A new report has identified a number of "institutional barriers" that are limiting access to third-level institutions on both sides of the border.
The research, carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), in partnership with the Shared Island Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, shows there are low levels of student mobility between both jurisdictions.
It says this is influenced by different entry requirements, costs, and a cap on university places in the North.
Using data from the 2020/21 academic year, researchers examined the movement of students over and back across the border, as well as trends relating to courses elsewhere in the UK.
Just 2.4% of students in higher education in Northern Ireland were from the South, with just 0.6% of those registered in institutions in the South travelling across the border to study.
In comparison, around 4,000 people from Ireland go to the rest of the UK each year to study, with a significant percentage of Northern students also going to England, Scotland or Wales.
While students from the North can apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO), they need to take four A-level subjects to achieve maximum points, something "only a handful" do.
The research also identifies the language requirement for many courses as limiting access from the North, where smaller numbers take a foreign language at A- or GCSE-level, compared to the number of Leaving Certificate students.
It suggests both CAO point equivalences and modern language requirements could be looked at, to increase the participation by Northern students in courses in the South.
Co-author of the report, Professor Emer Smyth, said an adjustment of the points system would be likely to make courses in the South a more realistic option for those from Northern Ireland.
The study says student mobility and enhanced cross-border cooperation could be enhanced by providing more school-based guidance of the various education options available.
The costs associated with having to travel away from home to college are also said to influence some applicants from Ireland, who can face lower accommodation charges by moving elsewhere.
The report finds students from Northern Ireland are more likely to apply for courses in border areas or in Dublin, unless they hope to study in the field of medicine. In those cases, geography plays less of a determining role when it comes to applications.
The Minister for Higher Education has said he will contact third-level institutions here, to examine how the recommendations in the report might be progressed.
Simon Harris said it was important to ensure that entry systems on both sides of the border worked, so that those hoping to study in either jurisdiction were not disadvantaged.
