Private colleges can be a good choice for many students

839 students were caught breaching exam regulations in Ireland's seven universities during the academic years 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

Aoife Walsh

There are a number of private colleges on the CAO, with strong reputations. They tend to concentrate on areas related to business and humanities but some have built niche areas in discipline such as psychology, fashion, media and computers.

These courses are accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), which now has responsibility for making awards in further and higher education and training, and are available from Level 6 (higher certificate) to level 8 (honours degree).