Universities and Colleges

Sectors

The region’s education system is recognised as among the best in Europe. Nearly a fifth of public expenditure is on education and Northern Ireland consistently outperforms all other UK regions in academic qualifications.

Two world-class universities Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University and an extensive network of further education colleges provide excellent academic and vocational training. Both universities are responsive to business, creating graduates with skills, competency and acumen in business-relevant areas. Over 4,000 people graduate each year with business qualifications in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland’s six further education (FE) colleges operate across over 40 campuses and through over 400 outreach community locations. Each college offers a number of Higher Education programmes ranging from GCSEs and A levels to BTECs, HNCs, foundation degrees, apprenticeships, degrees and other specific ICT training programmes.

University and College Campuses in Northern Ireland

Queens University

Queen's University Belfast (Queen's or QUB) is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university received its charter in 1845.

Queen's is ranked in the top 173 universities in the world (QS World Rankings 2020), with the second highest ranking on the island of Ireland.

Queen's offers academic degrees at various levels and across a broad subject range, with more than 300 degree programmes available.

    • The annual income of the institution for 2017–18 was £369.2 million of which £91.7 million was from research grants

    • Queen's is a member of the Russell Group of leading UK research intensive universities.

    • The University has 2,414 Academic staff and 1,489 Administrative staff.

    • The university is associated with two Nobel laureates and one Turing Award laureate.

Key People:

Schools and Faculties:

Students (2018/19):

    • Total - 24,695

    • Undergraduate - 18,735

    • Postgraduate - 5,965

    • Other students - 2,250 (Colleges)

Places / Buildings of note:

    • Asby Building

    • Law Building

    • McClay Library

    • Computer Science Building

    • Pharmacy Building

Main address - University Rd, Belfast BT7 1NN

Website - www.qub.ac.uk

Ulster University

Ulster University (Ulster or UU) is a multi-campus public university located in Northern Ireland.

It is the largest university in Northern Ireland and the second-largest university on the island of Ireland.

Established in 1968 as the New University of Ulster, it merged with Ulster Polytechnic in 1984, incorporating its four Northern Irish campuses under the University of Ulster banner.

The university incorporated its four campuses in 1984; located in:

    • Belfast (current view)

    • Coleraine

    • Magee College in Derry

    • Jordanstown

The annual income of the University for 2017–18 was £185 million.

The institution is a leading modern university ranked in the top 150 global institutions under 50 years of age in The Times Higher Education 150 Under 50 World University rankings. The University has 1,665 Academic staff.

Key People:

Schools and Faculties:

Students (2018/19):

    • Total - 24,530

    • Undergraduate - 18,325

    • Postgraduate - 6,205

Website - www.ulster.ac.uk

Belfast Metropolitan College

Belfast Metropolitan College (BelfastMet) is a further and higher education institution in Belfast.

The history of BelfastMet stems back to the early 1900s with the opening of the Municipal Technical Institute in September 1906. This was central to the development of further education in Belfast and its opening coincided with a remarkable period of economic and political development.

With over 37,000 enrolments and an annual budget in the region of £60 million, BelfastMet is Northern Ireland's largest college.

It was created in 2007 by the merger of the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education and Castlereagh College.

The college encompasses a number of different campuses around the city. The largest are:

    • Millfield

    • Castlereagh

    • Titanic Quarter

    • Springvale (e3)

The College's e3 Campus at Springvale provides staff and training facilities for the Northern Ireland pre-employment training programme - Assured Skills.

Key People:

Website - www.belfastmet.ac.uk

North West Regional College

North West Regional College is a further education and higher education college in the north-west region of Northern Ireland.

The college has five main campuses in counties Londonderry and Tyrone:

    • Strand Road (Derry)

    • Springtown (Derry)

    • Main Street (Limavady)

    • Greystone (Limavady)

    • Derry Road (Strabane).

Following a review of further education in Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning, North West Regional College was established on 1 August 2007, merging the former North West Institute of Further and Higher Education and Limavady College of Further and Higher Education.

Over the last 100 years, the college and its preceding organisations have provided educational courses both to school leavers and adults principally from Derry City, County Londonderry, County Tyrone and County Donegal.

Each year approximately 25,000 full-time and part-time students attend the college to undertake a range of vocational and academic courses.

The current Principal of the College is Mr Leo Murphy.

website - www.nwrc.ac.uk

South West Regional College

South West Regional College is a further education and higher education college in the south-west region of Northern Ireland.

The college has four main campuses in counties Tyrone and Fermanagh:

    • Cookstown;

    • Dungannon;

    • Omagh; and

    • Enniskillen.

The South West College has 18,500 student enrolments, is involved in a number of European projects, has a staffing complement of some 500 full-time staff and a similar number of part-time staff and a budget of £32 Million.

The current Principal of the College is Mr Michael McAlister.

website - www.swrc.ac.uk

Northern Regional College

Northern Regional College is a further education and higher education college in the north-east region of Northern Ireland.

The college has six main campuses in counties Londonderry and Antrim:

    • Ballymena

    • Ballymoney

    • Coleraine

    • Magherafelt

    • Newtownabbey

Northern Regional College includes campuses from three predecessor institutions:

Northern Regional College has courses across 4 academic departments - Engineering and Built Environment, Business Computing and Creative Industries, Science and Service Industries and Care and Access.

Each year approximately 10,000 full-time and part-time students attend the college to undertake a range of vocational and academic courses.

The current Principal of the College is Ms Terri Scott.

website - www.nrc.ac.uk

Southern Regional College

Southern Regional College is a further education and higher education college in the southern region of Northern Ireland.

The college has six main campuses in counties Armagh and Down:

    • Armagh

    • Banbridge

    • Kilkeel

    • Lurgan

    • Newry

    • Portadown

The Southern Regional College was formed on 1 August 2007 when three further education colleges merged to become the SRC. The new SRC comprises the former FE colleges at Armagh, Newry and Upper Bann.

Southern Regional College is the largest further and higher education college in Northern Ireland outside Belfast.

At further education level, the college offers Level 2 traineeships, Apprenticeships, Extended Diplomas and A-levels. Full-time and part-time courses are available. SRC also offers apprenticeship training programmes.

SRC currently caters for approximately 32,000 students each year and has in excess of 900 members of staff.

The current Chief Executive of the College is Mr Brian Doran.

website - www.src.ac.uk

South Eastern Regional College

South Eastern West Regional College is a further education and higher education college in the south-east region of Northern Ireland.

The college has five main campuses in county Down:

    • Ballynahinch

    • Bangor

    • Downpatrick

    • Lisburn

    • Newtownards.

The College was created following the merger of three institutes of further and higher education in the south-east of Northern Ireland. These were East Down Institute, Lisburn Institute and North Down and Ards Institute. The merger took effect from August 2007. The College is currently listed in the top 30 colleges in the UK

Each year approximately 32,000 full-time and part-time students attend the college to undertake a range of vocational and academic courses.

The current Principal of the College is Mr Ken Webb.

website - www.serc.ac.uk