The higher education admissions system has continuously expanded to meet demand and greater student diversity, including through the provision of new and innovative courses. The CAO 2026 handbook lists more than 1,100 undergraduate courses to which students can apply. Of these, approximately 360 courses are in the university sector, the others being in the Technological Universities, other colleges, and private higher education providers.
Increasing demand can be seen in the approximately 48,500 new 1st year undergraduate students enrolled in 2024 by public higher education providers (universities, TUs, and other colleges), of which over 26,500 were in the university sector. This compares to approximately 42,400 new 1st year students admitted in 2014 across the sector, of which over 21,500 were in the university sector.
Within a broader competitive higher education and funding environment, it is to be expected that HE providers seek to attract eligible students, including those students who achieve high grades in the Leaving Certificate, to study at their institutions. While many universities offer broad 1st year entry routes into engineering, arts, science, etc, where students can specialise as they advance through the undergraduate curriculum, many HE providers also offer smaller, bespoke courses in particular fields of study, often in response to employer demand. It is the case that such courses, given the smaller number of places and the higher demand, often result in higher entry points requirements. IUA universities keep all aspects of the admissions process under regular review with the aim of achieving the twin goals of promoting academic excellence and supporting people from every community and background with the potential to access higher education to do so supportively and sustainably.
With regard to transparency, the points methodology is published in the CAO handbook and on the admissions page of every university website. Retention data is gathered and published yearly by the Higher Education Authority, using the HEA’s student record system which is the basis for each university’s core funding allocation.
Socio-economic bias is an internationally recognised feature of highly academic school-leaving examinations such as the Leaving Certificate. To counter this, the Department of Education and Youth has invested heavily in the DEIS programme over recent decades. And since 2009, the higher education institutions, led by the universities, have operated the HEAR and DARE schemes, which offer reserved quotas of places for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and students with disabilities, respectively. In 2026, 9% of CAO applicants indicated that they wished to apply to HEAR, and 16% to DARE, demonstrating the continued importance of these access pathways for disadvantaged students.
Following the recent revision of the HEAR eligibility criteria, early 2026 data shows record numbers of applicants from key priority groups, including those who are care-experienced, from the Traveller and Roma communities, those who have experienced homelessness, and those who are young parents. It is not just about numbers, we are trying to support the most disadvantaged students, and these encouraging figures from key target groups show how important widening participation and equality of access are to Irish higher education institutions.
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