AIT remains top ranked IT in the country in university guide

AIT has retained its position as the highest ranked institute of technology in the country in the new edition of The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021.

The institute finished seventh of the 19 third level institutions assessed, behind Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin, NUI Galway, Dublin City University and University of Limerick,

The local institute also topped the student experience ratings nationally based on an annual student survey.

The Sunday Times said AIT remains the top-ranked IT in the Sunday Times Good University Guide, partly due to its success in the student experience ratings and it also had the highest student participation rate in the annual survey.

Student experience scores play a critical role in influencing the annual Sunday Times rankings for third-level institutions. Introduced into The Sunday Times Good University Guide table in 2018, student experience has the heaviest weighting; ensuring students have a direct input into where their institution ranks.

The extra 10 points AIT gained in the rankings compared to Waterford IT (WIT), one place below it overall, were critical in keeping it in top position in the IT sector, although WIT takes the Institute of Technology of the Year award for the third time since the award was launched in 2004 and the first time since 2009.

AIT’s performance in this year’s table puts it in a good place for a strong debut in future domestic rankings once it has come together with Limerick Institute of Technology to form a new Technological University for the Midlands and Midwest, which is expected to happen next year.

The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 provides the definitive rankings for Irish universities and the most comprehensive overview of higher education in the country.

For the 19th successive year, Trinity tops The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 third-level league table. it has the highest spend on facilities and services of any Irish third-level institution and attracts by far the best qualified students, who enter the university with 489 Leaving Certificate points on average. It also attracts the largest share of the research grants of any third level institution.

However, Dublin City University was chosen as the University of the Year.