Ireland becomes UK’s biggest provider of EU students

Ireland is now the UK’s largest provider of European Union students, with numbers having grown since Brexit.

According to new data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), the overall number of EU applicants to UK universities since Brexit has declined by more than half, with only 75,500 applying for the 2023–24 academic year.

Among them, 13% were from the Republic of Ireland – up significantly from just 6% in 2021–22.

Recent figures from UCAS suggest this upward trend is set to continue into 2025.

The growth in Irish applicants, however, stands in stark contrast to the decline in interest from other EU countries.

Ireland has risen from being the eighth-largest source of EU students to the largest within just four years

Compared to the previous academic year, applications from France fell by 16%, Italy by 22%, and Spain by 19%. As a result, Ireland has risen from being the eighth-largest source of EU students to the largest within just four years.

A major factor behind this shift is the financial advantage Irish students enjoy.

Thanks to the Common Travel Area agreement between the UK and Ireland, they are eligible for ‘home fee status’ and pay the same tuition fees as UK-based students.

For the upcoming academic year, this caps tuition at £9,535 — far lower than the rates charged to other EU students.

Beyond tuition fees, Irish students may also be eligible for financial support through the Irish Fee Grant scheme, which offers tuition fee loans and maintenance grants to those who meet specific criteria. This further reduces the cost of studying in the UK and makes it a more attractive option.

Approximately 35% of applicants from the Republic [of Ireland] now choose to study [in Northern Ireland] —a 12% increase since the 2019–20 academic year

According to Lewis Purser, director of learning, teaching, and academic affairs at the Irish Universities Association (IUA), these “substantial increases” are also driven by other factors, including “proximity, less competition for places in certain disciplines, and more affordable student housing”.

Northern Ireland in particular has seen a notable rise in enrolment from Irish students.

Approximately 35% of applicants from the Republic now choose to study there—a 12% increase since the 2019–20 academic year. Queen’s University Belfast has confirmed significant growth in applications from the south over recent years.

This growth in interest has raised some concerns, however.

A university spokesperson warned that the increase in students from the Republic of Ireland may begin to impact the availability of places for Northern Irish applicants.