There are a number of private colleges in Ireland that award degrees, validated either by QQI or by foreign universities.
Prominent among them are Dublin Business School (DBS), Griffith College, Hibernia College, the National College of Ireland (NCI), and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).
Several of these colleges are members of the Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA).
The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019 allows private institutions to apply for university designation, against a demanding set of criteria. Designation was awarded to the RCSI on 10 December 2019.