The Irish Times 2024 Feeder School list provides new insights into how graduates of Irish second-level schools are progressing to third-level institutions in Ireland.
Former students who attended second-level in the State secured 43,455 places on undergraduate programmes at third-level institutions listed in this supplement.
They sat the Leaving Cert in June 2024, or in a previous year, and attended a wide range of school types including Deis schools, private fee-paying schools, Gaelcholáistí (Irish medium), and other recognised schools.
Students attending Deis schools (English and Irish medium) make up 19.2 per cent of those sitting the Leaving Cert in 2024. They secured 15.3 per cent of the 43,455 places offered and just under 11 per cent (2,467) of those offered in traditional universities.
Students attending mainstream schools taught through both Irish and English make up 73.3 per cent of this year’s Leaving Certs, and secured 75.6 per cent (32,887) of overall places and 76.3 per cent (17,424) of places at traditional universities. Students attending Gaelcholáistí make up 3.5 per cent of the class of 2024, but 3.8 per cent of those securing places overall and 4.6 per cent (1,045) of those receiving places in traditional universities.
Finally, students attending fee-paying schools make up 7.5 per cent of places offered while 12.9 per cent (2,937) secured courses in traditional universities.
While Deis has significantly improved the progression prospects of students in disadvantaged areas, we are still far from being an equal opportunity society for all our children. However, we are providing enhanced progression possibilities each year, creating better learning and career opportunities for students.
In 2024, higher education access continued to expand through multiple pathways. Several hundred students started new tertiary degree programmes, where they began their studies in local further education colleges before progressing to the universities which will eventually confer their degree.
Other students commenced degrees in Northern Ireland in medical and paramedical programmes funded by the Irish Government, and degree-level apprenticeship pathways continued to grow.
Despite the progress in recent years there is still a distance to travel to reach a point where all children entering our early childhood education system have equal opportunities to reach their optimum potential.
1. Socioeconomic factors
A quick glance at the progression chart to traditional universities will show the dominance of fee-paying schools in securing places, with 20 of the top 29 being from this sector.
High levels of progression to third level is not confined to fee-paying schools. Many Gaelcholáistí and non-fee paying schools also match and surpass those who charge fees, indicating that social class, location, language and parental expectations also play a part in shaping progression journeys.
2. Most students apply to local colleges
Young people in Ireland, unlike their counterparts in the UK, tend to apply for third level places at local colleges. Research carried out with those who have progressed to third level indicates that most Irish school leavers apply to attend colleges where they can continue to socialise with their peer group.
There are significantly lower third level progression rates among students in areas which do not have access to third level institutions and who are therefore unable to attend a chosen course without living away from home.
3. Progression by postcode
The most affluent parts of the capital city, such as Dublin 4 and Dublin 6, saw 79.1 per cent and 95.0 per cent respectively of applicants registered with local schools progress to third level this year. In other postal districts of the city, Dublin 10 and 11, the proportion of Leaving Cert students progressing to college saw 50 per cent and 55 per cent of entrants who were registered with local schools progressing to third level. In Donegal, 82.5 per cent of entrants progressed to third level this year, while 72 per cent of entrants in Wexford progressed.
The social and urban-rural divide is stark when the figures are broken down into those who secured places in traditional universities. In Dublin 4 and 6, some 75.2 per cent and 74.2 per cent of those who secured a third level place did so at a traditional university, compared with 50 per cent and 51.7 per cent in Dublin 10 and 11.
Reflecting the tendency among applicants to apply for courses that are delivered by institutions located closer to home, Donegal and Wexford saw just 16 per cent and 46.2 per cent of entrants who secured a place at third level go to a traditional university.
4. We still want to pursue the CAO route
The 2024 feeder school data reveal Ireland’s exceptionally high third level participation rate of about 80 per cent, which is among the highest in the world. Ireland also continues to have one of the highest retention rates at second level across Europe – that is, the proportion of students who stay in school until the Leaving Cert.
5. The growth of full-time senior cycle grind schools
There are an estimated 4,000 students sitting the Leaving Cert in grind schools for which we have no data as the State Examinations Commission (SEC) does not supply that information.
However, most of the students in grind schools are included in the numbers reported by the third level colleges as attributed to their school of origin where they sat the junior Cycle. Ironically, if grind schools do a good job of delivering high grades for their students, the benefit is often attributed to the school they initially attended.
6. Progression is ultimately determined by the number of places offered
The number of additional places offered by colleges changes marginally each year. Where those changes take place may determine the success or otherwise of individual applicants.
There has been an ongoing expansion in the numbers of places offered by colleges during the period of the outgoing Government, as they have sought to increase the numbers of graduates in sectors of the economy where we have acute shortages, particularly in the medical and paramedical disciplines.
The increased progression rates of schools is directly linked to the additional places being added annually.
Note: Some schools recorded a drop in the number of students sitting the Leaving Cert in 2023-2024 which inflated their progression rates significantly. As a result, we have excluded schools from our tables where student numbers fell by -15 per cent or more.
Click here to see all related feeder schools articles.
- This article and associated tables were updated to correct data originally supplied by UCD and UCC
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