Study nursing in Ireland and you choose a branch from the start — general, children's, mental health, intellectual disability or midwifery. This guide compares every CAO course and its points, the lower-points routes in, study options in the UK and Europe, and exactly how the degree leads to NMBI registration.
Unlike many degrees, nursing in Ireland is chosen by branch (discipline) at CAO application stage, and each branch has its own course code and points. The five registered divisions are General, Children's & General (Integrated), Psychiatric / Mental Health, Intellectual Disability and Midwifery. You commit to one from day one, as there is generally no common first year to delay the decision, so it is worth understanding what each branch involves before you list your CAO choices. Every branch is a Level 8 honours degree (four years, or four and a half for Integrated Children's & General) that leads directly to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), including a paid 36-week internship in the final year. The degree is the route to registration: there is no separate professional exam afterwards in Ireland.
Every branch at every university, with 2026 Round 1 points beside last year's for comparison. Nursing demand rose again in 2026: points went up for most branches, with the biggest jumps in Intellectual Disability, Mental Health and Midwifery. The technological universities and DkIT are in the next section.
| UNIVERSITY | CAO CODE | BRANCH | AWARD | YEARS | 2026 R1 | 2025 R1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCD | TR091 | General Nursing (Meath, St James's & Naas) | BSc | 4 | 433 | 423 |
| TCD | TR093 | General Nursing (Adelaide School of Nursing) | BSc | 4 | 434# | – |
| TCD | TR095 | Mental Health Nursing | BSc | 4 | 399 | 370 |
| TCD | TR097 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | BSc | 4 | 388 | 338 |
| TCD | TR911 | Children's & General (Integrated) | BSc | 4.5 | 541 | 529 |
| TCD | TR913 | Midwifery | BSc | 4 | 521 | 510 |
| UCD | DN450 | General Nursing | BSc | 4 | 434 | 444 |
| UCD | DN451 | Children's & General (Integrated) | BSc | 4.5 | 510* | 510 |
| UCD | DN452 | Midwifery | BSc | 4 | 495 | 511 |
| UCD | DN453 | Mental Health Nursing | BSc | 4 | 410 | 400 |
| UCC | CK710 | General Nursing | BSc | 4 | 463 | 452 |
| UCC | CK712 | Children's & General (Integrated) | BSc | 4.5 | 523 | 522 |
| UCC | CK720 | Mental Health Nursing | BSc | 4 | 412 | 400 |
| UCC | CK730 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | BSc | 4 | 387 | 356 |
| UCC | CK740 | Midwifery | BSc | 4 | 451 | 441 |
| Galway | GY515 | General Nursing (Galway & Portiuncula) | BSc | 4 | 451 | 441 |
| Galway | GY516 | Mental Health Nursing | BSc | 4 | 403 | 429 |
| Galway | GY517 | Midwifery | BSc | 4 | 498 | 455 |
| UL | LM150 | General Nursing | BSc | 4 | 433 | 412 |
| UL | LM152 | Mental Health Nursing | BSc | 4 | 399 | 367 |
| UL | LM154 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | BSc | 4 | 357 | 318 |
| UL | LM156 | Midwifery | BSc | 4 | 452 | 444 |
| DCU | DC215 | General Nursing | BSc | 4 | 440 | 424 |
| DCU | DC216 | Mental Health Nursing | BSc | 4 | 388 | 359 |
| DCU | DC217 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | BSc | 4 | 362 | 308 |
| DCU | DC218 | Children's & General (Integrated) | BSc | 4.5 | 498 | 509 |
| Maynooth | MH701 | General Nursing | BSc | 4 | 430 | 466 |
Points are CAO Round 1 cut-offs for 2026 (published 26 August 2026) and 2025. * Not all applicants on this score were offered a place (random selection). # Includes an additional assessment or application requirement. Some courses dropped further in Round 2, so always check the latest figures at cao.ie/points. All are Level 8 and covered by the Free Fees Scheme for eligible EU students.
MTU, ATU, TUS, SETU and DkIT all run NMBI-approved nursing degrees, usually at lower points than the universities and rooted in their regional hospitals. ATU alone offers nursing on three campuses: Letterkenny, Castlebar and Sligo (St Angela's).
