SEAGReady

Dunclug College

Save or compare in the school finderFind schools near you

Doury Road, Ballymena, BT43 6SU

Non-selective · Mixed · Controlled

Pupils
893
Year 8
156
Council
Mid and East Antrim

Open events

Your chances

against these criteria.

How it chooses when it has more applicants than places, in order:

  1. Applicants attending the listed primary schools.
  2. Applicants with a child of the family currently enrolled at the college.
  3. Eldest child of the family, or first child seeking a place where the school does not select by entrance test.
  4. Dunclug College is the nearest appropriate Controlled Secondary school by nearest suitable road route.
  5. Older applicants, by date of birth as entered on a birth certificate.
  6. Tie-break at criterion 5: surname placed in a randomly developed letter order.
  7. Final tie-break by random selection where applicants remain tied.

The school's criteria

Getting in

5 of the 134 children who put it first were not offered a place in 2026/27.

For September 2026 entry, 183 applications were considered for 140 places. Places ran out at criterion 4: The final eight places required the eldest/first-child Criterion 3 and nearest appropriate Controlled Secondary school Criterion 4. EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.1 in 2024/25, 1.1 in 2025/26, 1.3 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 58%, got 47% (5+ GCSEs A* to C with English and maths, 2024/25).

0%50%100%0%40%80%Pupils on free school meals
Each dot is a non-selective school with 30 or more Year 12 pupils. The dashed line is what schools usually get at each free school meals level.

School life

  • School day 9am to 3.05pm source
  • Sport: Football, Rugby, Athletics source
  • Sixth form with about 23 A-level subjects source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/251401212113140
2025/26140113297140
2026/271401343711140

In 2026/27, 129 of the 134 children who put it first got a place here.

Each child counts once, at the preference their family gave this school. Figures at the end of the admissions procedure, from the Education Authority's analysis of preferences.

Pupils (October 2025)

Free school meals
36.6%
Special educational needs
263 pupils (95 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 62.5%, Catholic 5.6%, other or none 31.9%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
47%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
75.4%
3+ A-levels A* to C
47.8%
2+ A-levels A* to E
95.7%
Year 12 pupils counted
134
A-level pupils counted
46

Source: Department of Education, SAER 2024/25, Open Government Licence.

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 140 (whole school: 840)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24140140140
2024/25140157140
2025/26140175140

Applications count every family that named the school at any preference, not only first preferences.

School's note: The above figures do not include children with Special Educational Needs

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Open event: Open Evenings: Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 January 2026, 7.00pm to 9.30pm (Principal's talk 7.00pm).

Sources

DENI reference 3210208

Schools near Dunclug College