Almost every secondary school in Sligo recorded an increase in students progressing to third level education in 2024 compared with last year.
According to statistics from the Irish Independent Feeder Schools supplement, there’s still a strong appetite for education beyond the Leaving Cert.
In County Sligo, both Coláiste Iascaigh, Easkey and Coláiste Muire in Ballymote both saw 100% of their students who sat the Leaving Cert earlier this year go on to third level education.
The amount of young people progressing to third level almost doubled at Grange Vocational School, with 93% attending this year compared with 57% in 2023.
The Mercy College in Sligo recorded a slight drop with 65% of students attending third level this year compared to 82% in 2023.
In south Donegal, the likes of St. Catherine’s Vocational School in Killybegs also saw a decline in students moving to third level education, 77% in 2024 compared to 92% last year.
A slight drop was also recorded in Colaiste Cholmcille in Ballyshannon at 85% while it was 97% in 2023.
While there was a notable jump at St. Clare’s Comprehensive School in Manorhamilton, with 95% of its leaving cert students progressing to third level education this year compared to 69% in 2023.
Nationally though, the ratio of school leavers who went to university this year has stalled with the data showing there has been an overall one percentage point decline in the last year.
