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was established in 1976 and since then more than 1.5 million students have taken up places in third-level colleges. Liaising with CAO as a career guidance counsellor, I would describe it as one of the most efficient and fairest third-level application systems in the world.
From humble but ambitious beginnings, it has expanded into an inclusive and user-friendly system, aiming to provide a college place for as many applicants as possible, including those with educational and health needs. CAO received 14,845 applications for 69 courses in five universities for its first intake in 1977. It has expanded since, adding regional technical colleges, colleges of education and private colleges, bringing the number of participating institutions to 45 at its peak. That number has since streamlined due to mergers and amalgamations. The CAO application form went online in 2000, almost completely replacing the paper form. There has also been a significant increase in EU applicants, mature applicants, applicants with further education qualifications and applications for the CAO supplementary admissions schemes.St Patrick’s Day Quiz 2026: 50 questions to test your IrishologyFighting over the bill in Ireland: I’ve seen people elbowing friends and throwing cash CAO continues to go from strength to strength as its 2026 application data for college entry confirms. By February 1st, CAO received 88,817 applications, up from last year’s 83,424, an increase of 5,393 or 6 per cent. By the late closing date of May 1st, applications will surely surpass 90,000, another CAO milestone. Congratulations to CAO and its helpful staff on marking its golden jubilee. It has served young people well since 1976. Its late general manager, John McAvoy, would have got a kick out of this achievement. He championed a college entry system built on fairness, equity, meritocracy and transparency. – Yours, etc,Oscar winner Jessie Buckley to her husband: ‘You, Fred, I love you. I want to have 20,000 more babies with you’ Anna Burns: ‘When I got damaged in surgery, nothing else mattered. I’ve always lived in survival mode’Trump ‘demanding’ other countries help reopen Strait of Hormuz; ‘drone-related incident’ at Dubai airport
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