Applications to the Central Applications Office (CAO) for agriculture courses in third level institutions have generally decreased across course levels.
Statistics from the CAO, released today, March 10, show that across most Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI) Level 6, 7 and 8 courses, applications for agriculture and related disciplines fell in terms of both total mentions and first preferences.
The one exception to this trend is for interdisciplinary courses dealing in agriculture, forestry and veterinary, which increased in applications.
Courses at Levels 6, 7 and 8 dealing specifically with agriculture or veterinary declined.
Level 8
For Level 8 courses, the amount of total mentions for specifically agriculture in 2020 CAO applications stands at 1,769, with 372 of these being first preferences.
The corresponding figures for 2019 were 1,919 total mentions, of which 393 were first preferences. This means that there was an 8% decrease in total mentions (down 150) and a 5% decrease in first preferences (down 21) for these courses.
Looking at Level 8 veterinary courses, total mentions in 2020 are recorded as 1,726, of which first preferences are 902.
Finally, at Level 8, for interdisciplinary programmes and qualifications involving agriculture, forestry and veterinary, 1,588 total mentions have been recorded this year, of which 381 are first preferences.
This compares to 2019 figures of 1,671 total mentions, and 431 first preferences, resulting in a drop in these courses of 5% for total mentions (down 83) and 12% for first preferences (down 50).
Levels 6 and 7
Turning to Levels 6 and 7, applications to courses specifically in agriculture number 1,455 in terms of total mentions in 2020, 556 of which are first preferences.
In 2019, these figures were 1,557 total mentions, and 588 first preferences. These numbers represent decreases of 7% in total mentions and 5% in first preferences – drops of 102 and 32 respectively.
These represent decreases of 6% in total mentions and 7% in first preferences – drops of 137 and 70 respectively.
Finally, interdisciplinary programmes and qualifications involving agriculture, forestry and veterinary at Levels 6 and 7 were the only group of agriculture-related courses to show an increase in numbers.
Total mentions for these courses in 2020 stand at 239, of which 73 are first preferences. These compare to 2019 figures of 216 total mentions and 67 first preferences.
These result in an 11% increase in total mentions, and a 9% increase in first preferences – increases of 23 and six respectively.