Business studies, health, nursing, and medicine most popular first preference choices for students
Preference And Popular Applications The First Others The Were 10 Top Medicine Among In Choices Education, The In Most Nursing/midwifery,
Business studies, health, nursing, and medicine are the most popular first preference choices for this year’s Leaving Certificate students, according to the Central Applications Office (CAO).
Of the 76,899 applications the CAO received by the February 1 closing date, 12,132 applications were for health-related honours degrees, 8,850 were for business and admin, and 7,169 were for arts honours degree courses.
The others in the top 10 most popular among the first preference choices in applications were education, nursing/midwifery, and medicine.
They attracted 4,664, 3,750 and 3,454 first-preference applications respectively for honours degree courses, which stretch from three to six years.
The fourth most popular choice was the 5,096 applications to do an ordinary three-year degree in business and admin.
The ordinary degree courses that attracted the lowest number of all first preference applications included humanities, manufacturing, education, environment and agriculture.
The subject which attracted the highest increase on 2023 was honours degree-level dentistry, applications for which jumped 21%.
Applications to study social and behavioural science at ordinary level jumped 15% while interest in veterinary medicine jumped between 2% and 12% depending on what level applicants chose to study.
Interest in environmental honours degree courses had also fallen 17% compared to last year.
Overall, the total number of applications was down 1,126 applicants on 2023.
Also down, albeit slightly, was the number of applicants for the Higher Education Access Route — a higher education admissions scheme for Leaving Certificate students (under 23) whose economic or social background are under-represented in higher education.
At 8,277, this was a decrease of 347 on the number of such applicants in 2023.
There was a small increase in the number of applications from those aged over 23.
This year’s figure of 6,103 applications is up 199 from 2023.
Also up is the number of applicants who indicated they wish to be considered for the Disability Access Route to Education.
There were 10,256 applicants, an increase of 343 from last year.
The data is interim data and subject to change when late applications are taken into account and when the change of mind facility closes on July 1.
CAO head of communications Eileen Keleghan said the majority of applicants will be permitted to use the change of mind facility when it opens on May 7.
They will be able to use this facility to add, remove or re-order course choices.
Late applications are also being accepted up to 5pm on May 1.