Third-level courses traditionally requiring high points, such as medicine and architecture, have seen an increase in first preference applications from students, while applications for arts and education courses have dropped.
According to application data for 2004 released by the Central Applications Office (CAO) today, applications for business and administration courses declined by more than 7 per cent, following a 6 per cent fall in 2003.
Arts and social science applications declined 3.2 per cent to 13,565. Education courses experienced a sharper decline of 8 per cent.
The CAO data also show the gradual drop in the number of CAO applicants, down more than 4 per cent at 60,174 compared with the previous year.
This is partially due to a decline in the school-leaving population, with the numbers sitting the Leaving Cert expected to fall to about 45,000 in 2007 compared with more than 60,000 in recent classes.
However, this decline is being partially offset by a rising number of mature students returning to college.
Applications for medicine were up 14.5 per cent, while those for veterinary, pharmacy and physiotherapy all increased. There was a 9 per cent rise in the first preference applications for architecture.
Science and technology courses showed a decline in applications. Last year these courses showed a growth in applications following years of decline.
Art and design courses have maintained some of the remarkable increase in applications with a 21 per cent rise in applications. This followed an increase of 127 per cent in students seeking places in these courses in 2003.
