Points up after record exam results

RECORD exam performances and more places set aside for mature students have driven up entry points for hundreds of degree courses for this year’s Leaving Certificate students.

Despite an expected rise in the number of places available at dozens of colleges, the points for half of around 850 honours degrees offered through the Central Applications Office (CAO) are up from last year.

School leavers need at least 15 points more than in 2009 for entry to 250 of those degrees, as 48,448 third-level applicants receive an offer this morning, leaving 21,322 of this year’s record applicant numbers without a college place yet.