It comes as the Education Department have released a new report outlining higher education projections
The number of students in third level education is expected to jump by 19% over the next five to 10 years.
It comes as the Education Department have released a new report outlining higher education projections, entitled “Projections of Demand for Higher Education 2025–2045”
Higher Education Minister and Kildare North TD James Lawless is bringing a memo to Cabinet today, projecting enrollments to increase substantially by 2033.
Demand for places is projected to peak in 2034, before easing towards 2045.
The projections cover 17 institutions, including Maynooth University.
Total postgraduate enrolment demand is projected to increase by between almost 6,000 and 12,000 over the next decade, increasing from 34,180 in 2024/2025 and reaching a peak of between 39,968 and 46,478 in 2032/33, depending on which scenario is considered.
The key driver of this growth is rising numbers of Irish school leavers reaching college age, linked to higher birth rates between 2007 and 2012. Additionally, continued growth in postgraduate study is expected, particularly among non‑EU students.
These projections, based on the latest available data, provide a more stable basis for planning than the last estimates, published in 2022, which were affected by uncertainty arising from Brexit and the COVID‑19 pandemic.
It is projected that enrolment demand at undergraduate level will grow by almost 27,000 over the next eight years, from 177,360 in 2024/2025 to 204,400 in 2033/34.
The report is hoped to inform future policy development and investment decisions to ensure that the higher education system can meet growing demand while maintaining quality and accessibility.
Residents On Busy Maynooth Road Raise Speeding Concerns
Athy Band 'Sitting Room' Reach Irish Music Month National Finale
Tallaght Hospital Set To Withdraw Post-Mortem Cover Services From Naas Hospital In 2027
Kfm Obituary Notices
Kildare Motorist Caught Speeding Was In Rush To Buy Pizza Before Takeaway Closed
Over 19,000 Kildare Students To Take Part In Maths Week Ireland 2026
