Allocation pattern
Band priority
SEAG scores are grouped into bands, with every child in a higher band considered first. In recent years the school has had more places than applicants, so banding has not been the deciding factor.
SEAG admissions guide / All 63 schools / St Columb’s College
St Columb’s College: SEAG score and admissions criteria
This page shows exactly how St Columb’s College used SEAG results to allocate Year 8 places,
taken from the school’s own published admissions criteria. It is one of the
63 school evidence cards in our SEAG admissions guide.
How places were allocated for September 2026
- 220 places — Northern Ireland’s largest grammar intake. Boys are admitted by Band, 1 to 6, then all other applicants.
- Within a Band: brothers of pupils → eldest or first boy (with catchment-arrival and other published variants) → children of staff → all others → a published randomised surname alphabet → lot.
- Voluntary contribution: £50 per family.
Applications have been below places for three years running (156 applications for 220 places in 2025/26), so the criteria have barely been needed and applicants across Bands were admitted.
Recent admissions history
| Entry year | Places | Applications (all prefs) | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 220 | 214 | 214 |
| 2024/25 | 220 | 190 | 190 |
| 2025/26 | 220 | 156 | 158 |
2025/26 includes SEN statements/SPiMS, as stated by the school.
Worth asking at the open day
Do you expect to be oversubscribed for the coming year? · Were all Bands admitted in recent years?
Source — School-published · September 2026 entry · Verified 11 July 2026
Year 8 admissions criteria (2026) → · School website →
These figures describe past cycles. Always read the school’s current published
criteria in full before listing it — criteria can change year to year.
Preparing for SEAG?
Daily quizzes, full mock papers and topic-by-topic practice, built for the SEAG format.
Practise in the SEAG Hub
Back to the full admissions guide →