University College Dublin (UCD) has been named as The Sunday Times University of the Year 2012.
It’s the second time the university has been awarded the title since the award began 10 years ago.
The university was awarded the title based on their recent investments in student support and infrastructure. UCD recently opened an 11,000sq metre student centre costing €50 million. The centre includes a 50m Olympic specification swimming pool, a 90-seat cinema, a tournament grade debating chamber named after the late Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald and a 125-seat theatre.
The title was also awarded to the university based on its popularity with Leaving Cert students.
NUI Galway (NUIG) was named by the paper as the University of the Year runner-up because of its improved performance in world rankings, having gone from 298 to 287 in the QS World Rankings.
Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) was named the best IT of the Year, with Dundalk IT the runner-up. LIT’s low drop-out rate and ability to attract students were the key factors that led to the IT receiving the award.
Trinity College was named the top university in Ireland for the 10th year in a row. UCD came second with University College Cork (UCC) third. Trinity is the most difficult university to get into, with UCD the second hardest.
UCC was last year’s University of the Year and DCU was awarded the title in 2010.
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