Indian, US Students Drive Record International Enrolments

• Ireland records 44,500 international students in 2024/25, marking ten percent annual growth overall nationwide today.
• Indian and American students drive enrolments, with Indians growing thirty percent and Americans eight percent.
• Strong STEM appeal boosts demand, though safety, housing shortages and visa delays remain challenges nationwide.

International student numbers in Ireland are at an all-time high with the current academic year of 2024/25 seeing the highest ever intake of 44,500 international students, representing approximately a 10 % increase from the previous year.

This is very significant because it shows that Ireland is becoming increasingly popular globally as a destination for furthering one’s education.

According to a recent report from Apply Board, the international numbers surge was significantly influenced by both Indian and American students. Indian students remained the largest international cohort, with about 9,175 enrolments, registering a substantial year-on-year growth of 30%.

 Coming second, American students had their numbers rise by around 8% to reach approximately 6,125. Together, these two groups provided considerable momentum to Ireland’s international education growth.

Also read: Irish Government Offers Fully Funded Scholarships for 2026

Neither was this growth restricted to a handful of countries, as nearly 70% of Ireland’s Top 30 international source markets registered growth, which is a clear sign of widespread interest in Irish Higher Education across the globe. While both UG and PG international enrollments registered growth, PG enrollments registered a slightly faster growth rate.

Ireland’s strengths in fields such as STEM education, artificial intelligence, sustainability studies, data science, and cyber security have proved quite attractive to international students, thanks in part to recruitment activities such as roadshows in Indian cities.

Nevertheless, the fast growth has also brought issues to the forefront. There have been issues concerning the safety of the students following some reported incidents, which have called for safety warnings for the students.

 There have also been issues concerning the shortages of housing and the processing time for visas. Authentic student experiences and quality outcomes have however maintained Ireland as the preferred destination for many students.