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CAO points may rise for third-level courses

  • 31-03-2010 9:34am
    #1
    redout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,435 ✭✭✭✭


    CAO POINTS for many popular third-level courses are set to increase this year after figures confirmed a record level of demand from students.
    A Higher Education Authority (HEA) report shows the number of applicants reached a record high of 71,843 in 2010, an increase of 6.2 per cent from 2009.

    Career experts predict that CAO points for higher level courses in arts, business and science could increase this year.

    But points could fall for law and architecture, sectors where many graduates are struggling to secure employment.

    The study also shows that first-preference applications for medicine and other healthcare programmes have increased while there has been a slight fall in the demand for law and business courses. The report by Dr Vivienne Patterson, head of statistics at the HEA, underlines the dominance of arts and humanities in higher education in Ireland.

    Almost 16,000 students have put arts/humanities degree courses as their first choice, representing more than one-quarter of all students. Over 10 per cent of students also made teaching courses their first option and some 15 per cent opted for business courses as their first preference.

    By contrast, only six per cent of students made science their first option. Overall, just four per cent of students listed courses in engineering or computers as their first preference. But the HEA has been encouraged by the increase in applications for courses linked to science and technology.
    The figures show students deserting courses linked to the property and construction sectors.

    First-preference applications for construction courses dropped from 2,225 in 2009 to 1,758 in 2010. These make up 2.8 per cent of first preference applicants compared to 7.1 per cent in 2007.

    The HEA said the record level of applications shows that demand for higher education remains very strong. It anticipates that more third-level places than ever before will be offered this autumn.

    More than two out of three 18-year-olds in Ireland proceed to higher education compared to one in five 30 years ago, the authority said. However, the record student numbers will place further strains on the higher education sector, which is already struggling to cope with a six per cent drop in funding.

    Earlier this year, HEA chief executive Tom Boland raised the prospect of a cap on student numbers at third level. While colleges have ruled out a cap this year, pressure on funding means they cannot expand the number of places to meet increased demand.

    There are over 110,000 full-time undergraduate students in Ireland. Mr Boland has warned that the State “cannot increase the student numbers year on year’’ without addressing funding.

    Irish Times


    Of interest as it gives an indication of how many applied for what courses.


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