All six Irish medical schools compared for international students: entry requirements, tuition fees, the Atlantic Bridge Programme and graduate entry. Researched and updated for July 2026 by our admissions team.
There are 6 medical schools in Ireland: RCSI, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork (all in or near Dublin and Cork), plus the University of Galway and the University of Limerick. Four offer a four-year Graduate Entry Medicine programme, and Galway adds one from 2027. International students apply by one of three routes depending on where they are from: the Atlantic Bridge Programme (North America), directly to each university (other non-EU), or the CAO (EU, UK and EEA).
Entry routes, programmes and non-EU fees at a glance. Click any school for the full international profile.
| University | City | Degree | Programmes | Non-EU fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences | Dublin | MB BCh BAO | Undergraduate (5 or 6 years) and Graduate Entry (4 years) | €61,000 per year (2026/27) |
| Trinity College Dublin | Dublin | MB BCh BAO | Undergraduate (5 years) | approximately €49,000 to €57,000 per year |
| University College Dublin | Dublin | MB BCh BAO | Undergraduate (6 years, DN400) and Graduate Entry (4 years, DN401) | €61,430 per year (2025/26) |
| University College Cork | Cork | MB BCh BAO | Undergraduate (5 years, CK701) and Graduate Entry (4 years, CK791) | €51,000 per year (2025/26) |
| University of Galway | Galway | MB BCh BAO | Undergraduate (5 or 6 years, GY501); Graduate Entry from 2027 | €55,000 per year (2026/27) |
| University of Limerick | Limerick | BM BS | Graduate Entry only (4 years) | €56,600 per year |
Non-EU fees are the latest published per-year figures and rise most years; confirm the figure for your year of entry on each university's fees page. Trinity's fee is banded by year of study; Galway does not take direct non-EU applications.
Tap a school for entry requirements, fees, admissions tests and how to apply as an international student.
DublinMB BCh BAO · Founded 1784
One of Europe's most international medical schools: over a fifth of its medicine students come from the US or Canada.
View RCSI profile →
DublinMB BCh BAO · Founded 1592
Ireland's oldest university (1592), running a single 5-year programme with no separate graduate-entry route.
View Trinity profile →
DublinMB BCh BAO · Founded 1854
One of Ireland's largest medical schools, on the Belfield campus, with both 6-year and 4-year graduate-entry routes.
View UCD profile →
CorkMB BCh BAO · Founded 1845
A systems-based curriculum in Cork with early patient contact and a final-year research project.
View UCC profile →
GalwayMB BCh BAO · Founded 1845
Teaching medicine since 1845; non-EU students apply through regional agencies rather than directly.
View Galway profile →
LimerickBM BS · Founded 1972
Ran Ireland's first graduate-entry medical programme (2007); problem-based learning, graduate entry only.
View Limerick profile →Image credits: RCSI building, St Stephen's Green, by Conoronmaps (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped); Trinity College Dublin Campanile, by Memorino (CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped); Courtyard in front of the Newman Building, UCD, by David Martin (CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped); The Quad, University College Cork, by Sebastian B. (CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped); The Quadrangle, University of Galway, by Ian Capper (CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped); The School of Medicine at the University of Limerick, by Lukemcurley (CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
International applicants split into three channels, and which one you use depends on where you are from, not which school you want:
North American applicants should read our dedicated Atlantic Bridge Programme guide. Full deadlines, tests and fees for every route are in our guide to studying medicine in Ireland.
Work with doctors and admissions experts across every stage of your application.
There are 6 medical schools in Ireland: RCSI, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork, plus the University of Galway and the University of Limerick. 4 of them offer a four-year Graduate Entry Medicine programme (RCSI, UCD, UCC and Limerick), and Galway will add one from 2027.
Yes. North American applicants apply through the Atlantic Bridge Programme (one application covering all six schools); other non-EU applicants apply directly to each university (Galway routes them through regional agencies); and EU, UK and EEA applicants apply through the CAO.
Non-EU undergraduate fees cluster between roughly €51,000 and €61,000 a year. UCC is at the lower end (around €51,000), with UCD and RCSI at the top (around €61,000). Trinity's fee is banded by year of study. Always check the current figure on each university's fees page.
RCSI, University College Dublin, University College Cork and the University of Limerick offer four-year Graduate Entry Medicine. The University of Galway will admit its first graduate-entry cohort in autumn 2027. Graduate entry needs a 2:1 degree plus a GAMSAT or MCAT score.
Yes. Irish medical degrees are recognised by the UK General Medical Council. Graduates can register with the GMC and enter the UK Foundation Programme, and the degree is recognised internationally, sometimes subject to local licensing exams.
From personal statement editing and interview coaching to our all-in-one Ultimate Package, we support applicants to Irish medical schools at every stage. Tell us where you are applying from and we will recommend the right option.
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