A quarter of students are dropouts

New figures have revealed that a quarter of students are likely to drop out of their university course this year.

According to research by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 22.6% of undergraduates are expected to leave their degree course - up from 22.4% last year.

And one in seven freshers will leave university in the first year of their degree with no qualifications.

Higher Education Minister, Bill Rammell, defended the success of UK higher-education institutions.

'Although there has been a slight increase in the proportion of full-time first degree starters expected neither to get an award nor transfer, we still have one of the highest levels of student retention when compared internationally,' he said.

Mr Rammell added that the diversity of the student population has widened.

Meanwhile, Sally Hunt, General Secretary of University and College Union, recently claimed that an increase in tuition fees will be damaging to higher education.