MyCareerVerse Guides

Where to Study in Ireland

Where to study in Ireland is the question every Leaving Cert student faces, and the points race only tells part of the story. These honest, counsellor-written guides give you the full picture:

  • Compare CAO courses side by side, not just by points
  • Routes that get overlooked: PLC and QQI links, mature entry and transfers
  • English-taught degrees across Europe, often with no points race at all
  • Every way in, plus the salary reality, with no spin
Written by a guidance counsellor
CAO, PLC/QQI & EU options
Points are not the only way in

40
Subject areas mapped
1,583+
CAO courses tracked
30+
Universities & colleges

Showing all 40 subject areas

Health & Life Sciences

1 LIVE 8 subjects

Business, Law & Finance

5 subjects

Technology & Engineering

1 LIVE 5 subjects
Coming soon

Computer Science

CS, software and computing degrees, the points, and what the work is really like.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Software Development & IT

Hands-on software, networking and IT routes, including strong TU options.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Data Science & AI

Newer degrees in data, analytics and artificial intelligence, and who they suit.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Cybersecurity

Security-focused computing degrees and the fast-growing roles behind them.

Guide in progress

Built Environment & Design

5 subjects
Coming soon

Architecture

The five-year route to becoming an architect, portfolios, and RIAI accreditation.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Construction Management

Site and project-focused degrees, and the demand right across the building sector.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Quantity Surveying

The numbers side of construction, SCSI accreditation, and strong job prospects.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Interior & Spatial Design

Design-led degrees, portfolio entry, and where spatial design careers go.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Product & Industrial Design

Designing objects and products, the studio approach, and the career paths.

Guide in progress

Arts, Media & Humanities

1 LIVE 7 subjects
Coming soon

Art & Design

Portfolio-based art and design degrees, NCAD and beyond, and creative careers.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Media & Journalism

Journalism, communications and media production routes across Ireland.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Film & Television

Production, screenwriting and screen degrees, and breaking into the industry.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

English & Literature

Arts degrees with English, what you study, and the careers a humanities degree builds.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Languages

European and world languages, Erasmus, and careers that value a second language.

Guide in progress

Education & Social Care

5 subjects
Coming soon

Primary Teaching

The B.Ed and the route to teaching in Irish primary schools, including the Irish requirement.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Post-Primary Teaching

Concurrent and consecutive routes to second-level teaching, by subject.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Social Work

Accredited social work degrees, CORU registration, and the realities of the work.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Early Childhood Education

Degrees for working with young children, and the growing sector behind them.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Social Care

CORU-aligned social care practice degrees, and where graduates go on to work.

Guide in progress

Agriculture, Food & Sport

5 subjects
Coming soon

Agriculture & Agri-Science

Farming, agribusiness and agri-science degrees, including Teagasc-linked routes.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Food Science & Nutrition

Food, nutrition and dietetics degrees, and the science behind what we eat.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Environmental Science

Earth, climate and environmental degrees, and the careers in sustainability.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Sport & Exercise Science

The science of performance and health, and where a sport degree leads.

Guide in progress
Coming soon

Hospitality & Tourism

Hotel, tourism and event management, and Ireland's hospitality sector.

Guide in progress

No subjects match that search

Try a different word, or clear the filters to see everything.

The same honest format, every time

What is inside every guide

Each guide follows the same structure, so once you have read one you know exactly where to find what you need in the next.

Plain-English breakdowns

What each course actually involves, with the jargon stripped out.

Real CAO points

The latest Round 1 cut-offs across every college, clearly labelled and verifiable.

Every pathway in

CAO, PLC and QQI links, mature entry, internal transfers and study in Europe.

The salary reality

Honest, sourced indicative ranges – not the inflated figures you see elsewhere.

An application timeline

What to do and when, from open days through to CAO offers and acceptance.

The honest take

The frank pros, the catches and the things prospectuses tend not to mention.

Cannot find your subject yet?

New guides are added regularly. While you wait, map your strengths with a quick quiz, or talk it through with a guidance counsellor.

Good to know

Questions about these guides

Each guide is reviewed against the latest CAO Round 1 points and refreshed for every new application cycle. The header of each guide shows the entry year it has been prepared for.

Points are the latest available Round 1 cut-offs for each course. They move year to year and are indicative only – we always tell you to confirm the live figures on cao.ie before you make decisions.

Yes. Every guide has a dedicated pathways section covering PLC and QQI links, internal transfers, mature entry, graduate routes and English-taught options in Europe. Points are never the only way in.

It is most likely marked coming soon above. In the meantime, take a strengths quiz or use the course finder to explore your options, and you can always book a consultation for tailored advice.

We use indicative ranges drawn from named, current sources and we label them as such. We deliberately avoid the inflated single figures you sometimes see, because early-career pay varies a lot by employer and sector.

The guides are free to read with no sign-up. There is no paid placement and no advertising influencing what we recommend – the whole point is unspun guidance you can trust.

CAO points shown in our guides are the latest available Round 1 cut-offs and are indicative only. Always confirm on cao.ie.