The first preference choice of a level 8 agriculture course on this year’s Central Applications Office (CAO) applications is down 21% on last year, according to the CAO.
A total of 1,595 students listed agriculture courses as their first choice on CAO applications. 321 of these students placed the course as their first choice.
This is compared to 1,834 last year, with 408 students listing agricultural courses as first choices.
In relation to level 7 agricultural courses, interest dropped by 22%, with 1,316 applications this year, compared to 1,676 last year.
Courses relating to the environment were also down on application numbers compared to last year.
3,374 students listed an environmental course of CAO applications, compared to 3,725 last year.
A total of 374 have placed an environmental course as number one this year, compared to 452 in 2023.
In relation to level 7 courses, interest dropped by 22%, down to 697 applications compared to 817 last year.
There were 76,899 applications were received by CAO in total by the closing date of February 1 this year, a decrease of 1,126 applicants on the previous year (-1.4%).
The data provided at this stage is interim data and is subject to change when late applications are taken into account and when the Change of Mind facility closes on July 1.
CAO veterinary applications
Interest in veterinary related courses increased slightly this year. For level 8 courses, 1,729 applied this year, compared to 1,852 last year.
For level seven courses, 2,668 applied this year, compared to 2,370 in 2023.
There was an increase of 12% in interest for veterinary medicine courses. 772 applied this year, with a large proportion, 552, placing the course as their first preference.
This is compared to 747 applications last year, with 493 placing it as their first preference.
Head of communications for CAO, Eileen Keleghan said:
“The majority of CAO applicants will be permitted to use the change of mind facility when it opens on May 7 to add, remove or re-order course choices, which will result in changes to the figures released today.
“Late applications are also being accepted up to May 1 at 5:00p.m.”