University of Belfast. The universities offer courses ranging from bachelor's to master's and doctorates.
Institutes of technology There are 14 Institutes of Technology in Ireland offering programmes at degree, national diploma and national certificate levels. All of them have schools of Science, Engineering and Technology and Business. Many of them also run postgraduate diploma and degree programmes.
Independent tertiary colleges These colleges offer programmes leading to certificates, diplomas and degrees, which have been recognised by Ireland's national certification authority or from other external accreditation institutions.
