What Mary Immaculate College does

Mary Immaculate College (MIC) is a University-level College of Education and Liberal Arts, established in 1898 and headquartered on South Circular Road, Limerick, Ireland. It is academically linked with the University of Limerick through a formal Memorandum of Understanding and operates a second campus at St Patrick's in Thurles (incorporated in 2016). The institution serves a student body of more than 5,000 across undergraduate programmes in Primary and Post-Primary Education, Psychology, Liberal Arts, and Early Childhood Care and Education; postgraduate programmes at Diploma, MA and PhD level; and short-term offerings including the Western Europe Semester with St John's University, New York.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and student contributions (Irish/EU undergraduates are typically covered by the HEA Free Fees Initiative, with a student contribution charge reduced to €2,500 from €3,000 in Budget 2026), course-specific levies, SUSI grant administration, conference and room-hire income, payment-plan service charges, and international student tuition processed via paytostudy.com. Distribution leverages the Central Applications Office (CAO) for domestic undergraduates, a dedicated International Office for inbound and outbound mobility, and a network of more than 100 partner universities worldwide — over 60 of them across 17 European countries via Erasmus+ KA131. Core technology comprises the Moodle learning management system (used to deliver over 80% of the LINC Programme content online through nine regional centres), Google Analytics for web measurement, and Mailchimp for alumni newsletters; the institution is GDPR-compliant and operates under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 as a public body.

Governance rests with a Board of Trustees and An tÚdarás Rialaithe (chaired by the Bishop of Limerick), with operational leadership headed by President Prof. Dermot Nestor (appointed 11 November 2024), Vice-President Academic Affairs Prof. Niamh Hourigan, and Vice-President of Administration & Finance Michael Keane. The 2025–2030 Strategic Plan 'Pathways Lit, Futures Found' frames forward direction, including continuation of flagship programmes such as the LINC inclusion consortium (with Early Childhood Ireland and Maynooth University), the CAPES-Brazil scholarship partnership, and a 10-year collaboration with the Middletown Centre for Autism.

Name

Mary Immaculate College

Legal name

Mary Immaculate College

Website

https://mic.ul.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Mary Immaculate College (MIC) is an 1898-founded Irish College of Education and Liberal Arts, academically linked with the University of Limerick, serving 5,000+ students across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes on two campuses in Limerick and Thurles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Limerick

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition and Fees: Undergraduate programmes generate revenue through tuition fees covered by HEA Free Fees Initiative for eligible EU students, student contribution charge of €2,500, and course-specific levies. Non-EU students pay higher tuition rates.
2. Postgraduate Tuition and Fees: Postgraduate programmes charge tuition fees for both EU and non-EU students at varying rates. Revenue generated through student contribution fees and programme-specific levies.
3. Student Contributions and Levies: Student Contribution Charge of €2,500 (reduced from €3,000 due to Budget 2026 reduction of €500) plus course-specific levies not covered by SUSI grants or government funding.
4. SUSI Grant Administration: Administering student grants from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) including maintenance payments and tuition fee coverage for eligible students.
5. Conference and Room Facilities Rental: Campus facilities in Limerick and Thurles are rented to external parties for conferences, meetings, sporting and cultural events, lectures, workshops, and other activities. Availability is limited during term time weekdays 9am-6pm.
6. International Student Recruitment: Revenue from international students paying non-EU tuition rates, including partnerships with St. John's University New York and CAPES scholarship programme hosting Brazilian teachers.
7. Payment Plan Administration: Optional payment plan service splitting tuition and student contribution fees monthly from September to April with €50 charge for extended payment plan until April 30, 2027.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mary Immaculate College is a higher education institution delivering undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in Education (Primary and Post-Primary Teacher Education) and Liberal Arts (Psychology, Liberal Arts, Early Childhood Care and Education). The college also offers short-term international programmes, English Language courses, Erasmus+ mobility, and continuing professional development across its two campuses in Limerick and Thurles, serving over 5,000 students.

Product overview

Mary Immaculate College offers a comprehensive educational portfolio consisting of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in Education and the Liberal Arts, alongside specialized international mobility and professional development offerings. The institution operates multi-campus facilities in Limerick and Thurles, serving over 5,000 students. Key products include undergraduate programmes in Primary/Post-Primary Education, Psychology, Liberal Arts, and Early Childhood Care and Education; taught and research postgraduate programmes; short-term international programmes including the Western Europe Semester partnership with St John's University; English Language courses for international students; and Erasmus+ mobility programmes connecting with over 100 partner universities globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CRAFT (Community Response and Feedback Team): Community engagement and outreach initiative focused on STEAM education for children and families across the Mid-West region, serving over 40,000 children and families.
• MIC Munster GAA Centre of Excellence
• Wired FM
• MIC Music Centre

