The full list will be published in The Sunday Times this week.
National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway) has been named University of the Year 2018 in The Sunday Times University Guide.
It is the third time that NUI Galway has picked up the award. The college won the inaugural accolade when it started in 2002 and it did so again, seven years later, in 2009.
The Galway University battled it out against 21 other third-level institutions and NUI Galway’s strong reputation as a centre of excellence in departments of medical technology, the arts and sciences helped secure the award.
Furthermore, student course completion rate in the college is extremely high with 88% of its students completing their studies to the end.
It also has one of the lowest graduate unemployment rates in Ireland with only 3% of those who graduated there unable to find work afterwards.
NUI Galway also ranks in the top 1% of universities worldwide.
News just in… we are University of the Year! Makes us even prouder to welcome everyone to campus for our Open Days! #ChooseNUIGalway pic.twitter.com/zvEwrP9EBH
— Ollscoil na Gaillimhe | University of Galway (@uniofgalway) October 6, 2017
Outgoing President of the University, Dr Jim Browne, was delighted to see his college win the accolade and believes it will be a great boost to the city coming into 2020 when the county becomes European Capital of Culture.
“We try to orient our programmes to support the ambition of our students and the needs of our economy in the longer term,” he said.
Browne became President in 2008 but his ten-year term is soon up and he will be replaced by Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh.
Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “In the eight years since NUI Galway last won our University of the Year award it has continued to grow its global reputation as one of the great seats of learning.
Also, Athlone Institute of Technology was named Sunday Times Institute of Technology of the Year for 2017 with Letterkenny IT finishing second on the list.
The full list for both will be released in this Sunday’s edition of the paper, as part of a special 16-page supplement.
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