Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
Shutterstock/Ivan Chudakov
# CAO
Surge in applications for environment, education, and journalism courses
There has been a 136% increase in applications from other EU countries, and a 9% increase overall.
THERE HAS BEEN a significant increase in environment courses at both Level 8 and Level 6/7, as well as a 289% increase in first-preference applications for Level 6/7 education courses, data from the Central Applications Office (CAO) shows.
Overall, there has been a 9% increase in the total CAO applications this year compared to last, with a 136% increase in applications from other EU countries.
There were a total of 84,526 applications to Level 8 or Level 6/7 courses, compared to 77,831 applications last year.
There were 5,256 applications from other EU countries, and 968 from Great Britain. There were 1,431 from Northern Ireland, representing an increase of 1% on the previous year.
Level 6/7
For Level 6/7 courses, there was a 289% increase in first-preference applications for education courses, and a 182% increase overall (second, third preferences, etc).
Environment courses saw a 34% increase in first-preference applications, and a 56% increase overall. There was a 27% drop in first-preference and a 38% drop in all applications for programmes and qualifications involving agriculture, forestry, and veterinary.
Social and behavioural sciences saw a 46% increase in first-preference applications, with a 39% increase overall.
Biological and related sciences saw a 16% first-preference increase.
Level 6/7 journalism courses saw a drop of 38% in first-preference applications, though there was a 26% increase in applications overall.
Level 8
Environment Level 8 courses saw a 50% increase in first-preference applications, and a 74% increase overall.
There was a 42% increase in first-preference applications for journalism and information Level 8 courses, and a 49% increase overall.
There was a 20% increase in first-preference applications for medicine courses.
There was a 30% drop in first-preference applications for Level 8 interdisciplinary and qualifications involving arts and humanities, as well as a 29% drop overall for those courses.
Manufacturing and processing courses saw a 28% drop in first-preference applications, and transport services saw a 51% decrease on last year.
Last Wednesday, Round A of CAO offers were issued, with nearly 6,700 students receiving offers for Level 6, Level 7 and Level 8 courses. All offers must be accepted before 3pm tomorrow.
The next round of offers, Round Zero, is due on 5 August. A reply must be received on 10 August.
Leaving Cert results aren’t due to be released until 3 September, under an assessment mixed between Calculated Grades and written exams. The Round One CAO offers are due at 2pm on 7 September, and Round Two from 10am 20 September.
