Non-school leavers take up 33% of college places

ALMOST one in three college places were taken up by non-Leaving Certificate students this autumn, as mature students and those with other college qualifications secure a growing proportion of third-level vacancies.

The statistic emerge from an analysis of a Central Applications Office (CAO) breakdown of how almost 40,000 places were distributed at more than 40 third-level institutions up to last week’s final acceptance stage.

Of these, 27,770 were taken by students who sat the Leaving Certificate this year, representing just under 70% of the total places accepted. Among these are a few hundred mature students who may also have sat the exam last June, including those taking just one or two subjects.