This chapter contains statistics on the graduates whose outcomes are explored in later chapters. The number of graduates for years 2010 to 2016 are shown, along with variables such as sex, age category, NFQ Level and field of study. In later chapters, graduates without a valid PPSN are excluded, since these cannot be matched to outcome data. However, they are included in this chapter in order to give a more accurate representation of the trends in further education in Ireland. Rates of missing PPSN are given in Background Notes and Methodology.

 

Close to half of all graduates were aged 25 and under

Approximately 47.5% of all 2016 graduates were aged 25 and under. These graduates are classified here as 'Young', while graduates over the age of 25 at the time of graduation are classified as 'Mature'. While there are more women than men in all age categories, the difference is particularly noticeable among mature graduates, where women outnumbered men by more than two to one. One in five (19.2%) female graduates were over the age of 46 at the time of graduation, compared to just 11.4% of males.

For further details on 'Young' and 'Mature' definitions, see Background Notes and Methodology. The remainder of this report focuses on young graduates only, with the exception of Apprenticeships.

Of the 32,920 unique graduates in 2016, 1,220 were qualified apprentices. For the remainder of this report, references to 'graduates' refer to persons who did not complete apprenticeships. The outcomes of qualified apprentices are examined in a separate chapter, Apprenticeships.

The gender and age breakdown provided in Table 1.1 excludes qualified apprentices. For the remainder of this report, references to 'graduates' refer to 'Young' persons who did not complete apprenticeships, i.e. the 'Total for Analysis'.

 

NFQ Level 5 awards accounted for almost three in four awards completed in 2016

Of the 2016 graduates, 10,700 completed awards at NFQ Level 5, accounting for 71.1% of the total in that year. There were a further 2,000 awards at Level 6, and 1,085 at NFQ Level 4. There were relatively few graduates at NFQ Levels 3 and below, with less than one in ten (8.4%) graduates completing awards at NFQ Levels 3 and below in 2016. 

The most common field of study in each year was Health & Welfare which accounted for one in four (24%) 2016 graduations.

There was an increase in the number of Arts & Humanities graduates over the period examined, from 1,380 in 2010 to 2,545 in 2016, making it the second most common field of study in 2016. There was also a large increase in graduate numbers from Services, with 2,435 graduates in 2016, compared to 1,805 graduates in 2010. Business, Administration & Law saw graduate numbers fall by a quarter over the same period, from 2,645 in 2010 to 1,940 in 2016.

Note that numbers of Education graduates are not shown in Figure 1.3 due to low numbers. However, they are included elsewhere in this report and in all relevant calculations.

 

One in three 2016 female graduates studied Health & Welfare

The most common field of study for 2016 female graduates was Health & Welfare, which accounted for one in three (37.5%) female graduations. However, this field represented only 6% of male graduations. Instead, the most common field of study for men was Arts & Humanities, which accounted for one in five (20.2%) male graduations. Male graduates were more likely to study fields such as Information & Communication Technologies, Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction and Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries & Veterinary.

Interactive tables: Statbank Link