The CAO had received 83,424 applications by February, an increase of 6,525 from 2024, reflecting growing interest across various disciplines, which is likely attributed to developing demographics, as more are choosing to attend second level.

A breakdown of first preference Level 8 applications shows notable growth in multiple fields, such as Nursing, which has seen a 25 percent rise, while engineering, architecture, and construction courses experienced a 23 percent increase. Primary and secondary teaching applications are up by 9 percent and 5 percent, respectively, as interest in medicine has grown by 6 percent, and dentistry has seen a 41 percent jump.

Demographic trends have been attributed as a major factor in the surge, with rising numbers of second level students driving overall growth. Additionally, there has been a 15 percent increase in applications from those over the age of 23, equating to 944 more applicants in this category.

This report comes as Leaving Certificate results are set to decline slightly due to a gradual return to pre-pandemic marking standards. For the past few years, results had been artificially boosted by approximately 7.5 percent to compensate for covid-19 disruptions, while in 2025, adjustments will be limited to around 5.5 percent, bringing results closer to 2020 levels.

The increase in CAO applications may heighten competition for places, particularly as some students could be competing with previous Leaving Cert cohorts who benefited from higher grade inflation. There has also been a substantial rise in applications through the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE), at 12,056 – an increase of 1,800 from last year. Meanwhile, applications under the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) for disadvantaged students have declined slightly.

Applicants can modify their course choices using the Chance of Mind facility from May 6, while late applications will be accepted until May 1 at 5pm, including students currently attending higher education who may be considering reapplying to CAO for a different first year undergraduate course.