More than 66,000 applicants from throughout Ireland, the UK and continental EU received their CAO offers at 2pm yesterday. Within the Republic of Ireland, 55,375 current-year Leaving Certificate students, along with 20,527 applicants holding Leaving Certs from previous years, waited anxiously online at cao.ie to see what course they were being offered.
Trinity
Trinity College Dublin has made 3,976 offers to students in the first round of the 2026 CAO process, amid strong demand for its courses. Of these, 58 per cent of offers are for students’ first-preference courses. Of all CAO applicants, 13.6 per cent of students applying for Level 8 courses had Trinity as their first preference.
Cut-off points rose by an average of 0.5 points for Single Honours Level 8 courses at Trinity. Higher points courses (those that were above 500 in 2025) saw their points level fall by an average of 2.3 points, while lower points courses rose on average by 7.8 points.
“The gradual reduction of the post-marking adjustment in Leaving Certificate results continues to generate volatility in the university admissions system,” said Trinity’s vice-provost and chief academic officer Orla Sheils.
READ MORE
“Although the adjustment is being phased out, its effects will persist for up to four years after its final removal, due to deferred entrants from earlier cohorts and the resulting turbulence in points attainment year on year. As a result, the relationship between applicant demand and CAO points remains less predictable than in a normal admissions cycle.
“To date, the reduction in the post-marking adjustment has not led to a fall in points for Trinity courses. Average entry points remain broadly unchanged, with some compression of the range as the highest points courses ease slightly and lower points courses rise. Despite efforts to minimise random selection, a slight increase has been unavoidable this year.”
UCD
In UCD, where all courses require more than 400 points, 11 undergraduate courses have seen their CAO points increase in the first round of offers for 2026.
The increase comes as points across UCD’s undergraduate programmes remain broadly stable, with a slight overall decline compared with last year, reflecting changes to Leaving Cert grading adjustments. Courses in the areas of social sciences and the humanities were among those that saw their points rise, as did those related to food science, human nutrition and mental health nursing.
Mental Health Nursing (DN453) rose by 10 points to 410, while Social Policy and Sociology (DN750) increased by eight points to 440. The UCD course with the highest required CAO points remains Economics and Finance (DN670) at 625, the same as last year, followed by Actuarial and Financial Studies (DN230) at 602. Medicine (DN400, Undergraduate Entry) is at 738.
The largest increases in first-preference demand for undergraduate courses were Food Science (DN261), which rose 13 points, Physiotherapy (DN420), Sport and Exercise Management (DN430) and Psychology (DN720).
UCD registrar and deputy president, Prof Colin Scott, said: “We are very pleased to see such strong demand for undergraduate study at UCD, across such a broad range of programmes. This reflects our commitment to widening participation and ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds can access the opportunities that a UCD education provides. This diversity enriches both the learning and wider student experience at the university.”
UCD’s share of the total number of CAO applicants for 2026 was 34.4 per cent for Level 8 courses. More than 500 students received offers in earlier rounds through the CAO for routes such as Access, as mature applicants, Open Learning students and QQI-FET candidates who have completed courses in further education.
A further 800 or more offers were made in Round 1 to students who were granted eligibility through the Dare and Hear schemes. Offers were also made to students from the UK and EU who applied through the CAO. Both groups have recorded a modest increase for 2026.
Random selection
There are seven courses in UCD requiring random selection for this first CAO round. These are Veterinary Medicine (DN300, Undergraduate Entry), Medicine (DN400, Undergraduate Entry), Medicine (DN401, Graduate Entry), Children’s & General Nursing (DN451, Integrated), Business and Law (DN610), Commerce (DN650), and Commerce International (DN660). Of these, only Medicine (DN401, Graduate Entry) saw its points increase, up by two on last year.
So, when students sit down in their first lecture, they will find themselves in a room full of people of various ages and nationalities, representing a diverse cross-section of Irish, British and EU nationals plus a cohort of international applicants who seek places outside the CAO process at full international fees.
