Academic Index Last updated: June 22, 2026

20 Best Universities in Ireland for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

We ranked the top 20 universities for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Ireland based on strict academic metrics. To determine these leaders, we isolated 181.4K specialized research publications which collectively generated 4.49M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

Dublin

University College Dublin

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#98 in Europe #254 in the World

42% Acceptance

33,321 Enrollment

1854 Founded

2

Dublin

Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#115 in Europe #291 in the World

48% Acceptance

20,430 Enrollment

1592 Founded

3

Cork

University College Cork

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#225 in Europe #547 in the World

48% Acceptance

21,894 Enrollment

1845 Founded

4

Galway

National University of Ireland, Galway

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#246 in Europe #596 in the World

43% Acceptance

33,321 Enrollment

1845 Founded

5

Dublin

Dublin City University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#297 in Europe #722 in the World

49% Acceptance

17,989 Enrollment

1989 Founded

6

Limerick

University of Limerick

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#307 in Europe #742 in the World

51% Acceptance

17,989 Enrollment

1972 Founded

7

Maynooth

Maynooth University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#368 in Europe #928 in the World

52% Acceptance

13,000 Enrollment

1997 Founded

8

Dublin

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#540 in Europe #1509 in the World

55% Acceptance

20,430 Enrollment

1784 Founded

9

Dublin

Dublin Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#572 in Europe #1670 in the World

59% Acceptance

20,000 Enrollment

1992 Founded

10

Dublin

National University of Ireland, System

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#585 in Europe #1708 in the World

59% Acceptance

21,894 Enrollment

1908 Founded

11

Waterford

Waterford Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#850 in Europe #3033 in the World

70% Acceptance

13,000 Enrollment

1970 Founded

12

Dundalk

Dundalk Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1131 in Europe #4537 in the World

45% Acceptance

13,000 Enrollment

1970 Founded

13

Bishopstown

Cork Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1194 in Europe #4899 in the World

54% Acceptance

10,476 Enrollment

1974 Founded

14

Dublin

National College of Ireland

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1199 in Europe #4926 in the World

51% Acceptance

13,000 Enrollment

1951 Founded

15

Athlone

Athlone Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1211 in Europe #4991 in the World

72% Acceptance

17,989 Enrollment

1970 Founded

16

Sligo

Institute of Technology Sligo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1223 in Europe #5055 in the World

45% Acceptance

21,894 Enrollment

1970 Founded

17

Galway

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1242 in Europe #5177 in the World

52% Acceptance

33,321 Enrollment

1972 Founded

18

Carlow

Institute of Technology Carlow

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1243 in Europe #5185 in the World

45% Acceptance

33,321 Enrollment

1970 Founded

19

Limerick

Limerick Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1313 in Europe #5567 in the World

49% Acceptance

6,500 Enrollment

1975 Founded

20

Letterkenny

Letterkenny Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1318 in Europe #5595 in the World

45% Acceptance

33,321 Enrollment

1971 Founded