Figures show the vast majority of top research institutions turned more places over to pupils from independent schools in 2010/11 and fell dramatically short of Government admission targets.
Amid an unprecedented scramble for degree courses, it emerged that around two-thirds of universities belonging to the elite Russell Group recruited proportionally fewer state school students.
This includes the universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Imperial College, the London School of Economics and University College London.
At Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, fewer than six-in-10 places went to state school students.
Alternative figures showed just over half of top universities also recruited fewer pupils from the very poorest families.
The disclosure will come as a blow to the Government which has piled pressure on the most selective universities to create a more diverse student body.
Last year, Nick Clegg warned that top institutions had a duty to ensure “British society is better reflected” in their admissions to justify state funding.
But the Russell Group defended the figures, insisting that large numbers of well-qualified students from state schools failed to apply.
Wendy Piatt, director general, said: “These statistics are a reminder of the particular challenges faced by Russell Group universities as we work hard to increase fair access. Every year we pump millions of pounds into our outreach work such as summer schools and access schemes to encourage poorer students to apply and attend our universities.
“But we can only admit students who apply and who have the right grades in the right subjects.”
According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, some 88.7 per cent of university places were awarded to pupils from state schools last year, down slightly on 88.8 per cent a year earlier.
It coincided with a record rise in the number of students applying to university in 2010.
Figures show that fewer state school students were admitted by 16 out of 24 Russell Group universities. The group expanded from 20 to 24 earlier this month.
Those witnessing a drop were Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, Imperial College, King's College, Leeds, the LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, UCL, York, Cardiff, Glasgow and Queen's University Belfast.
The propotion of state school students at Birmingham dropped from 77.6 to 76.1 per cent. It meant 3,235 were admitted to the university last year compared with 3,420 a year earlier.
The LSE turned over 70.8 per cent of places to state pupils in 2009/10 compared with 66.5 per cent 12 months later. It represented a drop from 515 to 445. Cambridge fell from 59.3 to 59 per cent, taking 1,560 state school pupils, down by 30.
Only Oxford, Durham, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Queen Mary College and Warwick saw their proportion of state school students rise, while Sheffield and Liverpool remained unchanged.
Statistics also reveal the number of universities that are failing to meet centrally-set "benchmarks". Targets cover areas such as how many state school pupils are admitted and numbers from the poorest homes.
The statistics show that 51 universities – around 41 per cent – failed to meet their benchmarks for recruiting state school pupils. This included 16 out of 24 Russell Group institutions.
From next year, universities could be stripped of the power to charge up to £9,000 in tuition fees for consistently falling short of admission targets.
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: "Demand for higher education remains strong, but we want to ensure that background is not a barrier to university. Our reforms expect institutions to do more to attract applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
Amid an unprecedented scramble for degree courses, it emerged that around two-thirds of universities belonging to the elite Russell Group recruited proportionally fewer state school students.
This includes the universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Imperial College, the London School of Economics and University College London.
At Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, fewer than six-in-10 places went to state school students.
Alternative figures showed just over half of top universities also recruited fewer pupils from the very poorest families.
The disclosure will come as a blow to the Government which has piled pressure on the most selective universities to create a more diverse student body.
Last year, Nick Clegg warned that top institutions had a duty to ensure “British society is better reflected” in their admissions to justify state funding.
But the Russell Group defended the figures, insisting that large numbers of well-qualified students from state schools failed to apply.
Wendy Piatt, director general, said: “These statistics are a reminder of the particular challenges faced by Russell Group universities as we work hard to increase fair access. Every year we pump millions of pounds into our outreach work such as summer schools and access schemes to encourage poorer students to apply and attend our universities.
“But we can only admit students who apply and who have the right grades in the right subjects.”
According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, some 88.7 per cent of university places were awarded to pupils from state schools last year, down slightly on 88.8 per cent a year earlier.
It coincided with a record rise in the number of students applying to university in 2010.
Figures show that fewer state school students were admitted by 16 out of 24 Russell Group universities. The group expanded from 20 to 24 earlier this month.
Those witnessing a drop were Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Exeter, Imperial College, King's College, Leeds, the LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, UCL, York, Cardiff, Glasgow and Queen's University Belfast.
The propotion of state school students at Birmingham dropped from 77.6 to 76.1 per cent. It meant 3,235 were admitted to the university last year compared with 3,420 a year earlier.
The LSE turned over 70.8 per cent of places to state pupils in 2009/10 compared with 66.5 per cent 12 months later. It represented a drop from 515 to 445. Cambridge fell from 59.3 to 59 per cent, taking 1,560 state school pupils, down by 30.
Only Oxford, Durham, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Queen Mary College and Warwick saw their proportion of state school students rise, while Sheffield and Liverpool remained unchanged.
Statistics also reveal the number of universities that are failing to meet centrally-set "benchmarks". Targets cover areas such as how many state school pupils are admitted and numbers from the poorest homes.
The statistics show that 51 universities – around 41 per cent – failed to meet their benchmarks for recruiting state school pupils. This included 16 out of 24 Russell Group institutions.
From next year, universities could be stripped of the power to charge up to £9,000 in tuition fees for consistently falling short of admission targets.
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: "Demand for higher education remains strong, but we want to ensure that background is not a barrier to university. Our reforms expect institutions to do more to attract applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
NEWS BY:http://www.telegraph.co.uk
