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Courses you can get with 280 CAO points 2026

330 courses closed at or below 280 points in the 2026 round one offers, 136 of them honours degrees, across 19 institutions.

Read that as history rather than as a promise. A course's points are the points of the last applicant who was offered a place, so the number describes where the queue was cut in 2026 and moves every year. What makes it move.

Courses at 280 points

330 closed at or below 280 points, and 82 closed within twenty points above it. Points move by more than that from one year to the next, so the ones just short are worth putting on a list rather than writing off. Sort any column, or narrow by level, institution and how close you are.

Showing 410 of 412 courses

2 courses are hidden, the ones the CAO marks as needing a portfolio, an audition, an interview or a test. Where that assessment is scored and added to the Leaving Certificate total, the figure beside the course is not a points total and cannot be compared with the rest. .

Darker is more competitive:Under 200200 to 299300 to 399400 to 499500 to 599600 and over
Random selection
More people had these points than there were places, so the last places went to a lottery. Having the points did not guarantee an offer.
Applied Addiction Recovery - Limerick US928Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8260–+20
Business Studies with Beauty and Spa Management - Limerick US946Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8260–+20
Applied Sports Science with Strength and Conditioning - Thurles US958Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8260–+20
Social Care Practice - Waterford - College Street SE919South East Technological UniversityLevel 8260–+20
Tourism Management - Cork MT947Munster Technological UniversityLevel 8260–+20
Marketing (Event Management) DB517Dublin Business SchoolLevel 8260260+20
Business (HRM) - Dublin GC402Griffith CollegeLevel 8260–+20
Music and Performance Technologies DK892Dundalk Institute of TechnologyLevel 8260–+20
Pharmaceutical Sciences (Drug Development and Analysis) - Athlone US733Technological University of the ShannonLevel 7260–+20
Agriculture - Letterkenny AU272Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7260–+20
Applied Social Care - Castlebar AU593Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7260–+20
Performing Arts - Sligo AU823Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7260–+20
Environmental Science with Ecology - Sligo AU855Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7260–+20
Pharmaceutical Science with Drug Development - Sligo AU857Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7260–+20
Biomedical Science - Sligo AU858Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7260–+20
Human Nutrition - Sligo AU862Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7260–+20
Cloud Computing - Tallaght TU865Technological University DublinLevel 8256–+24
Hospitality Management (with International Placement) - Athlone US932Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8255–+25
Software Development - Carlow SE609South East Technological UniversityLevel 7255–+25
Forestry - Waterford SE505South East Technological UniversityLevel 7254–+26
Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences - Kerry MT511Munster Technological UniversityLevel 7254–+26
Business - Thurles US842Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8253253+27
Law - Dublin GC403Griffith CollegeLevel 8253244+27
Business Studies with Sports Management - Limerick US953Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8252–+28
Product Design Innovation - Carlow SE202South East Technological UniversityLevel 8252252+28
Computing and IT CT125CCT College DublinLevel 8252–+28
Digital Marketing DL840Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and TechnologyLevel 8252252+28
Law - Criminal Justice - Dublin GC418Griffith CollegeLevel 8252244+28
Health Informatics - Blanchardstown TU848Technological University DublinLevel 8252280v+28
Business Information Systems - Blanchardstown TU913Technological University DublinLevel 8252202+28
Software Design with Digitalisation - Athlone US715Technological University of the ShannonLevel 7252–+28
Biotechnology - Athlone US731Technological University of the ShannonLevel 7252–+28
Quantity Surveying - Letterkenny AU240Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7252–+28
Business Studies (Enterprise and Innovation) - Limerick US852Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8251–+29
International Business Studies - Limerick US854Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8251–+29
Business Studies (Human Resource Management) DB515Dublin Business SchoolLevel 8251251+29
Tourism and Digital Marketing - Grangegorman TU953Technological University DublinLevel 8251251+29
Early Childhood Education and Care (Campus Options) TU989Technological University DublinLevel 8251–+29
Electrical Engineering - Limerick US750Technological University of the ShannonLevel 7251–+29
Sport, Business and Coaching - Carlow SE932South East Technological UniversityLevel 7251–+29
Software and Electronic Engineering - Galway AU542Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7251–+29
Business and Finance - Aungier Street TU674Technological University DublinLevel 7251–+29
Software Design with Artificial Intelligence for Cloud Computing US712Technological University of the ShannonLevel 7250–+30
Design - Carlow SE209South East Technological UniversityLevel 7250–+30
Business with Law - Carlow SE421South East Technological UniversityLevel 7250–+30
Quantity Surveying - Sligo AU836Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7250–+30
Business Management - Aungier Street TU673Technological University DublinLevel 7250–+30
Marketing - Aungier Street TU675Technological University DublinLevel 7250–+30
Industrial and Environmental Physics - Grangegorman TU754Technological University DublinLevel 7250–+30
Applied Social Studies in Social Care - Blanchardstown TU791Technological University DublinLevel 7250–+30
Computing - Common Entry - Sligo AU845Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7249–+31
Biopharmaceutical Science DK883Dundalk Institute of TechnologyLevel 8247364v+33
Gastronomy Science and Food Innovation - Galway AU531Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 7247–+33
Social Science DB566Dublin Business SchoolLevel 8246209+34
Procurement and Supply Chain Management - Cork GC222Griffith CollegeLevel 8246246+34
Film and Television Production DK864Dundalk Institute of TechnologyLevel 8246246+34
Music Production and Technology - Limerick US703Technological University of the ShannonLevel 7246–+34
Business Studies with Event Management - Limerick US941Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8245–+35
Psychology DB562Dublin Business SchoolLevel 8245226+35
Business - Cork GC200Griffith CollegeLevel 8245245+35

Showing 60 of 410

Work out your own number

If you have not added up your grades yet, the points calculator does it, shows which six subjects counted, and tells you what the maths bonus is worth to you.

Figures are the 2026 round one points published by the CAO, read from its own points lists (opens in a new tab), checked 8 September 2026. Courses assessed partly on a portfolio, audition or test are left out, because their published score is on a different scale and cannot be compared with a points total.