Significant growth in demand expected for higher education places over the next decade

The Government have said they expect a growth in demand for higher education places over the next few years.

The “Projections of Demand for Higher Education 2025-2045” shows that numbers of students are projected to rise significantly, increasing up to 19% from the current levels.

They say that demand for higher education places is projected to peak in 2034, but will ease towards 2045.

This projected rise is due to higher birth rates between 2007 and 2012, meaning there are now a rising number of school leavers reaching college age.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, innovation and Science, James Lawless welcomed the publication.

He said: “This report highlights the continued strength, success and attractiveness of Ireland’s higher education sector. With more than 200,000 students now enrolled across our institutions, demand for higher education is expected to continue growing over the next decade.

“My focus, and that of my Department, is to ensure we have the policies and planning in place to meet this demand by keeping higher education accessible and responsive, while continuing to uphold the strong international reputation and quality of Irish higher education.”

The Government says that the new projections will provide a stable basis for planning, compared to the last estimates, which were affected by Brexit and Covid, published in 2022.

The report aims to inform future policy developments to ensure the higher education system can meet growing demand.