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14% of CAO applicants pick Trinity as first preference for 2022

Posted on: 09 March 2022

A total of 9,805 students, or 14% of those who applied for Level 8 courses, picked Trinity College Dublin as their first choice of university in the 2022 CAO applications, according to data just released. 

This represents a decline of 4% from 2021 and comes as overall applications to CAO have dropped to 78,031 in 2022 from 79,171 in 2021. 

Overall, 21,399 students have applied to Trinity, representing 27% of the total number of applications to CAO. 

Courses in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences which have performed well in first preferences are:  

  • Philosophy (+54%);  
  • Middle Eastern & European Languages & Culture (+44%);  
  • Film ((+30%); European Studies (+23%);  
  • English Studies (+21%);  
  • Drama Studies (+10%). 

First preference applications to the Business and Language programmes all increased (French (+3); German (5%); Russian (+109%) and Spanish (+7%).  

First preference applications to BESS are down 13% while Global Business first preference applications have dropped 3%. 

In Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), first preference applications for the Environmental Science and Engineering programme, which was introduced in 2021, increased by 49%. 

First preference applications for Engineering have increased by 4%; Computer Science (+6%) but there are decreases in Engineering with Management (-15%); MSISS (-9%). However, first preference applications for Computer Science and a language increased by 65%. 

First preference applications for two of the four science streams have increased – Biological and Biomedical Sciences (+2%); Chemical Sciences (+7%); while Geography and Geoscience and Physical Sciences decreased by 6% and 1% respectively. 

In Health Sciences, first preference applications increased for Medicine (+6%); Dental Science (+20%); Human Health and Disease (+29%) but first preference applications to the following programmes decreased: – Physiotherapy (-25%); Occupational Therapy (-12%); Radiation Therapy (-33%). 

Trinity Vice-Provost Orla Sheils said:  

After two years of disruption in third-level education, Trinity has been getting back to normal this year. Having expanded to meet new demand, we now have, for the first time, 20,000 students on campus.  

The students who join us in 2022 can, we hope, expect a traditional and full college experience. Whether their interests lie in the Arts and Humanities, or Business, STEM, or in Health Sciences, we look forward to accompanying them, and to challenging them, as they take the next step in their education.