For over 160 years UCD has stayed true to the vision of its founding rector John Henry Newman, whose The Idea of a University sought to create a university that would “benefit the wider world” whilst encouraging “true enlargement of mind”.
Today, University College Dublin is one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities and is ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions world-wide. In the 2018 QS World University Rankings by Subject, Veterinary Science at UCD is ranked 24th in the world and Nursing is 31st. In total, UCD has 12 subjects ranked in the world’s top 100, and 30 in the top 200.
UCD is also Ireland's most globally engaged university with over 7,700 international students among 30,000 students drawn from over 138 countries, including 5,500 students based at locations outside of Ireland. The University's main Dublin campus occupies an extensive parkland estate of more than 130 hectares and offers world-leading facilities including the UCD O'Brien Centre for Science, UCD Sutherland School of Law, UCD Lochlan Quinn School of Business and UCD Student Centre. The campus offers students access to a thriving, English-speaking European capital city, which is among the safest in the world and is renowned for its welcome as much as it is for its vibrancy.
As Ireland's largest university, with its great strength and diversity of disciplines, UCD embraces its role to contribute to the flourishing of Ireland, Europe and the wider world; through the study and discussion of people, society, business, economy, culture, languages and the creative arts, as well as through research and innovation. The University's Strategy 2015-2020 outlines the objectives and major strategic initiatives set in place in order to accomplish UCD's mission and vision for this era.
