Irish universities rank among global 800 for first time
Ireland's universities feature among the global top 800 for the first time in an 'outstanding' set of international league tables published on Thursday.
With seven of the eight included universities improving their rankings this year, Ireland has been recognised by the QS World University Rankings as the country 'most improved' in Europe, and second most improved in the world, only behind Azerbaijan.
Ireland's top-ranked university, Trinity College Dublin, remains within the top 100 globally, rising from 87 in 2025 to 75.
University College Cork (UCC) has also, for the first time, ranked within the top 250 universities globally, leaping 27 places to its highest ranking in 10 years. In 2025, it was ranked at 273, compared to 246 in 2026.
The university has put the jump of almost 50 places in under two years down to a collective effort from staff across the institution, as well as improvements across academic reputation, employment outcomes and in its research citation levels.
UCC president Professor John O'Halloran said its position within the top 250 universities in the world was a key target in the university's strategic plan.
"The ranking result reflects the dedication and hard work of all our staff and is one that our students, staff, and alumni all over the world can be proud of," he said.
The QS World University Rankings 2026 ranks more than 1,500 institutions across 106 countries and territories, based on categories such as academic reputation, graduate outcomes, and research.
QS senior vice president Ben Sowter said Ireland's "outstanding results" this year are "testament to the dedication of academics, administrators, and students across the eight universities from the country included in the ranking".
UCC has for the first time ranked within the top 250 universities globally. Picture: Dan Linehan
This year's set of rankings found Ireland outperformed many counterparts in Europe, ranking third on average for its employer reputation score, behind the Netherlands and Sweden.
Every ranked Irish institution improved in the international students ratio indicator, which, according to QS, indicates Irish campuses are "increasingly benefiting from international networking opportunities, cultural exchanges and diverse learning experiences".
While improvements in the academic reputation category were also noted, so too was the fact that all Irish universities fell or maintained their score from last year when it came to faculty for students.
This makes student faculty, and the student experience, a key focus area for Irish higher education providers, QS said.
"Universities have welcomed additional core funding in the government's budget for 2025 but noted that the €307m funding gap identified by government in 2022 will still not have been fully closed.
"Universities need to continue to ensure students have access to necessary staff providing quality teaching."
Trinity College Dublin provost Linda Doyle said: 'A sustainable funding model for higher education in Ireland is key to helping us to thrive. While increased core funding helps us to achieve our ambitions on the national and international stage, we need to see an absolute step-change in how universities and research are funded in Ireland.'
Internationally, MIT retains its top position in the rankings for the 14th year in a row, followed by Imperial College London and Stanford University.
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