Top Public Universities in Ireland
2026 Irish Public University Ranking New
What are the top public Universities in Ireland? uniRank answers this question by publishing a complete list of 18 public Irish higher education institutions ranked by the 2026 uniRank University Ranking and meeting uniRank's selection criteria:
- Official Recognition: institutions must be officialy chartered, licensed or accredited by the appropriate higher education-related organization in Ireland.
- Degree Authority: they must be authorised to grant bachelor's degrees of at least three years' duration and/or postgraduate master's or doctoral degrees.
- Delivery Mode: they must deliver courses predominantly in a traditional, face-to-face, non-distance education format.
The uniRank University Ranking aims to provide a non-academic league table of the top public Irish Universities based on valid and unbiased web metrics provided by independent web intelligence sources rather than data submitted by the Universities themselves, which might not be independently audited.
Top Public Universities in Ireland
sort by: ranking a-z town oldest
filter by: public private non-profit for-profit
| #Rank | University | Town/City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin | Dublin |
| 2 | University College Dublin | Dublin |
| 3 | University College Cork | Cork |
| 4 | University of Galway | Galway |
| 5 | Dublin City University | Dublin |
| 6 | University of Limerick | Limerick |
| 7 | Technological University Dublin | Dublin |
| 8 | Maynooth University | Maynooth |
| 9 | Technological University of the Shannon | Athlone |
| 10 | South East Technological University | Waterford |
| 11 | Atlantic Technological University | Letterkenny |
| 12 | Munster Technological University | Bishopstown |
| 13 | Dundalk Institute of Technology | Dundalk |
| 14 | National College of Ireland | Dublin |
| 15 | National College of Art and Design | Dublin |
| 16 | Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology | Dún Laoghaire |
| 17 | National University of Ireland, System | Dublin |
| 20 | Institute of Public Administration | Dublin |
| Legend: Un Unranked | + Add University | |
Online Courses You Can Trust
University Sector Breakdown Chart
Irish University Sector Breakdown
Source: uniRank data
Frequently Asked Questions
-
How many public universities are there in Ireland?
- There are 18 officially chartered, licensed or accredited public Irish higher-education institutions that meet uniRank's selection criteria.
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