National College of Ireland

The National College of Ireland is considered a good and career-focused institution. It is generally known for its strong industry connections, 5-star QS rating for employability and Dublin city as a central location. 

As per Shiksha Popularity rankings in 2026, at the country level, NCI is ranked #15. And for QS, it ranks at #701 in all of Europe.

Yes, Indian students can pay their tuition fees in installments at NCI Ireland. Use the Direct Debit plan to pay 20% of tuition fees upfront and the rest over the duration of course.

Students need to provide a written request to the NCI Ireland Registrar's Office to use a payment plan.

NCI Ireland initial deposit for Indian students is EUR 6,000 (INR 6.6 Lakhs) to confirm their seat.

Students are advised to check the deposit amount on their admission offer letter as these may vary for some courses. To know more, contact one of our Shiksha Study Abroad counsellors.

The Free Fees Initiative at NCI Ireland is a scheme that covers tuition costs for qualifying students from the UK/EU/EEA regions. Eligible students only need to pay a student contribution fee worth EUR 3,000 and a mandatory gym fee.

Indian students are not eligible for this program.

No, deferring the course at NCI Ireland means students will also have to forfeit their scholarship. They will need to re-apply and be reassessed for any scholarship for the new intake.

Students are recommended to consult the NCI Admissions Office for their specific scholarship conditions.

No, students can apply with an conditional admission offer for a full-time course at the National College of Ireland. However, students need to make sure they meet the conditions mentioned below:

• Be an overseas student
• Meet all entry requirements of the course and scholarship
• Pay the tuition deposit

The NCI Ireland Scholarship deadline for the college's 75th anniversary International Student Scholarship (Sep 2026 intake) is now closed. Deadline for other scholarships may vary.

Students are advised to check the official NCI Ireland website to know more.

No, it is rare to get a 100% funding for your education at NCI Dublin. However, Indian students can secure a really good amount scholarship at this institution. 

The students can apply for the NCI 75th Anniversary International Student Scholarships, which is roughly around EUR 7,500 (INR 8.25L). Or they can also apply for the UG Academic Scholarship (EUR 2K to EUR 3K).

There is no need of a separate application; the applicants are automatically considered upon application (it usually requires scores above 65 to 70%).

The NCI acceptance rate for Indian students is not released but as per an unofficial source, which is around 53%. 

This would mean that the National College of Ireland is a difficult institution to get into and international students are required to meet the admission requirements as given below - 

• A min GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• English language proficiency 
• SAT or ACT 
• Sufficient funds
• Min age of 18 years

To get into the National College of Ireland, it is generally not required to sit in a specialised entrance test like GATE or GMAT.

Instead of that, the NCI admissions are based on the accurate academic transcripts, a CV, interviews and the English language proficiency.

So, the students should meet these NCI requirements for admissions.