DIT joins two other Irish colleges among the elite

Dublin Institute of Technology has joined two other Irish colleges in a ranking of the world’s top young universities.

It enters at 94th position in The Times Higher Education (THE) 100 Under 50, a comparison of relatively new third-level colleges which is in its third year.

NUI Maynooth rose from 74th to 67th while Dublin City University also maintains a place, although falling to 92nd from 84th last year.

DIT said the accolade may offer an opportunity to introduce the college to new partners for future collaboration in a range of areas.

“It is also positive for our students, graduates and external partners that the profile of their institution is raised both in Ireland and globally. More generally, it is important to see an institution like DIT, that provides high quality education to a diverse set of learners at various levels, being profiled on the basis of reputation for teaching and research activity,” a spokesperson said.

NUIM president Professor Philip Nolan welcomed the university’s position, while acknowledging such rankings are subjective and built largely on opinion.

“This achievement is recognition of the scholarly reputations of our staff, the quality of our research, and our collective efforts to provide an outstanding education for our students,” he said.

The university was established as an autonomous institution in 1997, evolving from St Patrick’s College Maynooth which was opened in the 18th century.

DCU president Prof Brian MacCraith said its achievement builds on its appearance earlier this year in the QS ranking of the best 50 universities opened in the last 50 years.

“DCU is again part of a prestigious group that includes an increasing number of highly-funded Asian universities,” he said.

Of 29 countries represented in THE’s 100 Under 50 table, Ireland is one of just 12 with three or more colleges, having the same number as Hong Kong, Portugal and Sweden.

But Britain and Australia each have 14 representatives, followed by eight in the United States, seven in Spain and six each in France and Germany.

NUI Maynooth made it into the top 400 of THE’s wider World University Rankings last October, which featured Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin in 129th and 161st, respectively, and University College Cork in the top 200.