University of Galway
University of Galway made more than 4,000 offers. Pharmacy (five-year) has expanded places from 40 to 75. BSc Zoology (new) enrolled 40 students at 473 points. Courses offering Gaeilge experienced an increase in points such as Bcomm and BA, cutting off at 488 and 495 respectively.
Points increased for 25 courses. Fifty per cent of its courses now require more than 500 points, including all engineering programmes. The BA (Drama, Theatre and Performance) increased by 44 points to 404 and BA (Music) up 12 to 413. Science (GY301) is up 15 to 455.
DCU
DCU offered more than 4,500 places. Prof Daire Keogh, president of DCU, welcomed the increased intake in science, business and computing, resulting in a decrease in points requirements.
UL
University of Limerick made almost 4,000 offers. Thirty-four of its 60 courses saw an increase in points, with strong demand for engineering and nursing courses as well as allied health, education and PE education. UL is now offering undergrad medicine through HPAT along with Speech & Language Therapy.
DKIT/Queen’s University Belfast
Earlier this year, Dundalk IT announced a formal link across the border with Queen’s University Belfast. From being the abandoned child of the Irish education system, it is now firmly rooted within a highly respected university.
This transformation in identity is reflected in some of the highest increases in CAO points requirements among all colleges offering places: DK 834 Quantity Surveying is up 97 to 331, DK830 Building Surveying up 84 to 318, DK851 Hospitality Management and Business up 84 to 327, DK876 Early Childhood Education also up 84 to 327, DK818 Digital Marketing and Strategic Communications up 79 to 263, DK832 Construction Management up 66 to 318, and DK832 Mental Health Nursing up 56 to 366.
Reducing enhanced grades
Looking at the entry points requirements across all courses published yesterday, it is evident that, although the 55,357 CAO applicants who sat the Leaving Cert in 2026 got on average one less enhanced grade than those who sat the exam in 2025 and two grades less than the previous four years, the absence of those 55,000-plus grades in reducing CAO entry requirements was far outweighed by the 20,527 applicants who carried enhanced grades from previous years and the 6,402 additional CAO applicants in 2026.
Because the reduction in enhanced grades was most evident in the number of H1s awarded on August 21st, there is evidence in Wednesday’s offers of a modest easing of pressure on the CAO points requirements at 600 and above.
Below that ceiling, many courses have increased points requirements across a wide range of courses, with points above 2025 levels in many cases, and points dropping for some programmes such as ICT where demand from applicants has decreased significantly.
Random selection still applies
Last year, there were 25 courses with entry based on random selection. This year, that figure has risen to 35. Random selection occurs where there are more applicants on the next lower CAO points score than there are places remaining to be filled. This may not seem grossly unfair, as it is in effect a raffle for those on the next CAO points score. However, it is unfair when a student secures a “perfect” Leaving Cert, with 625 points, and still does not secure their first-choice course.
This year, the only two 625-point courses where random selection was applied were Dental Science in Trinity and UCC. Disappointed students may have secured a place in RCSI’s new dental college in Sandyford where places were offered (on random selection) at 613 points.
If you did not get an offer
Applicants who do not receive an offer may wish to check the CAO’s “available places” facility which opens online on Thursday at noon. These places are also available for new applicants for a €50 fee. It is free to existing applicants.
A number of courses have been approved by universities’ validation processes since applicants had to finalise their course choices by July 1st. A number of other such programmes are waiting to receive applications in the coming days, with offers next week.
Key dates
Tuesday, September 1st, 3pm
Closing date and time for receipt of acceptance of CAO Round 1 offers.
Monday, September 7th, 2pm
The CAO makes Round 2 offers available to applicants online. The minimum points required for entry to each course are released on the CAO website later that day.
Wednesday, September 9th, 3pm
Closing date for receipt of acceptance of CAO Round 2 offers.
Friday, September 25th
Results of Leaving Cert appeals are released by the State Examinations Commission to students. Students whose scripts have been upgraded may receive a new offer of a place on a course higher up their CAO order of preference than previously offered. The offer may be for the 2026 academic year, but in some cases where there is no capacity to accommodate additional students on a course, the offer may be for a place in the 2027 academic year.
