APPLICATIONS FROM students in the Republic to Queen’s University Belfast and to third-level colleges throughout the UK have jumped significantly.
Statistics from Ucas, the college applications body, show that 13 per cent more applicants from the Republic applied to third-level institutions for courses due to begin next September. The numbers have jumped by more than 500 to 4,871 in the past year.
A spokeswoman for Queen’s said a breakdown of applications was still being worked on. But she confirmed that applications to the university from EU states other than the UK, but including the Republic, were up by nearly 9 per cent overall.
Some 464,000 applicants are seeking third-level places for the forthcoming college year, Ucas announced, representing a rise of 7.8 per cent. The jump in applications, thought by universities to be linked to the downturn and the rise in unemployment, is reflected across various age profiles.
Across the UK there is a pronounced increase in mature applicants, with the 21-24 age group showing a rise of 12.9 per cent and with those over 24 showing a rise of 12.6 per cent.
Law remains the favoured subject, with nursing degrees entering the top five for the first time. A more detailed analysis of the application statistics is due in April.