Country comparison
🇮🇪 Ireland vs 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
The facts below come from each country's verified guide, cited to the government or university body that sets them, and from our catalogue of programmes read directly from official university websites. No ranking, no commissions: the right answer depends on your subject, budget and marks, and the two guides carry the full detail.
Ireland
EU degree + 2-yr stay-back
- Tuition (non-EU)
- No free-fees; full fee typically €10,000, €35,000/yr
- Proof of funds (living costs)
- €10,000 for a course ≥8 months (2026)
- Tuition must be pre-paid (new, 30 Jun 2025)
- Institution must confirm receipt of ≥€6,000 (or full fee if lower) before visa issue
- Main intakes
- September (main) & January (smaller, course-dependent)
- Work while studying
- 20 hrs/week in term, 40 hrs/week in holidays
- After graduation
- Third Level Graduate Programme: 12 months (Level 8) / up to 24 months (Level 9 to 10)
- Visa & registration
- 'D' study visa before travel, then IRP registration (€300) after arrival
In our catalogue: 1,202 programmes at 25 universities, at least 1,202 taught in English. Facts last verified 2026-07-04.
United Kingdom
Post-study work visa
- Visa type
- Student visa (points-based)
- Visa fee
- £558 (from outside the UK, 2026)
- Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)
- £776 per year of the visa, paid upfront
- Proof of funds (maintenance)
- £1,529/month London · £1,171/month outside London
- English requirement
- CEFR B2 (degree level) via an approved SELT, or university assessment
- University admission (typical), separate & usually HIGHER
- IELTS Academic ~6.0 to 6.5 undergrad, ~6.5 to 7.0 postgrad (per program, up to 7.5 at Oxbridge/Imperial-tier)
- TB test certificate
- Mandatory for applicants from India on courses of 6+ months
- Work while studying
- Up to 20 hrs/week in term (degree-level, most sponsors)
- Graduate Route (post-study work)
- 2 years (Bachelors/Masters) if you apply by 31 Dec 2026 → 18 months from 1 Jan 2027
- ID document
- Digital eVisa (no physical BRP for new applicants)
In our catalogue: 9,567 programmes at 169 universities, at least 9,544 taught in English. Facts last verified 2026-07-04.
Browse programmes in both
Common questions
How many study programmes do Ireland and United Kingdom offer?
Our verified catalogue holds 1,202 programmes at 25 universities in Ireland, and 9,567 programmes at 169 universities in United Kingdom, every one linked to its official university page.
Which has more English-taught programmes, Ireland or United Kingdom?
United Kingdom, on our data: at least 9,544 English-taught programmes versus 1,202 in Ireland, per the language each university publishes. Coverage differs by country, so treat these as floors.
Where do I see the full requirements for each?
Each country has a full guide covering admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, with every figure cited to the official source that sets it: see the Study in Ireland and Study in United Kingdom guides.
Let your numbers decide
A free eligibility check scores Ireland, United Kingdom and 11 more countries against your marks, budget and test scores, and shows the programmes actually open to you in each.
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Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. Figures change; confirm anything you act on at the official source linked from each guide.