But the government's figures for young people who leave university without completing courses includes both failures and success stories.

Sue Littlemore reports for Radio 4's Today programme on why students are dropping out of university

It includes those who have dropped out because of difficulties with course work or who have problems with university life and those who have left to take up lucrative job offers.

Research at Liverpool John Moores University suggests that the largest single factor for dropping out is students feeling that they have taken the wrong course, but there are also students who feel socially excluded, homesick and uncomfortable with university life.

There are also differences in why men and women tend to leave university without finishing courses. Typically women leave because of problems with coursework and the university environment, while men drop out because of money problems or lack of commitment to their studies.

In certain subjects, such as computing, it has become more common for students to leave to take up employment, rather than finishing their degree courses. Where courses are shaped around vocational skills, taking up a job before completing a course is seen as getting one step ahead in the employment market.

But researchers say that for some students the pressures of university life can lead to depression and even suicidal tendencies, particularly for those from poorer backgrounds who can feel socially excluded from student life.