{"id":3371,"date":"2019-11-21T23:51:20","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T23:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factcheckni.org\/?p=3371"},"modified":"2022-02-27T23:10:39","modified_gmt":"2022-02-27T23:10:39","slug":"are-there-40000-third-level-students-in-the-northwest-of-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factcheckni.org\/topics\/economy\/are-there-40000-third-level-students-in-the-northwest-of-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Are there 40,000 third-level students in the northwest of Ireland?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Available data shows 9,370 third-level students in northwest Ireland, with approximately 3,300 graduates a year in the region. The Ireland Northwest Trade & Investment mission may have included figures for Ulster University Coleraine, which is outside the geography covered by the partnership. Even so, the claim is a large overestimation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

40,000 third-level students<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 12 November 2019, Derry City and Strabane Council published a promotional video<\/a>, in which it claimed that “Ireland Northwest” contained \u201c40,000 third level students\u201d with \u201c7,000 graduates annually ready for employment\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The claim of 40,000 third-level students is also made on the mission\u2019s website<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video was produced for a project called Ireland Northwest. A dedicated website<\/a> provides a description: \u201cThe Ireland Northwest Trade & Investment Mission is a collaboration between Donegal County Council and Derry City & Strabane District Council.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the video, there is an image of a map, overlaid with the constituent boundaries of the two council areas. This infers the geographical area that is represented by the \u201ckey facts\u201d that Ireland Northwest presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What is third-level education?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Northern Ireland, NI Direct<\/a> defines third-level education as \u201chigher education\u201d that takes place \u201cafter you leave school\u201d and at universities and Further Education colleges. It notes that this may include Bachelor\u2019s degrees, postgraduate qualifications, foundation degrees, Higher National Certificates (HNC), Higher National Diplomas (HND), and \u201ccertificates and other academic awards granted by a university or higher education college\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Republic of Ireland, Citizens Information<\/a> defines the third-level education sector as consisting of \u201cuniversities, institutes of technology, and colleges of education – collectively known as higher education institutions or HEIs\u201d. Third-level qualifications are Levels 6-10 in the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using these definitions, the providers of third-level education in northwest Ireland (i.e the constituencies covered by Ireland Northwest) are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Ulster University (UU), Magee Campus<\/a><\/li>
  2. North West Regional College (NWRC)<\/a>, which has campuses in Derry\/Londonderry, Limavady, and Strabane<\/li>
  3. Letterkenny Institute of Technology<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Are there 40,000 third-level students enrolled in these colleges?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In short, no. There are 9,370 third-level students enrolled in these colleges. The breakdown is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n