Every nursing degree on this page is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. That approval, not the points you needed or whether the institution is a university or a TU, is what makes you eligible to register and practise. A registered general nurse who qualified at a TU on 370 points holds the exact same NMBI PIN, does the same paid internship and starts on the same HSE staff-nurse pay scale as one from a 460-point university programme.
| Institution | CAO Code | Branch | Level | Duration | 2026 R1 | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTU | MT926 | General Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 390 | Tralee, Kerry |
| MT927 | Mental Health Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 347 | Tralee, Kerry | |
| ATU | AU380 | General Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 372 | Letterkenny |
| AU381 | Mental Health Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 278 | Letterkenny | |
| AU382 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 272 | Letterkenny | |
| AU690 | General Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 362 | Castlebar | |
| AU691 | Mental Health Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 270 | Castlebar | |
| AU991 | General Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 382 | Sligo (St Angela's) | |
| AU992 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 280 | Sligo (St Angela's) | |
| TUS | US877 | General Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 419* | Athlone |
| US878 | Mental Health Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 353 | Athlone | |
| SETU | SE915 | General Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 409 | Waterford |
| SE914 | Psychiatric Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 356 | Waterford | |
| SE916 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 308 | Waterford | |
| DkIT | DK870 | General Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 403 | Dundalk |
| DK872 | Intellectual Disability Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 297 | Dundalk | |
| DK874 | Mental Health Nursing | L8 | 4 yrs | 366 | Dundalk | |
| DK877 | Midwifery | L8 | 4 yrs | 449 | Dundalk |
2026 CAO Round 1 cut-offs. * Not all applicants on this score were offered a place. Verify at cao.ie/points. All programmes are NMBI-approved Level 8 honours degrees with the same registration outcome.
Mental Health and Intellectual Disability nursing consistently open at lower points than General. That is not because they are easier or lesser, but because demand for the General branch is highest. They are demanding, deeply rewarding registered-nurse careers in their own right, often with excellent employment rates and real shortages. Be aware that these branches are no longer the quiet backup they once were: several jumped 30 to 50 points in 2026. If your points fall short of General nursing, a Mental Health or Intellectual Disability programme is not a consolation prize. It is a full, protected nursing registration and, for many people, a better fit.
Did not get the points, leaving school later, or already working as a healthcare assistant? Several well-established routes lead to the same NMBI registration, including one designed specifically for mature applicants.
A QQI Level 5 award such as Nursing Studies (5M4349) or Healthcare Support (5M4339) lets you apply through the Higher Education Links Scheme for a nursing degree via the CAO. Every nursing school sets aside a quota of places for QQI applicants. These full-time, one-year PLC courses run in ETB colleges nationwide and many are SUSI-supported.
Most nursing schools now ask for at least five distinctions, including Anatomy and Physiology (5N0749) and Nursing Theory and Practice (5N4325) or Care Support. Competition is strong, so aim for distinctions across the board. Confirm the exact modules with your target college before enrolling.
Nursing has a dedicated mature-applicant route. If you are 23 or over by 1 January of your entry year, you apply through the CAO under separate mature course codes and sit a standardised assessment rather than competing on Leaving Cert points. Healthcare-assistant and care experience is highly valued.
Apply to the CAO by 1 February. Your assessment score determines your offer, and mature nursing offers are made early, in CAO Round A in early July. Check each college's mature-entry page for the current process.
Many nurses start as healthcare assistants. A QQI Level 5 Healthcare Support award plus the mature-entry route or HELS is a very common progression. Hands-on experience strengthens a mature application and helps confirm which branch suits you before you commit to four years.
Build care experience and the required modules at the same time.
Progress into a Level 8 nursing programme and qualify for NMBI registration.
If you trained as a nurse abroad, you do not repeat the degree. General nurses and midwives who qualified in the EU/EEA generally benefit from automatic recognition under EU Directive 2005/36/EC; the NMBI confirms compliance and registers you.
Non-EU/EEA nurses go through a two-step NMBI process (qualification recognition, then registration), which may include an adaptation period or assessment and proof of English. Apply early via the NMBI portal at nmbi.ie.
Direct CAO entry, PLC and HELS, mature entry, or progression from healthcare assistant: all lead to the same NMBI registration and the same staff-nurse role. The Board does not record how you entered your degree; it records that you completed an approved programme and are fit to practise.
