CAO 2023: Ireland’s top colleges lose out to technological universities in overall course applications

Traditional universities have lost out to newly created technological universities in overall CAO applications this year, according to latest data shared in the higher education sector.

The trend has sparked concern in some traditional university circles where academics believe the decline is linked to factors like higher rents, travel costs and greater competition from technological universities.

Overall, college applications for traditional universities are, on average, down by 5-6 per cent and up by an equivalent proportion for technological universities, according to informed sources.

The scale of decline is greater in some individual universities, especially those facing local competition from recently established technological universities, and smaller in areas such as Dublin.

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Despite the drop, there is still very strong demand for college courses in the mid-to-high points range which are only offered in traditional universities such as medicine and dentistry.

“There is concern, even bordering on alarm, for some of our lower demand and lower points courses, “ said one traditional university source, who was briefed on the new figures. “The worry is whether this is a trend, or a just a blip.”

Another university source, familiar with the data, said: “We knew something like this could happen. Students in counties that didn’t have a university are now opting to stay at home and attend their local technological university. They’re not willing to travel.”

The overall number of applications for college places has matched last year’s high level and indicates the race for CAO points this year will be highly competitive.

The CAO recorded a total of 78,184 applications by the end of January. They do not represent the total number of expected college applicants for 2023, as a late application facility opens in March and closes at the start of May.

Some, however, said the decline was not necessarily bad news for a sector which has expanded in recent years due to demographic trends and raised aspirations towards higher education.

It is estimated that about 65 per cent of school-leavers progress to higher education, one of the highest levels in Europe.

One traditional university source said: “The vast majority of courses are still oversubscribed; that’s not true in the technological sector . . . We can’t keep expanding and the funding gap is getting wider.”

The development comes amid wider unease within traditional universities who feel they are losing out to technological universities in funding.

Some senior sources in higher education say “research-intensive” universities are at risk of being neglected and that the system of higher education funding should be reformed to ensure they continue to develop world-class research.

There has been discussion of creating a new alliance of research-intensive universities to make the case for additional funding.

The Government announced a multiannual “transformation fund” of €90 million for technological universities over three years.

This builds on additional “landscape funding” over recent years, which paved the way for the establishment of technological universities.

There are now five technological universities which have formed from the merger of institutes of technology on foot of a Government policy to create stronger higher education institutions with greater scale and impact.

TU Dublin was Ireland’s first technological university in 2019. It was followed by Munster Technological University, and Technological University of the Shannon. Atlantic Technological University and South East Technological University were formed last year.

Government sources say there has been significant public reinvestment in higher education of more than €1 billion over the past decade, an increase of more than 40 per cent.

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has pledged to provide an additional €307 million in core funding for the sector over the coming years.