Record numbers of students are accepting places in higher education but new figures show a continuing drop in demand for computer courses.
They also show the institutes of technology sector struggling to attract more students.
The figures from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) reveal how almost 40,000 students accepted places in Irish third-level colleges and universities through the Central Applications Office system in autumn 2007, the highest number on record.
Among honours degree programmes, arts and humanities showed the biggest year on year increase, up by 9 per cent. In all, 31 per cent of those accepting honours degree courses opt for arts and humanities.
In contrast, the HEA says it is concerned at the fall-off in those accepting computing degree programmes, with the numbers halving in the last five years to just 946 this autumn. Computer students account for just 3 per cent of those accepting third-level courses this year, compared to 9 per cent in 2000.
The big growth area in the past five years has been university-based honours degree programmes (level 8). This however has had a negative impact on the institutes of technology sector.
The percentage of students accepting places in the institutes has declined from 42 per cent in 2000 to 37 per cent this year. This is largely due to the decrease in acceptances of level 6 and 7 ordinary degree courses.
The numbers accepting courses in business and law have increased by 28 per cent since 2000 while the numbers going for teaching or other options in education are up by more than 40 per cent over the same period.