University of Limerick
Quick facts
- City
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- Type
- Public
- Founded
- 1972
- Students
- 19,000
- International students
- 17 %
- National ranking
- #5
- International ranking
- #388
- Tuition (local students)
- €2,500
- Tuition (international)
- €18,000
- Guide score
- 7.8/10
Official website: www.ul.ie
Overview
The University of Limerick (UL) is one of Ireland's younger and more modern universities, founded in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education and granted university status in 1989. It enrols over 19,000 students, including more than 3,300 international students (about 17%), and ranks 388th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 (its highest to date; fifth in Ireland). The 130-hectare parkland campus straddles the River Shannon at Castletroy, 5 km east of Limerick city, with the pedestrian Living Bridge connecting the Limerick and Clare sides.
UL's defining feature is practical, employment-focused education: it was the first Irish university to build Cooperative Education (a paid work placement of 6–8 months) into virtually every undergraduate degree, and it runs the country's largest work-placement and international-exchange programmes. Limerick is a mid-sized city with a lower cost of living than Dublin, Cork or Galway, and Shannon Airport is about 25 km away.
Academic programs
UL has four faculties: Kemmy Business School, Education and Health Sciences, Science and Engineering, and Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (which includes the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance). Strong areas include Engineering (aeronautical, biomedical, mechanical), Computer Science, Business (Kemmy is AACSB-accredited), Sports and Exercise Science, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Graduate Entry Medicine and Teacher Education. Most degrees follow the pattern of two semesters (September–December and January–May) with the Co-op placement in the third year; exchange students normally join taught semesters only.
EU undergraduates under the Free Fees Initiative pay the €2,500 student contribution for 2025/26 (down from €3,000 after Budget 2026). Non-EU undergraduate tuition ranges from roughly €11,700 for some Arts programmes to €17,000–€22,000 for Business, Engineering and Science, and above €50,000 for Medicine.
Campus life
UL is consistently rated as having one of the best campuses in Ireland: it has about 2,700 self-catering on-campus beds in six villages (Plassey, Kilmurry, Dromroe, Thomond, Cappavilla and Quigley), with 2025/26 rents from about €5,500 per academic year (roughly €130 per week) for a standard room in Plassey up to €180 per week for en-suite rooms, bills included. Exchange students are eligible for campus housing and it is far easier to secure than in Dublin or Galway. Sports facilities are outstanding: the UL Sport Arena has Ireland's first 50 m Olympic pool, a large gym, indoor courts and a climbing wall, plus outdoor pitches and a boathouse on the Shannon. More than 80 clubs and societies run under the UL Wolves brand, the Stables Club and Scholars are the on-campus bars, and the University Concert Hall hosts national touring acts. Nightlife in Limerick city is decent but smaller than Galway or Cork, and most students rely on the 304/304A bus or cycling to reach the centre.
Exchange programs
UL runs Ireland's largest international exchange programme, with more than 400 partner institutions and around 1,000 outgoing and a similar number of incoming students each year. Erasmus+ agreements cover a wide set of Spanish universities across Business, Engineering, Languages and Law, including Universidad de Sevilla, Universitat Politècnica de València, Universidad de Valladolid and Universidad de Salamanca (check the partner list by academic area on ul.ie for your faculty), alongside bilateral exchanges with universities in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore and China. Nominations from partner universities are due by 1 May for the autumn semester or full year and by 1 October for the spring semester; students then complete UL's online application (due by 31 May and 31 October respectively) and module selection. The UL Global office provides an orientation programme, airport pickup at the start of semester and a dedicated International Society, and exchange students can take modules from more than one faculty subject to timetable and prerequisites.
Academic programs
- Business
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Medicine
- Law
- Nursing
- Physiotherapy
- Education
- Music and Dance
- Arts and Humanities
- Sports Science
- Natural Sciences
Application deadlines
- fall: February 1
- spring: October 1
Exchange
Ireland's largest exchange programme with 400+ partners in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia; Erasmus+ agreements with numerous Spanish universities (e.g. Universidad de Sevilla, Universitat Politècnica de València, Universidad de Valladolid, Universidad de Salamanca). Incoming nominations due 1 May for autumn/full year and 1 October for spring.