Record numbers apply to universities in bid to start before fees go up

Tens of thousands of students could miss out on a place at university after record numbers applied to start courses before tuition fees increase, figures show.

More than 580,000 people have submitted applications for a place this autumn - 28,000 more than at this time last year, according to admissions service Ucas.

The rise is set to place universities, already facing multi-million-pound funding cuts, under increasing pressure. Tuition fees are due to increase to £9,000 from 2012.

The figures also suggest that students are choosing to study more science and maths and vocational courses. Applications for medical subjects such as nursing are up 18 per cent, while those related to veterinary science and agriculture are up 12.8 per cent, but linguistics, classics and related subjects are down 2.7 per cent, and combined arts down 1.5 per cent.

The figures come after the Office for National Statistics revealed that graduate unemployment has hit its highest level for over a decade, with a fifth out of work in the third quarter of 2010.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "A university education is clearly still recognised for the enormous benefits it provides. Undoubtedly, gaining specialist higher-level skills gives graduates an edge."

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: "Going to university has always been a competitive process, and not all who apply are accepted.

"Despite this, we do understand how frustrating it is for young people who wish to go to university and are unable to find a place.

"Our reforms will make part-time university study more accessible, and we are also investing in new apprenticeship places, with an additional 75,000 being created by 2014."