Maynooth University is home to about 14,000 students from 95 different countries. This results in an international student population of 17%. Furthermore, 15% of full-time students are handicapped, and 28% are from targeted socioeconomic groups. Every year, about 2,700 international students attend Maynooth University. Maynooth University has a robust international program in which it has collaborated with several overseas institutions to provide exchange programs and international exposure for students. Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy, Science and Engineering, and Social Sciences are the university's three faculties. Maynooth University includes 30 departments that provide courses in a variety of subjects.

All graduating students receive extensive career counseling from Maynooth University, which assists them in developing resumes, writing cover letters, practicing for interviews, and organizing job fairs where all students can meet employers. Maynooth University has five residence halls for full-time enrolled students: The Courtyard Plaza, The Courtyard Apartment, The River Apartment, The Village Apartment, and The Rye Hall. Over 100 student clubs and organizations are available to students, including rugby, badminton, tennis, surfing, canoeing, archery, and kayaking.

The StudyPortals Foreign Student Satisfaction Award says that the international students at Maynooth University are the happiest in Europe. There are approximately 100 clubs and organizations on campus, in addition to the Students' Union, which provide the lifeblood of student activities. For students in need of financial aid, Maynooth University provides more than 60 scholarships, including the MU Entrance Scholarships, the MU Sports Scholarships, and the Google Women Techmakers Undergraduate Scholar Award for USD 1000.

Maynooth University has a lengthy history and an extensive list of accomplishments. Maynooth University was ranked fourth in the Irish Sunday Times University League Table 2008, the newspaper's annual ranking of Irish third-level colleges. In 2010, Maynooth University had the biggest increase in first-choice school-leaver applications in the Maynooth University sector. Many notable alumni include Noel Dempsey (TD and Cabinet Minister), Cornelius Denvir (mathematician, natural philosopher, and bishop), and Gerald Molloy (theologian and physicist).