FEWER than one per cent of all pupils due to start their first year in post-primary school this autumn have yet to receive a place.
The Education Authority (EA) yesterday issued letters informing children the school they will attend from September.
Hundreds of extra places have been created to cope with demand.
A mix of grammar and non-grammar are allowed to admit more Year 8s this September and next.
In the previous three years, the number of children transferring from primary to post primary has increased by more than 10 per cent.
This means hundreds have been left temporarily unplaced due to popular schools being oversubscribed - even though there are thousands of empty desks elsewhere.
The total unplaced this year is just 174, out of 23,888 pupils. This is down from 226 last year.
There remain places available at more than 80 post primary schools.
An EA spokeswoman said there was a slight fall - of 61 - in the number of total applications.
"23,714 (99.27 per cent) children have been placed in a school. Of these, 20,951 (87.7 per cent) have been offered a place at their first preference school, while 174 (0.73 per cent) are currently not yet placed," she said.
"EA has written to the parents of children who have not yet secured a place for September 2020 advising them of the alternative schools to choose from and the action they could take.
"Every year there are unplaced children at this stage and the Education Authority will continue to work with parents and schools over the coming weeks to ensure successful placement for every child."
Education Minister Peter Weir said the extra places resulted in the highest proportion of children placed at this stage of the process in three years, despite rising demographic pressures.
"Over 99 per cent of pupils have been placed already, with almost 88 per cent placed at their first preference school," he said.
"I want to reassure parents and carers of children who have not been successful in securing a school place during the process that available places remain in schools across Northern Ireland. Advice on how to access the list of schools with available places and contact details for the Education Authority helpline are available in the letter they received.
"I would encourage parents in this position to apply to schools with places remaining in the coming days, when the choice of schools with available places will be greatest."
As children who are unplaced apply for schools in the coming days, requests for further increased admissions at schools will be considered by the department.
