Engineering is one of the most demanding undergraduate areas at the University of Galway, and it is charged at the higher Science and Engineering fee rate. For international students, it offers a degree from an established Irish public university, a regional city with lower living costs than Dublin, and a route to Ireland's Stamp 1G post-study work scheme after a Level 8 honours degree.
This guide covers what the university publishes about engineering admissions, what the degree costs, what it asks of applicants, and what outcomes look like. It covers undergraduate engineering degrees only.
Acceptance Rate: What the University Publishes
The University of Galway does not publish an acceptance rate for its undergraduate engineering degrees or for international applicants. A third-party site reports an overall 86% figure for international applicants, but the university has not published it and the method is not disclosed, so it should not be used to judge your chances.
Engineering entry depends on specific subject requirements, so the academic bar may be higher than the general English and academic minimums. Check the current programme page for the subject and grade requirements that apply to you.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
The University of Galway's official 2026/27 non-EU undergraduate tuition for engineering, in the Science and Engineering category, is EUR 20,850 per year.
The fee page notes that students who take two or more science or engineering classes are charged the Science and Engineering fee. The fee page we checked did not list a separate student contribution charge, so confirm the full list of compulsory charges with the fees office.
| Cost item | Amount (EUR/year) |
|---|---|
| Engineering tuition (non-EU, 2026/27, Science and Engineering category) | 20,850 |
| Other compulsory charges | Not listed on the fee page we checked; confirm with the fees office |
Living costs. Non-EEA students applying for a Stamp 2 student visa must show access to at least EUR 10,000 for the first year's living costs. Third-party estimates put shared accommodation in Galway at roughly EUR 550 to 900 per month. These are not verified against an official figure.
Admission Requirements
For international applicants to an undergraduate engineering degree, the university generally asks for:
- A completed application through the international route for your programme. Confirm the correct route on the university's site.
- Secondary school results assessed against Irish entry standards, with non-Irish qualifications assessed for equivalence.
- Specific subject requirements for the programme. Mathematics is a common requirement for engineering routes, but we did not verify the full list for each degree, so check the programme page for the exact list.
- English proficiency that meets the university's minimum (see the English section below).
Subject requirements for engineering are programme-specific and should be read from the official programme page, not from a general summary.
How to Get Into a Galway Engineering Degree
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Check the subject requirements first. Engineering is the most subject-specific route. Confirm the required mathematics and science subjects on the programme page before anything else.
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Confirm how your results are assessed. Ask the international admissions office how your school-leaving results map to Irish entry standards, especially for mathematics and science grades.
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Build an English score with a margin. Engineering degrees carry heavy technical reading and written reports. A score above the minimum helps in the first year.
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Pick the specific engineering discipline. Galway's engineering degrees differ in focus. Read each programme's module list and choose the one that matches your interests and career goals.
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Apply early and certify your documents. Certified translations take time, so start early and keep a copy of everything you submit.
English Proficiency Requirement
The university's undergraduate English thresholds apply to engineering degrees:
- IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, with no section below 6.0
- TOEFL iBT: 88 overall on the legacy scale (Listening 18, Reading 18, Speaking 21, Writing 22); for tests taken from 21 January 2026 the official page lists a minimum overall score of 4.5
- PTE Academic: 63 overall, with no less than 59 in any component
- Duolingo English Test: not listed as accepted on the official page we checked
For the full policy and background on the university, see the University of Galway guide.
Career Outcomes
The most recent HEA Graduate Outcomes Survey figure we found reports 80.2% of graduates nationally in employment nine months after graduation. We did not find a verified University of Galway engineering figure, so check the HEA Graduate Outcomes data for engineering graduates directly.
Post-study work. A Level 8 honours engineering degree is eligible for a Stamp 1G permission. For undergraduate degrees, that permission is 12 months and not renewable. Combined student and graduate permission is capped at seven years.
Where engineering graduates work. Ireland has a large base of engineering employers across manufacturing, medical technology, software, and energy. We did not verify a current employer list for Galway engineering graduates, so check the university's careers service for discipline-level recruiter information.
FAQ
Does the University of Galway publish an acceptance rate for engineering? No. It does not publish an acceptance rate for undergraduate engineering degrees. Third-party figures exist but are unofficial.
How much does a Galway engineering degree cost for international students? Tuition is EUR 20,850 per year for non-EU engineering students in the Science and Engineering category for 2026/27, before living costs and any charges confirmed by the fees office.
What IELTS score do I need for a Galway engineering degree? The undergraduate threshold is 6.5 overall, with no section below 6.0.
Do I need specific subjects to get into engineering? Yes. Engineering routes have subject requirements, typically including mathematics and science subjects. Check the programme page for the exact list before you apply.
Can I work in Ireland after a Galway engineering degree? A Level 8 honours degree is eligible for a Stamp 1G permission of 12 months. Check the Irish Immigration Service for the current rules.
Why is engineering more expensive than business at Galway? The fee page places engineering in the Science and Engineering category, which carries a higher rate than Arts, Business and Law. The page does not give a reason, so check the fees office if you want the basis for the difference.