With nursing points rising again, more Irish students are looking abroad. The UK is the closest option thanks to the Common Travel Area, and a growing number of EU countries teach nursing through English, some with no tuition fees for Irish citizens. The key question in every case is the same: how does the qualification get you onto the Irish register?
A UK nursing degree registers you with the UK regulator, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), not automatically with Ireland's NMBI. If you train in the UK and want to practise in Ireland, you apply to the NMBI for recognition of your UK qualification. This is well-established and routine, but it is a step, with fees and paperwork. UK branches map closely to the Irish ones: Adult (≈ General), Mental Health, Children's and Learning Disability (≈ Intellectual Disability). Choose the UK branch that matches the Irish division you ultimately want, and confirm the programme is NMC-approved before applying.
Under the Common Travel Area, Irish students who meet the residency criteria can study in England paying the same tuition fees as home students, not the much higher international rate, and can access the UK Tuition Fee Loan to cover those fees. Scotland routes Irish students through the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for fee assessment. Always confirm your fee status and funding eligibility with the specific university before you apply, as criteria and rates change.
Nursing is taught in the local language in most of Europe (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia largely teach it in their own languages). The main English-taught options for Irish students are in Finland, Malta, Hungary and Poland.
General nursing and midwifery are covered by automatic recognition under the EU Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC). If you qualify as a general care nurse in an EU country, on a programme that meets the Directive's training standards, and register there, you can apply to the NMBI for registration in the General division without repeating your training.
Three catches. First, automatic recognition does not cover Mental Health, Intellectual Disability or Children's nursing; those are assessed case by case and may need extra training. Second, most EU programmes are general nursing only, so you cannot choose your branch the way you can in Ireland. Third, registering in the country where you train usually requires the local language, and your ward placements will be with patients who speak it. Always confirm with the NMBI before committing.
As EU citizens, Irish students pay no tuition at Finnish universities of applied sciences and generally none at the public University of Malta. Central European programmes charge international fees.
Each country has its own system and deadlines. Finland's main January application window closes before the CAO deadline, so start researching in 5th year.
Lectures may be in English, but patients will not be. Expect to study Finnish, Maltese, Hungarian or Polish alongside your degree; it matters for placements and local registration.
Poland is attractive because the degree is three years rather than four, entry is based on school grades and an interview rather than CAO points, and fees are lower than private options elsewhere. Polish medical universities have long taught medicine in English to international students, and some now do the same for nursing. It can work, but it carries more risk than an Irish, UK, Finnish or Maltese route, so it needs careful checking before a student commits.
| University | Type | Length | Fees (indicative) | Admission | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical University of Gdańsk | Public | 3 yrs | 27,400 PLN a year (about €6,500) plus a 3,100 PLN Orientation Week fee | School grades in Biology, English and one of Chemistry, Physics or Maths, plus an oral interview. 2026 deadline was 31 July. | The deadline falls before Leaving Cert results; ask whether a conditional application is possible. |
| NCU Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz | Public | 3 yrs | 17,000 PLN a semester for recent intakes (about €8,000 a year) | Direct application to the university | No nursing fee is listed for 2026/27 entry, so confirm the programme is still recruiting. The university states that its diplomas meet EU minimum standards. |
| John Paul II University, Biała Podlaska | Public | 3.5 yrs | Check with university | B2 English certificate and school-leaving results | Lectures and labs are in English, but practical training and placements are in Polish, and the university says the licence depends on a state exam in Polish. |
| Private universities (for example in Lublin and Kraków) | Private | 3 yrs | Often advertised from about €2,500 a year | Usually no entrance exam | Much of the online advertising comes from recruitment agents. Verify accreditation and placement arrangements directly with the university. |
A student set on General nursing who missed the points, is not eligible or not ready for the mature route, wants to finish in three years, and is genuinely prepared to live abroad and learn Polish. Polish is also increasingly useful in Irish healthcare, given the size of the Polish community here.
No Free Fees Scheme, no paid internship year, no choice of Mental Health, Intellectual Disability or Children's branch, placements in a hospital system working in Polish, and an extra recognition step with NMBI at the end. Compare the total cost with a one-year PLC and HELS route, which leads to an Irish degree.
Does the programme meet Directive 2005/36/EC for nurses responsible for general care (at least 4,600 hours, half of them clinical)?
