A rise in both the numbers applying and the points required means that more young people will be waiting for second-round and subsequent offers of places in universities and colleges this year than in 1996. However, for degree courses the proportion of applicants obtaining their first preference or one of their top three preferences has risen.
There are 62,597 applicants for third-level degree and diploma/certificate places, according to Central Applications Office statistics published this morning. This is up by nearly 3,400, or 5.7 per cent, on last year.
The percentage of applicants receiving at least one offer is 74.2 per cent, compared to 78.2 per cent last year. Among degree course applicants, 43.5 per cent will be offered their first preference - up nearly 3 per cent on last year - while 71.4 per cent will get one of their top three preferences.
The points requirements are up for nearly 160 degree courses and down for around 60. The provision of nearly 1,300 new places, mostly on computer and information technology courses, has slightly eased the pressure on points requirements.
The new places have had little effect on the high points needed for subjects like actuarial/finance, medicine, veterinary, physiotherapy, dentistry, radiography, pharmacy, psychology, genetics, and some business and language combinations.
Applications from Northern Ireland will keep up the points levels in sought-after courses such as medicine, veterinary and dentistry at Trinity College and UCD.
The rise in the overall points requirements for entry to many university courses was expected because of the temporary fall in third-level applicants last year due to an increase in the numbers delaying entry for a year by opting for the transition year programme.
Among the courses with the most striking increases in points requirements are architecture and actuarial/finance at UCD; European studies, law/German, business/French, computer science and modern Irish in TCD; Italian and electronic engineering at University College, Cork; and all the international business and applied languages courses at Dublin City University.
At certificate/diploma level, the Dublin Institute of Technology's accountancy courses have gone up by 80-90 points. Almost all Waterford Institute of Technology's courses have risen, some by 80100 points, reflecting the college's new status.
However, there have been falls in points as well. High-profile courses now easier to get into include commerce/German at UCD; theoretical physics at TCD; civil engineering and all the food science and technology courses at UCC; and the Irish language, finance and computer course at DCU.
CAO applicants who have received offers have until Tuesday, September 2nd, to accept them. The second round of offers will be made on September 5th and the reply date is September 12th. Round three will be issued on September 15th and replies must be in by September 25th.