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programmes Undergraduate degree programmes in Primary and Post-Primary Education, Psychology, Liberal Arts, and Early Childhood Care and Education. Includes Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts degrees for prospective students applying through the CAO system. Over 5,000 students enrolled across MIC's undergraduate offering.
• Postgraduate Programmes Postgraduate programmes at Diploma, MA and PhD levels across education and liberal arts disciplines. Available to students pursuing career advancement and research opportunities. Programme-specific fees vary by discipline and residency status.
• Short-Term Programmes Credit and non-credit short-term programmes for international students during the academic year, January break, or summer. Includes faculty-led programmes, the Western Europe Semester partnership with St. John's University, and customised study abroad offerings.
• English Language Programmes IELTS (Academic) preparation for students planning to study at university, and Improve Your English (General) courses for broader language skills development. Targeted at international students needing English language proficiency.
• Erasmus+ Mobility Programmes Staff and student mobility programmes under KA131 (EU) and KA171 (non-EU) Erasmus+ strands. Enables international exchanges, professional development opportunities, and credit transfers with 60+ European partner universities under KA131.
• Study Abroad/Exchange Programmes International study abroad opportunities at partner universities across Europe, Australia, North and South America, Japan, China and Africa for students in Years 2-3 of various undergraduate programmes. Supports credit transfer back to MIC degree pathways.
• LINC (Leadership in Inclusion in the Early Years) Programme A consortium-led programme (with Early Childhood Ireland and Maynooth University Froebel Department) supporting inclusion of children with additional needs in early years settings. Over 80% of content is delivered online, with classroom sessions offered at nine regional centres across Ireland. Operates as part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) introduced in 2016.
• Graduate Diploma in Mentoring & Leadership in Education A one-year Graduate Diploma programme partnered with CAPES (Brazilian Government Scholarship Agency) that hosts the top 30 teachers from Brazil each year for three years. Targeted at international educators seeking leadership development in education.
• Conference and Room Facilities Rental Campus facilities in Limerick and Thurles rented to external parties for conferences, meetings, sporting and cultural events, lectures, and workshops. Availability is limited during term time weekdays 9am-6pm.
• Lifelong Learning Programmes Continuing education and professional development programmes for mature learners. Course-specific fees with separate fee schedules for undergraduate lifelong learning courses, repeat fees and placement fees published separately.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 students enrolled across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• University of LimerickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic affiliation agreement between MIC and University of Limerick. MIC is described as 'academically linked with the University of Limerick.' The MOU details service level agreements and collaborative arrangements between institutions.
• St. Patrick's College, ThurlescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncorporated into Mary Immaculate College as MIC Thurles Campus. Fr. Tom Fogarty led the transition from St. Patrick's College as it developed into a College of Education with links to TUS (Technological University of the Shannon) and University of Limerick before incorporation.
• St. John's University, New YorkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Europe Semester programme partnership allowing St. John's students to study in three European cities including Limerick, Paris and Rome. MIC hosts approximately 300 students per year. Both Western Europe Semester and Western Europe: Business programmes run successfully since January 2018.
• CAPES (Brazilian Government Scholarship Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract with Brazilian Government to host top 30 teachers from Brazil each year for three years. Teachers undertake a one-year Graduate Diploma in Mentoring & Leadership in Education at MIC.
• Middletown Centre for AutismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10-year partnership marking excellence in Autism Education. MIC and Middletown Centre collaborate on programmes supporting students with autism spectrum needs through the Autism Studies programme.
• Early Childhood IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLINC (Leadership in Inclusion in the Early Years) Programme consortium partner. The programme supports inclusion of children with additional needs in early years settings and is part of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) introduced in 2016.
• Maynooth University - Froebel DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLINC Programme consortium partner alongside MIC and Early Childhood Ireland, contributing expertise in early childhood education and Froebel methodologies.
• 100+ Partner Universities WorldwidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 100 university partnerships across Europe (60+ via Erasmus+ KA131), Australia, North and South America, Japan, China and Africa enabling student and staff exchange, study abroad opportunities, and collaborative research.
• Erasmus+ KA131 Partner UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 60 partner universities across Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland under Erasmus+ KA131 exchange programme.
• Lime Tree TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue partnership. Michael Keane, Vice-President of Administration & Finance at MIC, sits on the Board of the Lime Tree Theatre.
• MIC Munster GAA Centre of ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Munster GAA for Centre of Excellence located at MIC campus, supporting Gaelic Games and sports development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• University College Dublin (UCD): Large research-led public university with School of Education and broad liberal arts portfolio. Competes with MIC for Irish school leavers, postgraduate researchers, and international students.
• Trinity College Dublin: Ireland's oldest university, comprehensive multi-faculty institution with strong teacher education through its School of Education. Broad incumbent competing for similar Irish undergraduate applicants and faculty.
• University of Limerick: Public research university academically linked with MIC via formal MOU. Directly comparable because MIC students operate within UL's academic ecosystem; UL is the most natural institutional peer given the affiliation and shared Limerick region.
• University of Galway: Public research university with substantial education and liberal arts programmes, recruiting across the same Irish secondary-school catchment area. Competes for international students and postgraduate research talent.

Direct peers

• Dublin City University - Institute of Education: Incorporated College of Education with strong teacher-training focus. Closest direct peer to MIC among Irish Colleges of Education in terms of programme mix, scale, and recent institutional evolution.
• Marino Institute of Education: Dublin-based College of Education offering undergraduate and postgraduate teacher-education programmes with a Catholic ethos. Closest direct peer to MIC in mission, scale, and denominational positioning within the Irish Colleges of Education sector.
• St Angela's College (Atlantic Technological University): Formerly independent College of Education, now part of ATU, offering teacher-education and home-economics programmes. Comparable in being a former independent education college that has undergone structural integration.
• Maynooth University: Public university and LINC Programme consortium partner through its Froebel Department. Direct peer in early childhood and liberal arts education; shares programme design and accreditation exposure with MIC.
• Froebel College of Education (Maynooth): Specialised College of Education within Maynooth University focused on early childhood and primary teaching, and a LINC consortium partner. Directly comparable specialisation and student profile to MIC's education portfolio.

Regional players

• South East Technological University (SETU): Multi-campus technological university in Ireland's south-east region offering education and liberal arts programmes. Comparable multi-campus model and overlapping teacher-education portfolio, though operating in a different regional catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/maryicollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/maryimmaculatecollegeireland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/mary-immaculate-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/mic_ireland
• TikToktiktok.com/@maryimmaculatecollege
• Xx.com/MICLimerick

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mary Immaculate College