Tuition fees in Europe

Under the Free Fees Initiative the state pays your tuition at a public institution if:

• you are a citizen of the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK,
• you have lived in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your studies,
• you are starting your first full-time undergraduate programme lasting at least 2 years.

You do pay the Student Contribution – a charge for student services and exams. In 2026/27 it is at most €2,500, and students from families with an income of up to €120,000 pay no more than €2,000. Institutions also add their own charges (e.g. UCC – €207 in 2025/26).

Master's programmes are not covered by Free Fees – the institution sets the fee. Students from outside the EU pay tuition fees for every programme: usually around €9,850–25,500 a year for a bachelor's, and as much as €39,500–55,000 for medicine.