Schools by County
Ireland has no private school by default. All schools listed here are non-fee-paying, State-funded, and open to enrolment. We report inspection ratings from the Department of Education's Whole School Evaluation (WSE) programme and university progression data where available.
How Irish School Enrolment Works for Expats
- Catholic schools use baptismal certificate as an oversubscription criterion. Educate Together schools do not.
- Enrol as early as possible; popular schools in commuter belt areas fill up years in advance.
- The Department of Education's School Finder at schoolfinder.gov.ie lists all schools with live vacancy data.
- Secondary school (ages 12–18) is free and mandatory. Most sit the Leaving Certificate (LC) at age 17–18.
- University progression rates reflect students who progress to CAO-allocated courses in Irish or UK universities.
Browse by County
Choose a Town First
The best school strategy starts with your town choice. Use our Commuter Finder to identify towns with strong school options within your commute and budget.