Studying in Europe rising in popularity

The popularity of studying in Europe has increased massively over the last number of years. Perhaps young people who had been so restricted during Covid closures are anxious to spread their wings more than those who came before them, or perhaps hearing so many positive stories from those who have gone before has emboldened them to take on this exciting challenge.

Across Europe, there are a large number of high-quality courses taught through English, which are available for application. These courses take place in prestigious institutions, many of which feature higher in the world university rankings than any Irish university. In addition to this, entry requirements are more often than not significantly lower than in the CAO system.

Fees may apply. However, in many cases they are comparable to, or less than the fees in Ireland for similar courses, and often significantly lower than UK universities.

As an EU citizen, Irish students are entitled to any support, such as a Susi grant, which may be available from the Irish state, as well as grants or low-interest loans from the EU country where they will be studying, which can make these options much more accessible.

Guy Flouch of Eunicas, an Irish company that helps school leavers navigate the process of applying for courses in Europe, says the growth in demand for studying in another EU country is significant.

The top EU destination for Irish students is the Netherlands, accounting for about 70pc, followed by Poland, Italy and Denmark. Health science courses are generally the most popular with Irish students, followed by psychology, business and international relations.

Mr Flouch says Irish students have some great success stories to tell, including one who studied liberal arts in Leiden — one of the leading universities in the Netherlands — and is following up with a master’s in the ethics of AI at Cambridge University, UK,

While fees can be relatively high in Poland, Mr Flouch said rents may be as low as €110 a month.

Application deadlines vary from country to country but it is certainly a good time to take these applications seriously.

Many will require applicants to provide predicted grades, a personal statement and a reference letter. Your school guidance counsellor and year head can often help, but check who is the relevant person in your school.

There are several companies dedicated exclusively to guiding and supporting a school-leaver through the process of applying for medical and related health professional degree courses across Europe, especially in Eastern Europe and Italy. These programmes allow students to complete their degree through English and return to Ireland or the UK for the final stages of their training. They have been available for a number of years and have been found to be of excellent quality. They offer a very realistic, and often more financially accessible, route to training as a doctor than applying*to the UK.