Students from fee-paying schools secure significantly more CAO points than students from the secondary and vocational sector, according to new figures presented to a Government skills group last week.
The findings also show that students in all-girl schools score about 40 more CAO points than students in mixed schools.
The figures, based on Leaving Cert results for last year, show that 23 per cent of students in private schools were among an elite group who secured more than 500 points in the Leaving Cert exam. By contrast, only 4 per cent of vocational school students and only 11 per cent of students in mainstream secondary schools achieved this figure.
The figures, prepared for Forfas' Expert Skills Group, are based on a survey of 600 students who applied to the CAO for a place at third-level after the Leaving Cert exam last June. The poll was conducted by the MRBI after the CAO process was over.
The average number of points achieved in this survey - of students who expressed an interest in going on to third level - was 372. But the best performing groups were students from private schools (400 points) and students from girl-only schools (399) .
These groups outperformed other sectors and other school types by up to 40 points. The survey again confirmed that girls are now consistently outperforming boys in the Leaving Cert. The average female points score (381) was more than 20 points more than that achieved by males.
The MRBI survey shows that the college experience of Dublin students is more traditional than their British and US counterparts. Virtually all (97 per cent) live at home with their parents, primarily it appears because of the high cost of rented accommodation.
This picture is markedly different in Connacht/Ulster where only 36 per cent of those surveyed live at home.
The survey also indicates that students may be drifting back to courses in computers, sciences and engineering.
Relatively small percentages of students (between 5 and 7 per cent) expressed an initial interest in these areas.
But vastly more students actually opted for these courses in the CAO process with 14 per cent taking science, 11 per cent engineering and 9 per cent computers.
These figures reflect the great efforts made by several government agencies and the industries concerned to rekindle interest in these areas, according to Mr Brian Mooney, president of the Institute of Guidance Councillors.
Among other issues the survey also shows that;
Students opt for particular college courses primarily because of the career prospects. The status of a particular college or its location is secondary.
About 8 per cent of the group surveyed are taking a "gap year".
Among students at third-level almost 80 per cent say college life is better than expected or as they expected. Only one in five are critical.
The high points scores achieved by fee-paying schools confirms a trend first seen last year when The Irish Times published a list of the main feeder schools for the universities. This showed that nine of the top ten feeder schools for UCD are fee-paying.