College points on the rise after 5% jump in CAO applications

Entry points for college courses are set to rise further this year as figures show a 5 per cent jump in the number of students applying to the Central Applications Office (CAO) since 2013.

A total of 74,499 applications had been received by the CAO at its deadline on Sunday, up from 73,063 in 2014 and 71,151 the previous year.

Late applications can still be made under a facility that opens in March and runs until May 1st. A fee of €50 is charged for online applicants and €80 for paper applicants.

Existing applicants can change their course courses under a separate facility which opens on CAO.ie on Wednesday, February 5th.

This allows restricted-category applicants such as mature students to add course choices and for applicants who want to include a restricted course on their CAO application. A fee of €10 applies.

A separate free “change of mind” facility, geared for this year’s school-leavers, opens in May and closes on July 1st.

The increase in applicants this year reflects the rising number of students coming through second-level education.

In last year’s CAO offers, points rose across a number of fields of study including architecture, science, engineering and law. The bounce was exaggerated by the record number of students passing honours maths in the Leaving Cert, earning 25 bonus points in the process.

The most popular architecture and engineering courses rose 20 to 25 points, and prestigious science and law courses rose 5 to 10 points.

An analysis of CAO first preferences last year showed demand for architecture was up 13.5 per cent, engineering was up 5.8 per cent, business was up 4.4 per cent, and law was up 5.5 per cent.

The pressure demographic trends are putting on college entry points was highlighted in a discussion document published last week by an expert group on future funding for higher education.

The expert group, which is consulting stakeholders before making recommendations to the Department of Education on a future funding model, said based on the third-level participation rate remaining at 56 per cent, total full-time enrolments in 2028 are projected to increase to 212,000, or up by 28 per cent.

"High birth rates in Ireland over the last 15 years have led to a substantial increase in the numbers going through the school system. Both increased numbers and an increase in retention rates in second level result in projections for second level enrolments growing from 338,000 in 2014 to a peak of some 405,000 in 2025."

The report noted the increased pressure on higher education institutions and the state at a time when income was falling, and where half of students had their registration charges either partly or entirely covered by grants.

“Current demographics mean that even in the event of a significant drop in the [/THIRD LEVEL/]participation rate, the system is still facing considerable growth in numbers.”

As for this year’s crop of school-leavers, CAO general manager Joseph O’Grady said: “Students with concerns about their options or their application should consult their guidance counsellor, the admissions officers in individual institutions, and read the CAO Handbook.

“If they cannot find the answer to their application query they can e-mail CAO using the ‘contact’ page on the website.”