The points for popular college courses have risen significantly as a result of the Leaving Cert calculated grades system.

Nearly 54,000 people have received first round offers from the CAO this lunchtime.

Some people have received more than one offer – with 47,162 Level 8 course offers and 31,7888 Level 6/7 course offers sent out.

Applicants can find out if they have received an offer by logging on to ‘My Application’ facility at CAO.ie.

The calculated grades process saw this year’s Leaving Cert class handed significantly higher grades than previous years and, as a result, the points needed for popular course have also risen.

Some of the rises include:

• Computer Science and Business at Trinity: 510 points last year | 555 points this year
• Law at Trinity: 533 points last year | 566 points this year
• Science at UCD: 521 points last year | 533 points this year
• Science at NUI Galway: 400 points last year | 433 points this year
• Chemical Sciences at UCC: 465 points last year | 485 points this year
• General nursing at DCU: 414 points last year | 454 points this year
• This is just the first round of offer with a second round due to become available at 10am on Wednesday September 23rd.
• Primary Teaching at St Pats: 488 points last year | 462 points last year
• Primary Teaching at St Mary’s: 473 points last year | 495 points this year

CAO Communications Officer Eileen Keleghan said applicants should consider today’s offer as the only one they will receive.

“One of the common queries that we receive at the offers stage is around order of preference,” she said.

“Applicants are reminded that if they receive a lower preference offer they can accept this offer and it will not prevent them from receiving an offer of a course higher up on their courses list in a later offer round, if a place becomes available and they are deemed eligible.

“Those who have received an offer in this round should consider the current offer as being the only one they may receive.”

She said anyone who feels there has been an error or omission on their application should contact the CAO immediately.

Below are the points requirements for popular courses in some of Ireland's best-known colleges:

Trinity College Dublin

Law: 566

Mathematics: 531

Engineering: 510

Chemical Sciences: 517

Computer Science: 509

Medicine: 735 (HPAT required)

Pharmacy: 590

Social Studies: 462

Midwifery: 478

University College Dublin

Architecture: 510

Science: 533

Engineering: 531

Computer Science: 510

Law: 546

General Nursing: 429

Psychology: 530

Commerce: 521

University of Limerick

Arts: 348

Journalism and Digital Communication: 402

Business Studies: 431

Psychology and Sociology: 500

General Nursing: 475

Construction Management and Engineering: 398

Sports and Exercise Science: 474

Limerick Institute of Technology

Digital Marketing: 262

Quantity Surveying: 294

Accounting and Finance: 300

Social Care Work: 367

Business: 346

Maynooth University

Primary Teaching: 507

Arts: 318

Science: 360

Accounting and Finance: 422

Law (options): 451

Engineering (Computer/Electronic/Communications): 333