The number of people applying to university rose by 6.4 per cent this year after a drop linked to the introduction of top-up fees in 2006, figures from the Admissions service Ucas show.
It said 395,307 candidates applied to start university courses this year, compared to 371,683 last year. There was a marked rise of 7.1 per cent in applications from students in England, where top-up tuition fees of Pounds 3,000 per year came into force last autumn.