National College of Ireland (NCI) is a Higher Education Authority (HEA)-funded, third-level college based in Dublin's International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). Founded in 1951, NCI offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses across business, computing, psychology and education, serving students on a full-time, part-time and online basis.

2026 marks NCI's 75th anniversary, a milestone the college is marking with events throughout the year that reflect its long history of driving innovation, supporting societal change and widening access to education.

Mission

To change lives through education.

Vision

NCI will provide an inspiring educational experience that is innovative, responsive and enterprise focused.

Values

• Inclusive: breaking down barriers in third-level education, valuing diversity and providing the support students need to participate fully in college life
• Community: an interdependent learning community where individuality and freedom of thought and expression are valued, and every person is encouraged to fulfil their ambition
• Integrity: taking responsibility and being accountable for actions, with mutual respect at the centre of everything
• Dynamic: responsive to the needs of students, colleagues and partners, and to an ever-changing society, acting in an innovative and flexible manner
• Learner Centred: placing the learner at the heart of everything, with all energies focused on their individual and lifelong needs
• Excellence: aspiring to professional excellence as an institution and fostering it in learners through their learning experiences.

Schools and faculties

• School of Business and Social Sciences
• School of Computing
• Psychology Department
• Education (including Early Childhood Education and Care, Initial Teacher Education, and P-TECH)
• Cloud Competency Centre
• Early Learning Initiative (ELI)

What you can study

NCI offers courses across business, computing, psychology and education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with full-time, part-time and online options available. Specialist pathways include:

• MBA and postgraduate business programs
• CIPD-accredited HR and people management courses
• Apprenticeships in International Financial Services (IFS) and recruitment
• Springboard+ funded courses for upskilling and reskilling
• Microcredentials, including 80%-funded programs in AI
• CAO undergraduate programs for school leavers
• Accelerated business degrees

How you can study

1. Full-time on campus at the IFSC, Dublin
2. Part-time, designed to fit around work and life commitments
3. Online and distance learning
4. As an international student

Accreditations and recognition

• HEA-funded institution, operating under the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) framework
• Five QS Stars overall rating
• Athena Swan accreditation for gender equality in higher education
• Recognised as an Age-Friendly University
• Accredited as an Autism Friendly Higher Education Institution (November 2025)
• Funded in part by the EU Social Fund and the Irish Government under the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS)

Early Learning Initiative

NCI's Early Learning Initiative (ELI) is a community engagement programme operating in Dublin's inner city. It works with children, families and early childhood services to support literacy, numeracy, parental engagement and educational guidance, with the goal of improving outcomes for children in disadvantaged communities from birth through to third level.

Research and innovation

NCI is active in applied research across computing, business and the social sciences, with a Cloud Competency Centre, a Business Incubation Centre, and Enterprise Ireland-supported innovation partnerships. The college runs an annual Research Day and publishes across journal articles, books, conference proceedings and policy reports.

Location

• NCI's main campus is located at Mayor Street Upper, IFSC, Dublin 1. The campus includes teaching facilities, a library and cultural centre, a gym, a cafe and student recreation spaces.