College application and entrance requirements

Applying to college in Ireland

You apply for almost all full-time third-level education undergraduate courses through the Central Applications Office (CAO).

Undergraduate courses available in universities and institutes of technology include:

  • Higher Certificates (Level 6)
  • Ordinary Bachelor degrees (Level 7)
  • Honours Bachelor degrees (Level 8)

You can find a list of the courses on offer and information on how to apply in the CAO handbook.

You can apply to study in third-level institutions through the CAO portal.

Courses outside of the CAO

The tertiary education programme is a new pathway to get a degree. You don’t need to apply through the CAO. Read how to apply on the National Tertiary Office (NTO) website.

You can apply for Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses directly to the individual colleges. You don’t apply through the CAO.

Key dates for CAO applications

CAO applications for 2025-2026

CAO applications for 2025-2026 will open on 5 November 2024 and will close on 1 February 2025. The closing date for online applications at the discounted fee of €30 is 20 January 2025.

For more details see the ‘Table of key dates for CAO applications 2025-2026’ below.

Late applications

Late applications for CAO 2025-2026 will close on 1 May 2025.

You will not be considered for HEAR or DARE, or assessed as a mature student, if you made a late application.

Restricted-application courses

Some courses are ‘restricted-application’ courses.

These courses have early assessment procedures, sometimes as early as February. If you want to apply for such a course, you must include it in your CAO application in time, so that the relevant higher education institution (HEI) can arrange the early assessment.

This means you can’t make a late application. See the CAO’s calendar of restricted-application tests and interviews.

Changing your mind

You can change your course choices online, free of charge, from 6 May 2025 until 5pm on 1 July 2025.

Courses in medicine

For courses in medicine, you must take the Health Professions Admissions Test (HPAT). You can find information and important dates on the HPAT-Ireland website.

You can also read about graduate entry programmes in medicine in 2025 on the CAO website.

Table of key dates for CAO applications 2025-2026

CAO application dates 2025-2026

Date

What’s happening?

5 November 2024

Online applications will open

20 January 2025

Closing date for online applications at discounted fee

1 February 2025

Closing date for on-time applications

March and April 2025

Interviews and portfolio presentations for most restricted-application courses (see above)

1 May 2025

Closing date for late applications

6 May 2025

Online change-of-mind facility opens

1 July 2025

Online change-of-mind facility closes

 

TBC

CAO makes ‘Round A’ offers to applicants who are not awaiting grades for the 2025 Leaving Certificate.

For example, mature students, candidates who deferred places, people who need visas, and some others

TBC

CAO makes ‘Round Zero’ offers (for graduate entry medicine candidates and some other categories)

TBC

Closing date for ‘Round Zero’ offers

TBC

Leaving Certificate 2025 results come out

TBC

‘Round 1’ offers are available online from 2pm

TBC

CAO opens its ‘Available Places facility

TBC

Closing date to accept a ‘Round 1’ offer

TBC

‘Round 2’ offers are available online

TBC

Closing date to accept a ‘Round 2’ offer

TBC

CAO will make further offers to fill any vacancies

5 November 2025

CAO opens applications for 2026-2027 academic year

College entry requirements

Leaving Cert points

Students who have taken the Leaving Certificate examination get points for the results they get in their 6 best subjects at a single sitting of the Leaving Certificate.

The points awarded depend on the level of achievement in the subject. You can use the points calculator on qualifax.ie to work out what points you get for any set of results.

The State Certificate offered to students for Leaving Certificate 2021 has the same status as the Leaving Certificates awarded to students in previous years.

The number of entry-level points you need for a course depends on:

  • The number of places available, and
  • The number of applicants for those places.

The entry level varies from year to year. You get higher points for Higher-Level exam papers than for Ordinary-Level papers.

Some universities may allocate extra bonus points for Higher-Level mathematics.

The CAO publishes the minimum points required for admission to courses as each round of offers is made. You can also check the points required in previous years.

Disability Access Route to Education

If you meet certain criteria, you may qualify for the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) scheme, which aims to improve access to higher education for school-leavers with disabilities.

Higher Education Access Route

If you meet certain criteria, you may qualify for the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) admissions scheme. This scheme allocates a number of third-level places on a reduced points basis to school-leavers from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Specific academic entry requirements

A student must also have the particular academic entry requirements (also called 'matriculation requirements') for the course they want to take.

You can get detailed information about the academic entry requirements from each university, college, or institute.

University sector

Most universities in Ireland are State-funded, but they are generally autonomous. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a private university.

The universities in Ireland are:

Technological sector

The technological sector includes technological universities (TUs) and institutes of technology (ITs).

There are 5 technological universities in Ireland:

There are 2 institutes of technology:

Colleges of education

Colleges of education provide specialised training for primary school teachers. You must get specific minimum grades for Maths and English. Irish is also an entry requirement, but in some cases, Irish Sign Language (ISL) is accepted as an alternative.

The entry requirements to specialised teacher training are set out by the Department of Education.

Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Places on Post-Leaving Certificate courses and the tertiary education programme are not allocated on the basis of points. You should contact the course provider to find out about the entry requirements.

CAO application fees

CAO application fees for 2025-2026
Application Rate
Online only discounted rate by 20 January 2025
(discounted rate not available for paper applications)
€30
Online or paper application by 1 February 2025 €45
Late online application by 1 May 2025 €60
Late paper application 1 May 2025 €90

How to apply to college

Applying through the CAO

You can apply to study at a third-level institution through the CAO portal.

Applying directly to colleges

You should apply directly to the higher education institution (HEI), and not through the CAO, for:

  • Postgraduate courses
  • Entry to courses at post-initial-year level
  • Short duration, one-term, part-time and occasional courses
  • Re-admission to Dublin City University, Mary Immaculate College, Trinity College and University of Limerick
  • Follow-on courses at the institutes of technology
  • Any course not mentioned in the CAO Handbook
  • Certain mature applicants
  • Graduate or mature applicants to the Royal College of Surgeons

Resident outside the EU

If you are (or have been) resident outside the EU, you may have to apply directly to some HEIs.

Contact the admissions office of the HEI to ask whether you should apply through the CAO or directly to the HEI.

Always check the application procedures for your preferred course, as errors may be difficult or impossible to rectify.

You should make your enquiries well before the closing date of 1 February, preferably not later than early December.

CAO contact details

Central Applications Office

Tower House
Eglinton Street
Galway
Ireland

Opening Hours: Office Hours 9:30-17:00
Tel: (091) 509 800
Fax: (091) 562 344
Page edited: 18 October 2024