Country comparison
🇮🇪 Ireland vs 🇺🇸 USA
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.
USA
World's largest job market
- Tuition (typical range)
- US$20,000 to 60,000/year (2026)
- Proof of funds
- Bank/sponsor evidence covering 1 year of the I-20 cost of attendance
- Main intakes
- Fall (Aug/Sep) & Spring (Jan)
- Work while studying
- On-campus only, ≤20 hrs/week in term
- After graduation
- OPT (12 months) → STEM OPT +24 months (STEM degrees only) → H-1B
- Visa type
- F-1 student visa (non-immigrant)
In our catalogue: 56,708 programmes at 791 universities, at least 56,691 taught in English. Facts last verified 2026-07-04.
Browse programmes in both
Common questions
How many study programmes do Ireland and USA offer?
Our verified catalogue holds 1,202 programmes at 25 universities in Ireland, and 56,708 programmes at 791 universities in USA, every one linked to its official university page.
Which has more English-taught programmes, Ireland or USA?
USA, on our data: at least 56,691 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 USA guides.
Let your numbers decide
A free eligibility check scores Ireland, USA and 11 more countries against your marks, budget and test scores, and shows the programmes actually open to you in each.
More comparisons
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.