UCAS: Number of university applicants up

The amount of students applying for university has risen by 9% from last year, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) announced.

Over half of the 553,924 applicants have already been accepted by their chosen institutions, a figure which has also increased since last year, The Financial Times reported.

This news comes in defiance of claims that the introduction of top-up fees could hinder many students from completing degree courses.

Applications from overseas students have also risen, with 22.7% more submissions from Chinese students compared to last year.

UCAS also received more interest from both Singapore and Saudi Arabia, the newspaper noted.

The organisation's clearing process for students without university placements started in England earlier this week.

In related news, applications for PGCE teaching courses starting this autumn have shot up at the last minute, despite contrary predictions earlier this year.