St Columb's College, Derry

Open events

• Open day Sat 16 JanAdd to calendarsource

Your chances

Check your chances against these criteria.

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

1. 1Applicants awarded Band 1, or with special circumstances or provision accepted and judged comparable to Band 1.
2. 2Applicants awarded Band 2, or with special circumstances or provision accepted and judged comparable to Band 2.
3. 3Applicants awarded Band 3, or with special circumstances or provision accepted and judged comparable to Band 3.
4. 4Applicants awarded Band 4, or with special circumstances or provision accepted and judged comparable to Band 4.
5. 5Applicants awarded Band 5, or with special circumstances or provision accepted and judged comparable to Band 5.
6. 6Applicants awarded Band 6, or with special circumstances or provision accepted and judged comparable to Band 6.
7. 7Applicants other than those satisfying criteria 1 to 6.
8. 8Sub-criterion (a): applicants with a brother in the school or entering in the coming year.
9. 9Sub-criterion (b)(i): applicants who are the eldest or first boy of the family.
10. 10Sub-criterion (b)(ii): first boy of a family arriving in the traditional catchment area on or after 1 January 2021.
11. 11Sub-criterion (b)(iii): applicants with a brother who previously attended the school but has since left.
12. 12Sub-criterion (b)(iv): applicants with elder brothers who all completed post-primary education at another school.
13. 13Sub-criterion (c): applicants with a parent who is a permanent member of staff of the College.
14. 14Sub-criterion (d): applicants other than those in sub-criteria (a) to (c).
15. 15Final tie-break: selection by the initial letter of the surname in a randomised order, then by lot.

The school's criteria

Getting in

Usually has spare places

Everyone who put it first was offered a place in 2026/27 (115 children).

Places depend mostly on the SEAG score, so how many apply says little on its own.

Applications per place (all preferences): 0.9 in 2024/25, 0.7 in 2025/26, 0.7 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 79%, got 77.3% (5+ GCSEs A* to C with English and maths, 2024/25).

Getting there

School bus from Foyle Street Depot (Derry), Dungiven, Limavady, Strathfoyle, Eglinton, Strabane. Routes