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Courses you can get with 490 CAO points 2026

1065 courses closed at or below 490 points in the 2026 round one offers, 772 of them honours degrees, across 27 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 490 points

1,065 closed at or below 490 points, and 49 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 1,103 of 1,114 courses

11 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.
Film and Broadcasting - Grangegorman TU983Technological University DublinLevel 8469–+21
Forensic and Pharmaceutical Sciences - Limerick US863Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8467–+23
Science and Mathematics Education DC203Dublin City UniversityLevel 8467–+23
Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology TR021Trinity College DublinLevel 8467–+23
Commerce (International) with German GY203University of GalwayLevel 8467–+23
Construction Management and Engineering LM082University of LimerickLevel 8467–+23
Aviation Management / Aviation Management with Pilot Studies/Aviation Management with Air Traffic Controller Studies DC117Dublin City UniversityLevel 8466–+24
Quantity Surveying and Construction Economics - Bolton Street TU837Technological University DublinLevel 8466–+24
Biotechnology - Grangegorman TU889Technological University DublinLevel 8466–+24
Biotechnology with Biopharmaceutical Science - Limerick US860Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8465–+25
Mechanical Engineering - Carlow SE711South East Technological UniversityLevel 8465–+25
Mechanical Engineering - Cork MT836Munster Technological UniversityLevel 8465–+25
Biomedical Engineering - Cork MT839Munster Technological UniversityLevel 8465–+25
Education, Home Economics and Biology - with concurrent Teacher Education AU985Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 8Random selection465*463+25
Health and Society DC209Dublin City UniversityLevel 8465–+25
Marketing, Innovation and Technology DC240Dublin City UniversityLevel 8465–+25
Humanities DN530University College Dublin (NUI)Level 8465462+25
Electronic and Computer Engineering LM118University of LimerickLevel 8465–+25
Quantitative Finance MH402Maynooth UniversityLevel 8465–+25
General Nursing CK710University College Cork (NUI)Level 8463–+27
Genetics and Genomics GY321University of GalwayLevel 8463–+27
Education - Gaeilge CK124University College Cork (NUI)Level 8462–+28
Business Information Systems CK203University College Cork (NUI)Level 8462–+28
Biological, Environmental and Geological Sciences CK404University College Cork (NUI)Level 8462–+28
Mechanical Engineering - Galway AU645Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 8462–+28
Education - Primary Teaching CM001Marino Institute of EducationLevel 8462–+28
Economics, Politics and Law DC230Dublin City UniversityLevel 8462–+28
Product Design - Aungier Street AND Bolton St A TU811Technological University DublinLevel 8462453+28
Education - Primary Teaching - International - Limerick MI004Mary Immaculate CollegeLevel 8462–+28
Business Studies and Russian TR087Trinity College DublinLevel 8460–+30
Home Economics and Business (First three years in MTU; Final two years in UCC) MT930Munster Technological UniversityLevel 8456452+34
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence CK411University College Cork (NUI)Level 8456434+34
Food Science CK505University College Cork (NUI)Level 8456448+34
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning LM174University of LimerickLevel 8456–+34
Architectural Technology - Bolton Street TU831Technological University DublinLevel 8455–+35
Business and Management - Aungier Street TU903Technological University DublinLevel 8455–+35
Business and Law - Aungier St AND Grangegorman TU904Technological University DublinLevel 8455–+35
Science GY301University of GalwayLevel 8455–+35
Mathematics LM124University of LimerickLevel 8455–+35
Dispensing Optician - Grangegorman TU761Technological University DublinLevel 7455435+35
Social Studies (Social Work) TR084Trinity College DublinLevel 8454441*+36
Law and Accounting LM020University of LimerickLevel 8454–+36
Athletic and Rehabilitation Therapy - Athlone US956Technological University of the ShannonLevel 8453–+37
LLB Law MH501Maynooth UniversityLevel 8453–+37
Digital Business and Innovation DC241Dublin City UniversityLevel 8452–+38
Midwifery LM156University of LimerickLevel 8452–+38
Midwifery CK740University College Cork (NUI)Level 8451–+39
Civil Engineering - Galway AU638Atlantic Technological UniversityLevel 8451–+39
Construction Management - Bolton Street TU833Technological University DublinLevel 8451–+39
Commerce GY201University of GalwayLevel 8451–+39
General Nursing GY515University of GalwayLevel 8451–+39
Languages-concurrent Teacher Education LM091University of LimerickLevel 8451–+39
Biomedical Science MH205Maynooth UniversityLevel 8451–+39
Business with Sport Science MH412Maynooth UniversityLevel 8451–+39
Sports Science and Health - Tallaght TU736Technological University DublinLevel 7451–+39
Midwifery DK877Dundalk Institute of TechnologyLevel 8449–+41
Food Marketing and Entrepreneurship CK213University College Cork (NUI)Level 8445–+45
International Business with Languages CK215University College Cork (NUI)Level 8445–+45
Financial Mathematics LM058University of LimerickLevel 8445–+45
Biological Sciences (Common Entry) - Cork MT875Munster Technological UniversityLevel 8444–+46

Showing 60 of 1,103

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.