Can graduates obtain a certificate of conformity from the Polish competent authority, and does that require a Polish licence or Polish language certificate first?
What language are clinical placements in, and what Polish teaching is provided to reach that level?
Have any graduates registered with the NMBI or another EU regulator? Ask to speak to one.
Is the English-taught programme currently accredited, and is it definitely recruiting for the intake the student wants?
What are the total fees, including orientation and exam fees, and can an applicant apply before Leaving Cert results are issued?
Before a student commits, they should email the NMBI with the university name and programme title and ask what documents a graduate of that programme would need for registration in the General division. Keep the reply. A recruitment agent's assurance is not a substitute.
Some universities in Italy (mainly private) and the Republic of Cyprus also run English-taught nursing degrees, usually fee-paying. The same six questions apply. Avoid universities in Northern Cyprus: they sit outside the EU framework, so their nursing degrees are not covered by automatic recognition. See the EU's Your Europe guidance on professional qualifications.
| Destination | Length | Tuition (Irish/EU) | Apply via | Branch choice | Route to NMBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 4 yrs (4.5 Integrated) | Free Fees Scheme | CAO | All five | Automatic on graduation |
| England | 3 yrs | Home fees + Tuition Fee Loan (if eligible) | UCAS | Four fields | NMBI recognition of UK qualification |
| Northern Ireland | 3 yrs | Check fee status | UCAS | Four fields | NMBI recognition of UK qualification |
| Finland | 3.5 yrs | None for EU citizens | Studyinfo | General only | EU automatic recognition (General) |
| Malta | 3 yrs | Generally free for EU | University of Malta | General (Mental Health separate) | EU automatic recognition (General) |
| Hungary | 4 yrs | About €7.5k–€8.5k a year | University direct | General only | Confirm Directive compliance first |
| Poland | 3 yrs (3.5 at some) | About €6.5k–€8k a year (public) | University direct | General only | Confirm certificate of conformity route first |
Fees, application windows and recognition rules change. Confirm every detail with the university and the NMBI before applying.
For most Irish students, an Irish NMBI degree is still the simplest route to nursing in Ireland: it includes the paid internship and registers you automatically. The UK is worth serious consideration if you miss Irish points, want a three-year degree, prefer a border-county or Scottish campus, or want NHS experience. Finland and Malta suit students who are drawn to General nursing, genuinely want to live abroad and are willing to learn a new language. Poland and Hungary can work too, but need the most careful checking before anyone pays a deposit. Whichever you choose, plan the NMBI step from day one if your long-term goal is to work at home.
Nursing splits into registered branches, and the degree itself is your route onto the NMBI Register. Here is what each branch involves and how registration works.
Adult care across hospitals and community. The largest and most widely offered branch; 2026 points ranged from 362 to 463.
Supporting people with mental-health conditions across hospital, community and specialist services. 2026 points ranged from 270 to 412.
Supporting people with intellectual disabilities to live full lives. A real shortage area; 2026 points ranged from 272 to 388.
A 4.5-year programme giving dual registration in Children's and General nursing. The highest points, from 498 to 541 in 2026.
A distinct profession and register, caring for women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. 2026 points ranged from 449 to 521.
Registered nurses can specialise via postgraduate study: ICU, theatre, public health, prescribing, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and more.
Four years (4.5 for Integrated Children's), with clinical placement every year. There is no separate professional entrance exam in Ireland: the approved degree is the route.
A rostered, supervised internship paid at roughly 70% of the first point of the staff-nurse scale. You work as part of the team while consolidating your competence.
Graduates of approved Irish programmes meet the education requirement automatically. You apply online and NMBI issues your PIN, usually within a few weeks for Irish-qualified applicants.
You are on the relevant division of the Register and legally entitled to practise. You renew annually and maintain continuing professional development.
Registration is a legal requirement: you cannot practise as a nurse or midwife in Ireland without a current NMBI PIN. The Register has five divisions (General, Psychiatric, Intellectual Disability, Children's and Midwife), and your degree branch determines which one you enter. Nurses qualified in the UK, EU/EEA or further abroad apply to NMBI for recognition before registering.
The HSE staff-nurse scale starts at about €38,200 (from June 2026) before allowances for nights, weekends and location, which lift take-home pay meaningfully.
