Nicola Dandridge, Universities UK's Chief Executive, said: “While the overall number of applicants has decreased compared with the same point last year, the dip is far less dramatic than many were initially predicting. And if we look at the number of 18-year-old applicants from the UK, this has dropped by only 3.6 per cent at a time when the overall 18-year-old population is in decline.

“The main issue now is whether students from certain backgrounds have been deterred more than others. Universities UK will continue monitoring the impact of the new system on groups of students and specific subjects.

“For prospective students, it is important to remember that there is still plenty of time to apply to university for courses starting this autumn. It is precisely because so many applicants apply to university later on in the recruitment cycle that it is impossible to draw reliable conclusions about applications for 2012-13 at this stage. Universities UK will be looking at how many of these subsequent applications turn into acceptances in the coming months.”

1. The UCAS applicant figures as of the 15 January 2012 deadline can be found on the UCAS website