Growing number of Chinese students choosing Ireland for higher education

Chinese mainland students accounted for 10.9 percent of the international student body in Irish higher education last year, making China the third-largest source country for foreign students in Ireland behind India and the United States, according to the 2025 Report on Studying in Ireland.

The report, jointly released by Chinese education consultancy EIC Education, Education in Ireland and University College Dublin at the Irish embassy in Beijing on Wednesday, provides insights into application trends for studying in Ireland, as well as popular programs, scholarships and employment opportunities.

"Its aim is to offer comprehensive guidance and support for Chinese students planning to study in Ireland," said Sunny Sun, director of UK & Ireland Program Management at EIC.

According to data from the Irish visa office, the number of visas issued to Chinese students for studying in Ireland reached 3,560 last year, the highest in a decade and a 10.52 percent increase compared to 2023.

The number of Chinese students pursuing higher education in Ireland steadily increased from 2015 to 2019, declined from 2020 to 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and began rising again in 2023, the report said.

Data from EIC Education showed that over the past six years, the most popular majors among applicants from the Chinese mainland have been electronic and computer engineering, accounting for 14.35 percent of applications, followed by business-related majors such as finance (8.72 percent), marketing (7.46 percent), management (5.77 percent), and accounting (5.53 percent).

The strong demand for electronic and computer engineering programs is due to Ireland's highly developed information industry.

The report also explored the reasons why Chinese students choose Ireland as a study destination. It found that 59.1 percent of respondents cited the international recognition of Irish university diplomas. Meanwhile, 55.7 percent were attracted by favorable work visa policies and local job opportunities, and 42.6 percent considered the cost of studying in Ireland relatively low.

One former student, who gave his name as Eason, attended Trinity College Dublin in Ireland for his master's from 2019 to 2020. He said the primary reason he chose to study in Ireland was that it is a highly cost-effective destination for overseas studies and offers generous scholarships.

"I only spent a little over 200,000 yuan ($27,443) in total for the year, including tuition and living expenses," he said.

He added that Chinese companies such as Huawei and Tencent have set up branches in Ireland.