Now that we’re well into the first term of the school year, it’s time to start thinking about college open days.
And while you might be thinking that it’s FAR too early for that, college open days have been taking place since mid-August!
In this blog, we’re going to go through EVERYTHING you need to know about college open days, what to expect from them, as well as a complete list of all the college open day dates for the 2023-2024 year!
But that’s not all! We also have BONUS content about the Higher Options Exhibition 2023! Kepp reading for more information!
PS – If you’re looking for more advice on picking a college course, check out our blog on 3 Practical Tips for Choosing A College Course!
What are Open Days?
Open days are organized by third-level institutions to give prospective students a comprehensive view of what the institution has to offer and to help them make informed decisions about their CAO choices.
They provide prospective students and their families the opportunity to visit the campus, learn about course offerings, explore facilities, meet current students, and get a feel for the overall campus vibe.
Often, there will be opportunities to attend campus tours, course presentations, Q&A Sessions, and sample lectures.
Hence, open days are an excellent opportunity for you to get a sense of the institution and whether it aligns with what you’re looking for from a college. It allows you to gather information that might not be easily accessible through the website.
Attending Open days is particularly helpful to any students who will be filling out their CAO this November, but also to TY and Fifth Year students who may want to start narrowing down their options earlier on.
However, for TY and Fifth Year students, the Higher Options Exhibition can be an effective introduction to picking out your top choice courses!
What is Higher Options?
The Higher Options Exhibition is an annual event organised by The Irish Times that provides secondary school students with the opportunity to explore various educational options available to them after completing their Leaving Cert.
Representatives from higher education institutions set up stands with brochures, prospectuses, and other important information for students to look at as they walk through the exhibition.
Many are also happy to answer any questions you have about the HEI they are representing, but there is also a live Q&A session and a full programme of talks from industry experts.
Over 150 universities, colleges and educational providers will be at Higher Options this year. The full list will be made available here in September.
Plus, this year, the Higher Options Exhibition will be teaming up Worldskills Ireland, which showcases apprenticeships and skills with live demonstrations and competitions, meaning there will be something there for everyone!
The Higher Options Exhibition takes place in the RDS in Dublin from the 20th to the 22nd of September 2023. You can book your ticket here.
Open Days 2023-2024
Below is a table of all of the dates for college open days that have been announced so far:
Dates | Institution |
16 August | Griffith College – Dublin Campus NLN Roslyn College (Online) Progressive College (BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education & Care) (Online) |
23 August | ATU Donegal – Letterkenny Campus Irish College of Humanities & Applied Sciences (ICHAS) NLN Roslyn College (Online) |
28 August | Bray Institute of Further Education |
29 August | Dublin Business School (Online) NLN Roslyn College Sallynoggin College of Further Education |
30 August | Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board Griffith College – Dublin Campus Monaghan Institute NLN Roslyn College (Online) Rathmines College* (Town Hall Building) |
31 August | Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute Mayo College of FE & Training – Ballina Campus Mayo College of FE & Training – Castlebar Campus Mayo College of FE & Training – Westport Campus |
04 September | Blackrock Further Education Institute |
05 September | Dublin Business School |
06 September | An Cosán |
07 September | Moate Business College Open Training College (BA Social Care, BA (Hons) Applied Social Studies – Disability Service Management) |
08 September | Moate Business College |
12 September | Dublin Business School (Online) Dun Laoghaire Further Education Institute |
13 September | Bray Institute of Further Education |
20 September | Bray Institute of Further Education Higher Options |
21 September | Higher Options |
22 September | Higher Options |
26 September | TUS Limerick – Moylish Campus (5th Years studying Engineering) |
27 September | Bray Institute of Further Education |
04 October | ATU Galway/Mayo – Mountbellew Campus Mountbewllew Agricultural College |
06 October | Teagasc Agricultural College – Ballyhaise Campus Teagasc Agricultural College – Kildalton Campus University of Galway |
07 October | Teagasc Agricultural College – Ballyhaise Campus Teagasc Agricultural College – Kildalton Campus University of Galway |
12 October | Shannon College of Hotel Management |
13 October | Gurteen Agricultural College MTU Kerry Campus Teagasc Agricultural College – Clonakilty |
14 October | University College Cork (UCC) |
17 October | University College Dublin – Lochlann Quinn School of Business |
18 October | ATU Galway/Mayo – Mayo Campus |
19 October | Mary Immaculate College Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD) – Clare Street TUS Limerick – Moylish University of Limerick (UL) |
20 October | Mary Immaculate College Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD) – Clare Street TUS Athlone TUS Limerick – Moylish Campus University of Limerick (UL) |
21 October | TUS Athlone |
24 October | ATU Galway/Mayo – Wellpark Road Campus |
26 October | Open Training College (BA in Contemporary Disability Studies) SETU Carlow |
28 October | ATU Galway/Mayo – Dublin Road Campus |
01 November | TUS Clonmel |
04 November | The Lir Academy Trinity College Dublin (TCD) |
06 November | Ballyfermot College of Further Education |
07 November | University of Galway |
09 November | ATU Donegal – Letterkenny Campus National Maritime College of Ireland SETU Waterford |
10 November | ATU Connemara SETU Waterford TU Dublin – Blanchardstown |
11 November | Mary Immaculate College – Thurles Campus National College of Ireland (NCI) TUS Thurles University College Dublin |
15 November | Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) Liberties College |
