Northern Ireland provides a wide range of options for further education through its regional colleges (for further education), and other specialist colleges for teacher training and the agri-food sector. Regional colleges, in particular, enrol large numbers of adult learners. Many young people choose to travel to Great Britain to continue their education although this has, for many years, caused concern about a ‘brain drain‘ effect and the difficulty in retaining skills and knowledge in the region’s economy. The relatively low cost of living and higher quality of life in smaller and closer-knit communities, though, is an attraction for many students and graduates from Britain, the rest of Ireland and elsewhere.

In 2019-2020, the last year before disruption to school exams by the Covid-19 pandemic, 48% of school leavers in Northern Ireland entered higher education, 29% entered further education, 10% entered training, 9% entered employment, 3% became unemployed and the destination for a further 2% was unknown.

List of further education colleges in Northern Ireland

This is a list of current further education and higher education colleges in Northern Ireland most of which provide both levels of qualification.

Further education colleges offer courses for people over the age of 14, involving school-level qualifications such as Higher Grade exams, as well as work-based learning and apprenticeships. Higher education colleges also offer undergraduate qualifications and post-graduate qualifications.

Northern Irish colleges are funded the Department for the Economy (DfE).

Useful links:

ENG:

Inspection reports – Further Education:

https://www.etini.gov.uk/publications/type/inspectionreports/organisational/further-education-3