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Map your path. Prove your future.

Career guidance for every country, aligned to ILO ISCO-08

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Map your path. Prove your future.

Official classifications and statistics are cited where they appear. Career routes and typical durations are CareerProof Global guidance. Admission figures come only from official published lists. Official decisions are made by the relevant institutions and licensing bodies.

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Admission standards

University admission in Ireland

Official minimum entry requirements and the school system, from the country's UNESCO classification and national sources.

Official entry requirements

As classified by the country with UNESCO (ISCED 2011), reference year 2020. Universities may set higher requirements.

School-leaving qualification (upper secondary)

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme2 years, from age 15
Minimum entry: Completed lower secondary (ISCED 244)
Awards: Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme
Leaving Certificate (Established)2 years, from age 15
Minimum entry: Completed lower secondary (ISCED 244)
Awards: Leaving Certificate (Established)

Bachelor's or equivalent (first degree)

Ordinary Bachelor Degree3 years, from age 17
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344)
Awards: Ordinary Bachelor Degree
Honours Bachelor Degree3 years, from age 17
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344)
Awards: Honours Bachelor Degree

Short-cycle tertiary (diplomas)

Higher Certificate2 years, from age 17
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344)
Awards: Higher Certificate
Higher Certificate2 years, from age 17
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344)
Awards: Higher Certificate
University Certificate (University)1 years, from age 17
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344)
Awards: University Certificate (University)
University Diploma (University)2 years, from age 17
Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344)
Awards: University Diploma (University)

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), ISCED 2011 mappings (country file). CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UIS terms).

School system (official durations)

Primary: 8 years from age 5
Lower secondary: 3 years from age 13
Upper secondary: 2 years from age 16
Compulsory education: 10 years
Tertiary enrolment (gross): 77.6% (2022)

Data year 2025. Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), https://api.uis.unesco.org/api/public, extracted 2026-11-10. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Licence.

Regulators and quality agencies

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)Listed by INQAAHE

From INQAAHE. Network membership is not government recognition: confirm a body's role with the education ministry.

Universities and colleges

43 institutions in Ireland

All countries