The number of students who don't make it to the end of their course at college is rising sharply, according to figures released today. Many UK colleges have drop out rates over 20% - with some rising to nearly 40%. 7.8% of first year students in 2002 didn't finish their first year, according to a survey by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Bell College in Hamilton, Scotland had the highest drop out rate at 38.5%. In England London South Bank University, London Metropolitan University, Liverpool Hope University College and Bolton Institute of Higher Education all had drop-out rates of more than 15%. In Wales, the University of Glamorgan's drop out rate was over 15% while the University of Ulster had a rate of 12.9%.

But while drop out rates are rising, the number of state school pupils in higher education is dropping, falling to 86.8% from a previous figure of 87.2%. The colleges which accepted the lowest number of state school pupils - all below 60% - included UCL and Imperial Colleges in London and Oxford and Cambridge.

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