Athlone Institute of Technology was established in 1970 and has developed rapidly since its foundation, and to facilitate this growth the original building has been extended on several occasions within its 42-acre landscaped campus, which is situated off the Dublin Road approximately 1.5 miles from the town centre. The main campus building currently houses the Schools of Business, Engineering, Humanities and Science; the Library; the Information Technology Centre; the main student canteen facilities and the institute’s administration offices. The institute also has a building in the town centre which has been refurbished to cater for the institute’s design programmes. The Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure building is a landmark building on the main campus and a new Student Services Complex is expected to be developed in the near future. The Institute’s East Campus is the location of the recently commissioned nursing education and health sciences building, an innovation centre and the recently refurbished engineering trades facility. 1999 saw the opening of ‘Scribes’ the Student Social Centre, and the institute’s state-of-the-art fitness suite was opened in late 2000. Off-campus modern student accommodation is available within walking distance of the institute.

The institute currently offers an extensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to over 5,000 staff and students, which has been a factor in attracting many industries to the town and the region. There are students from over 20 differenct countries attending the AIT. The Institute is an important contributor to the local economy and to the shaping of Athlone