Census shows more students drive to college

More students now drive to college than by any other travel method, the 2011 Census has revealed.

The 28% of third-level students driving to classes is up from 22% in 2006 but it is unclear if the rise reflects greater access to private transport or more students unable to afford to live near campus. In addition to the 53,606 college students who drive, another 16,291 get a lift each day, out of 191,238 recorded in the census in April last year.

While the average journey for drivers took just over half an hour, almost 11,000 spend 45 to 90 minutes getting to college and another 2,325 take longer. Almost 52,000 students, or 27%, walk to college, 40,470 (21%) take a bus, almost 12,000 use a train or tram, and 8,500 cycle.

The data from the CSO could also be reflective of increasing numbers of mature students in higher education, as they may have more access to cars than those who have just finished school.

Overall, the figures show a strong rise in the number of young men in full-time education. From just 27% of males aged 19 to 24 in 2006, the figure now stands at almost 39%, only slightly lower than the 42.2% of similar-aged women who are full-time students.

Although more detailed information by age is not yet available, the preliminary data on education indicates a steep fall in numbers of under-25s no longer in education. Between 2002 and 2006, the number of 15 to 24-year-olds whose full-time education had ended fell by more than 10,500 to 267,752. The number now stands at 192,129.

The director of the Irish Research Council has called on colleges to encourage more older people to get involved in education and research. Dr Eucharia Meehan told a conference on research into active ageing, part of the Euroscience Open Forum in Dublin, that a new culture was needed that recognised older people’s value and promoted their contributions.

The college travel figures emerge as the Union of Students in Ireland awaits a hearing of its Supreme Court appeal against a ruling of the High Court in April. The judgment backed the Government’s cut of up to 60% in grants paid to thousands of students, by increasing the distance needed to live from college to qualify for a higher payment from 25 to 40 miles.

One of the key changes likely to emerge from a strategic overhaul of higher education could mean fewer colleges offering similar courses to each other. Third-level colleges are being urged to provide more online learning options or modules taught off-campus which could ease any resulting travel burden.