16 November | Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture – Botanic Gardens |
17 November | MTU Cork – Bishopstown Campus SETU Carlow TU Dublin – Tallaght Campus ATU Sligo ATU Sligo – St. Angela’s Campus Dublin City University (DCU) – Glasnevin Campus |
18 November | ATU Sligo ATU Sligo – St. Angela’s Campus Dublin City University (DCU) – Glasnevin Campus Dublin City University (DCU) – St. Patrick’s Campus Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry |
21 November | National College of Art and Design (NCAD) |
22 November | Crumlin College of Further Education |
23 November | Coláiste Dhulaigh of Further Education Dunboyne College of Further Education |
24 November | Maynooth University Shannon College of Hotel Management St. Patrick’s Pontifical University |
25 November | Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire (IADT) Maynooth University |
02 December | TU Dublin – Grangegorman Campus |
05 January | Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) |
13 January | TUS Limerick – Moylish Campus (Engineering) |
16 January | Dublin City University (DCU) (Online) |
17 January | Ballyfermot College of Further Education Blackrock Further Education Institution (BFEI) Sallynoggin College of Further Education TU Dublin (Online) |
18 January | ATU Sligo ATU Sligo – St. Angela’s Ballsbridge College of Further Education Drogheda Institute of Further Education Rathmines College of Further Education TUS Clonmel |
19 January | Bray Institute of Further Education Liberties College |
20 January | Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) National College of Ireland (NCI) University of Limerick (UL) |
21 January | Cathal Brugha FET College – North Strand Campus Cathal Brugha FET College – Cathal Brugha St Campus |
24 January | ATU Donegal – Letterkenny Campus Carlow College – St. Patrick’s Campus Shannon College of Hotel Management |
25 January | ATU Galway/Mayo – Dublin Road Campus Greenhills College Inchicore College of Further Education |
06 February | University of Galway |
21 February | Cathal Brugha FET College – North Strand Campus Cathal Brugha FET College – Cathal Brugha St Campus |
24 February | National College of Art & Design |
29 February | Dunboyne College of Further Education |
01 March | Teagasc Agricultural College – Kildalton |
02 March | ATU Donegal – Letterkenny Campus |
05 March | Monaghan Institute |
06 March | ATU Galway/Mayo – Mountbellew Campus Mountbellew Agricultural College |
07 March | Bray Institute of Further Education Carlow College – St. Patrick’s Campus Mayo College of FE & Training – Ballina Campus Mayo College of FE & Training – Castlebar Campus Mayo College of FE & Training – Westport Campus O’Fiaich Institute |
08 March | Gurteen Agricultural College |
09 March | Institute of Art, Design and Technology Dun Laoghaire (IADT) University of Galway |
13 March | ATU Galway/Mayo – Mayo Campus |
14 March | Pearse College of Further Education |
15 March | Teagasc Agricultural College – Ballyhaise Teagasc Agricultural College – Clonakilty |
21 March | Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture – Botanic Gardens |
23 March | ATU Connemara |
13 April | ATU Galway/Mayo – Dublin Road Campus ATU Galway/Mayo – Wellpark Road Campus Dublin City University (DCU) – Glasnevin Campus Dublin City University (DCU) – St. Patrick’s Campus MTU Kerry Campus TU Dublin – Bolton Street Campus TU Dublin – Grangegorman Campus |
16 April | TU Dublin – Tallaght Campus |
17 April | Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) TUS Athlone |
18 April | SETU Waterford TU Dublin – Angier Street Campus TU Dublin – Blanchardstown Campus |
20 April | ATU Sligo ATU Sligo – St. Angela’s TU Dublin – Aungier Street |
27 April | ATU Galway/Mayo – Mountbellew Maynooth University St. Patrick’s Pontifical University |
30 April | Shannon College of Hotel Management (Online) |
02 May | ATU Donegal – Letterkenny Dublin City University (DCU) (Transition Year Students) – Glasnevin Campus |
09 May | Monaghan Institute |
11 May | SETU Carlow |
22 May | Cathal Brugha FET College – North Strand Campus Cathal Brugha FET College – Cathal Brugha St Campus |
23 May | Bray Institute of Further Education |
22 June | Salesian Agricultural College, Pallaskenry |
28 June | Dublin City University (DCU) – Glasnevin Campus |
29 June | Maynooth University St. Patrick’s Pontifical University |
There are also a number of institutions that have not announced open days for the 2023-2024 academic year:
- American College Dublin
- BIMM Institute Dublin
- Cavan Institute
- Cavan Monaghan ETB (Education and Training Board)
- Central College Limerick
- Colaiste Ide College of Further Education
- Cork College of Further Education and Training
- Donegal ETB (Education and Training Board)
- Dorset College Dublin
- Dundrum College of Further Education
- Dungarvan College
- Galway Technical Institute
- Grange Community College
- Hibernia College Dublin
- Kerry College
- Limerick College of Further Education (LCFE)
- Mayo College
- Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education and Training Board (ETB)
- Mullingar Community College
- National Fisheries College Greencastle
- Ormond College of Further Education
- Plunkett College
- Portobello Institute
- Setanta College
- Sligo College of Further Education
- St. Nicholas Montessori College Ireland
- Stillorgan College of Further Education
- Templemore College of Further Education
- The Law Society of Ireland
- Tullamore College
- Waterford College of Further Education
- Whitehall College of Further Education
We will update the list of open days whenever possible, but as always, you should consult the college website for the most accurate information.
Conclusion
Attending Higher Options or college open days can be a great way to get a deeper insight into your courses of interest, as well as what it would be like to study at a particular college, which is equally as important.
We recommend attending as many open days as you can. Even if you don’t have enough time during the school year, many universities will hold open days during the summer months. This is especially valuable to any sixth-years having second thoughts about where to go, as they usually take place just before the Change of Mind facility closes on the CAO.
You can also visit campuses at other points during the year to get a feel for the atmosphere. However you work it, we definitely encourage you to visit the institution you plan to spend the next few months or years at!
Stay tuned for more tips on going to college over the next few weeks!
Eve 🙂