Students who are eligible for free tuition could spend an average of €16,158 on college costs this year, an increase of almost €500 on last year, according to new research.
The research from Switcher.ie found that accommodation costs in Dublin have increased by up to €658 per month – or €5,925 more over the academic year. It states that Dublin remains the most expensive place to pursue third-level education.
Cork and Maynooth are in second and third place for costs, followed by Carlow, Limerick and Galway.
Letterkenny in Co Donegal remains the cheapest location for students at €1,285 per month, followed by Sligo and Dundalk.
The biggest increase was in Tralee, where costs have increased by €501.
In general, accommodation costs are up by €183 this year. That is €547 higher per year than in 2023.
Students in private accommodation also pay around €976 more per year than those living on campus.
For international students, the study found average costs of €28,515 per year, around €644 more than last year, and €2,878 more than in 2023.
Listen: New report says it costs around €16k a year for college
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Students are also being impacted by increases in the cost of living, with the research finding a 9% rise in utility bills, a 4% increase in groceries, and entertainment costs up by 4%.
Eoin Clarke, Commercial Director at Switcher.ie, said “the research shows that rent and everyday expenses have added almost €500 to the average cost of college since last year”.
On accommodation costs, he said the “highest rent increases were recorded in Tralee, Cork, Dundalk and Sligo, where rising private student accommodation prices pushed up the average student accommodation cost in each town”.
“The location of study now has an even bigger impact on student pockets, with a gap of almost €6,000 over the academic year between Dublin and Letterkenny,” Mr Clarke added.
Rising college costs ‘locking people out’ of higher education
Daniel Walsh, President of Aontas Mac Léinn in Éirinn, Ireland’s national student’s union, has said that students are being locked out of higher education due to rising higher education costs.
He said high costs of college are something they have been hearing from students for years, and the situation has only been worsening every year.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, he said: “We know that there is a significant shortfall in purpose-built student accommodation, which is leading to a really intense market, something that many first-year students and their families are going to be finding out in the coming weeks.
“And it’s all contributing to a cost of college which is increasingly unsustainable and which is locking people out of higher education, unfortunately.”
Mr Walsh agreed there is a growing trend of students going to colleges that are closer to home
However, he said even “close to home” was a stretch in certain cases.
“We’re seeing many students who have to commute three hours, four hours every day to college just because they can’t afford accommodation in and around their university of choice.
“But absolutely it’s a decision, it’s factoring into decisions as to where people will study.
“And it shouldn’t because the decision as to where you’re going to study and what course you’re going to do is obviously an intensely personal one and it’s a really, really impactful one, not just for the next four years, but potentially for the rest of your life.
“So the only consideration there should be what course suits me best and what degree and what course of work would I like to find myself in.”
“But it does seem to be the case that a lot of families are probably having a really difficult conversation with their young Leaving Cert students about where they can afford to send them for college,” he added.
Amid new research highlighting rising college costs this year, the Labour Party unveiled proposals to place greater rent controls on student accommodation.
Labour say mandatory service charges should be included in rent
Labour’s spokesperson on further and higher education Senator Laura Harmon proposed legislation would ensure mandatory service charges are included in rental prices for students.
“Some student accommodation providers use so-called “mandatory fees” as a way to circumvent rent controls which is driving up already very high costs of accommodation for students.
“Service charges like security and building related costs are often added on, which are then added onto the agreed rent,” she said
Senator Harmon added: “Students are already under huge financial pressure and many are facing impossible choices between torturous commutes, paying above the odds for accommodation or dropping out of college altogether.
“It’s unacceptable and we need to see action now.”
