The Higher Education Authority's Key Facts and Figures report records 41,413 full-time undergraduate, new entrants, to 28 higher education institutions in 2012/13.
Seventeen institutions allocate reserved places to students from disadvantaged backgrounds through the HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) scheme. Since 2010 this scheme has operated on a national basis, as part of the annual CAO process. In 2012/13 2,012 full-time undergraduate students, from disadvantaged backgrounds, entered participating higher education institutions through the HEAR scheme.
In addition, in 2012/13, there were also local schemes in a number of Institutes of Technology (CIT, WIT, Sligo, Tralee, Tallaght, Carlow, Galway) which supported the allocation of approximately 370 places to school-leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds.