Rising costs sending Irish dental students abroad

Growing numbers of students in Ireland are looking to study abroad due to cheaper courses, wider entry criteria and lower costs of living.

Courses such as dentistry, medicine and law are becoming increasingly harder to get onto, with points and course fees rising each year in Ireland. With many courses abroad being taught in English, students are reportedly taking the opportunity to gain quality education at a cheaper rate.

Data published in February, from Eurostat, found that in 2010, 13% of the Irish student population were enrolled in a third-level course in another European country.

Guy Flouch, founder of the European Universities Central Application Support Service, said: ‘The points for courses like medicine and dentistry are lower on the continent and many universities abroad are ranked higher than the University College of Dublin and Trinity College Dublin.’