The staff-nurse scale rises with annual increments to about €56,500 at the long-service point, plus premiums. Specialist and senior posts pay more.
Clinical Nurse Managers, Clinical Nurse/Midwife Specialists and Advanced Nurse Practitioners earn substantially more. ANPs are among the highest-paid clinical nursing roles.
HSE and voluntary hospitals across every specialty: ED, theatre, ICU, paediatrics, maternity, oncology. Employment rates for new graduates are very high.
Public health nursing, community mental health, disability services, GP practices and care of older people, a growing area as care moves into the community.
Irish nursing degrees are recognised internationally, and the UK, Australia, the Middle East and Canada actively recruit. Education, research and industry roles also open up.
Salary figures are indicative, based on the HSE Staff Nurse pay scale published for 2026 posts. They vary with increments, allowances, location, role and employer, and public pay scales are updated periodically. Verify current rates before making decisions.
From choosing your branch to your NMBI PIN: the key deadlines and milestones. The CAO steps are the same for every course; the registration steps follow your degree.
Research the branches and check the science requirement. Spend real time understanding Mental Health and Intellectual Disability nursing, not just General. Confirm you are taking a laboratory science subject (Biology is most common) plus Maths and English/Irish at the required grades. If you are considering Finland or another EU option, start now: some deadlines fall before the CAO's.
CAO opens in early November, with a discounted €35 fee until 20 January. UCAS nursing applications for UK universities are also due in January. List your branches in genuine order of preference, and consider listing the same branch at several institutions, and more than one branch, to widen your chances.
Normal CAO application closes. Also the deadline for HEAR/DARE and for mature nursing applicants. Nursing is a restricted-application area for mature entry, so do not miss it. After this you can amend choices, with a late-application window to 1 May.
Change of Mind closes 1 July (5pm). A free chance to reorder. If your points look tight for General, this is when to move a Mental Health or Intellectual Disability branch, or a TU programme, up your list. Remember that these branches rose sharply in 2026, so do not treat them as guaranteed. Mature nursing offers arrive in Round A in early July.
Leaving Cert results and CAO Round 1 offers. Accept promptly. Watch Round 2 and Available Places: in 2026 several nursing courses (including UL Intellectual Disability and ATU General) dropped a few points in Round 2.
Study and rotate through clinical placements every year. You alternate academic blocks with supervised, unpaid clinical placements in hospitals and community settings from first year. Be ready for shift patterns and the emotional realities of care.
The rostered, paid internship. For 36 weeks you work as a paid member of the nursing team (about 70% of the first staff-nurse point), consolidating your skills before qualifying. Many interns are offered a staff-nurse post where they intern.
Apply to the NMBI and receive your PIN. As an approved-programme graduate you meet the education requirement automatically. You are now a Registered Nurse or Midwife: about four years from the Leaving Cert, with the final year paid.
Because you register in the branch you study, the branch matters more than the institution. Be honest about whether you are drawn to acute adult care (General), mental health, intellectual disability, children, or birth (Midwifery). The lower-points branches are not lesser; they are different careers that suit different people.
Your clinical placements, and often your first job, are with the college's partner hospitals. Look at where you would actually be placed: commuting to shifts at unsocial hours is a real consideration. A regional TU near home with good local hospitals can beat a prestigious campus three hours away.
Integrated Children's & General ran from 498 to 541, and Midwifery from 449 to 521. General sat between 362 (ATU Castlebar) and 463 (UCC). Mental Health ran from 270 to 412 and Intellectual Disability from 272 to 388. Every one ends in NMBI registration and the same pay scale, so choose a realistic mix.
A UK degree is three years, registers you with the NMC and can be home-fee in England for eligible Irish students. Finland and Malta offer English-taught General nursing with little or no tuition for EU citizens, but expect to learn the local language. In every case, plan the NMBI recognition step from the outset if you intend to come home.
There is no single "best" place to study nursing. Every Irish programme here is NMBI-approved and leads to the same registration and the same staff-nurse pay scale. What matters most is choosing the right branch for the person you are, in a place whose hospitals and location suit your life. The nurse who qualified in Mental Health at a TU on 280 points is every bit as registered, as needed and as respected as one who did General at 460. Pick the branch you would be proud to do for forty years, not just the one with the highest points.