Is there another way into the course you want?
Usually, yes. Type the course in and find out.
2,499 routes into 1,009 CAO courses, and 216 PLC courses mapped to the degrees they open. Every figure carries the source document and the date it was checked.
Start with the course you wanted. We will show you every other way into that exact course, and whether the reserved places are published.
See the PLC routeYou are a mature applicant. Points are not how you are judged. Here is what the colleges ask for instead, and the 1 February CAO deadline you cannot miss.
Mature entry, explainedPut your award code in and see every degree it opens, which colleges keep places for it, and what you need in your results.
What my PLC opensThe eight ways in
Do a one-year PLC, then apply through the CAO scored on your PLC results instead of your Leaving Cert points. Most colleges keep a set number of places for this.
How it worksYou start the degree in your local further education college and finish it in the university. You apply directly, and there is no points requirement.
How it worksIf you turn 23 before 1 January of the year you start, you are judged on what you have done since school, usually with a short form and an interview, not on points.
How it worksTwo national schemes that can get you an offer under the published points: HEAR if your family income or school meant less support, DARE if a disability or illness affected your schooling.
How it worksA one-year course run by the college itself that gets you ready for the degree. Finish it and you move into the degree it is linked to.
How it worksTake the Level 6 or Level 7 version of the course, which needs far fewer points, pass it, then add the extra year that turns it into the honours degree.
How it worksIf you already hold a Level 6 or Level 7 qualification, some colleges will put you straight into second or third year. You apply to the college, not the CAO.
How it worksThe same qualification built up part-time, online or through Springboard+ while you work. Often no points at all. Check the fees before you commit.
How it worksThe real trade-off: what each one costs, what you hold at the end of the year, and what happens if it goes wrong.
Compare them side by side