CAO points increase for over half of Trinity courses

7,660 students opted for Trinity as their CAO first preference this year

The Central Applications Office (CAO) points of over half of Trinity’s courses increased this year, as Leaving Cert students received a record number of points in their exams.

A total of 17,920 students, a fifth of all CAO applications, from all over Ireland applied to Trinity. 7,660 students opted for Trinity as their CAO first preference this year, with up to 3,335 places being offered to students to study at the university. Of Trinity’s 56 course options applied to through the CAO, 34 courses saw an increase in points.

Points for degrees in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) have jumped in universities across the country, with their popularity reflected in Trinity’s points increases in these subjects.

There were increases in Mathematics at 566, up 32 points; Theoretical Physics at 565, up 34 points; Management Science and Information Systems Studies (MSISS) at 589, up 12 points; and Biological and Biomedical Sciences at 520, up 11 points.

Additionally, Geography and Geoscience at 435 saw an increase of 22 points, and Physical Sciences at 510 increased by one point.

Preliminary CAO statistics predicted that applications to Trinity would be up by 0.9% this year. Joint Honors, which replaced Two Subject Moderatorship (TSM), saw an 8% decrease in applicants this year, less than its 13% decrease last year.

In the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, there were increases in Film Studies at 478 up 11 points; History at 531, up 25 points; Sociology at 473, up 17 points.

Additionally, Psychology at 565 points increased by 22 points, while Philosophy, Political Science, Economics and Sociology at 566 saw an increase of three points.

History rose from 475 to 486, Philosophy rose from 392 to 433, Classics rose from 357 to 409, and Ancient and Medieval History and Culture jumped from 355 to 399. European Studies saw a 21 point decrease, while Law numbers stayed relatively the same.

Points for Engineering increased from 488 to 497, and Global Business went up 11 points to 566. In a press statement, a Trinity spokesperson said that “Trinity’s Business programmes have once again proven very popular…New Trinity Business students will also have the added advantage of the state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities in the newly opened Trinity Business School.”

The points required for studying Medicine in Trinity decreased by only a point this year. There were no changes in Dental Science at 590 or Physiotherapy at 542, while Occupational Therapy at 522 saw an increase of 14 points. Points for Nursing programmes went down with the exception of Integrated General and Children’s Nursing which increased by 12 points.

Due to changes in the grading systems that encourage students to take more subjects at higher levels, Leaving Cert students scored more points on the CAO than ever before. English, Irish, and Math showed higher numbers in both the number of students who sat for the Leaving Cert, and for how well the students performed.

Across the country, the number of courses requiring over 500 CAO points climbed to a new high. One course, UCD’s Economics and Finance degree – has exceeded the 600- point mark for the first time, according to the Irish Times.

Additional reporting by Aisling Grace

Jessica Hobbs Pifer

Jessica Hobbs Pifer is a Deputy News Editor of Trinity News. She is a Senior Fresh Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures student.