More than 400,000 students have entered university this year

A rise in applications increased competition for places - and 106,000 did not get on to a university course.

Figures from the UCAS admissions service show that 405,000 students have taken up places this autumn - an annual increase of almost 8%.

The proportion of female students continued to rise - and EU student numbers increased sharply.

These latest admissions figures, when almost all course decisions would have been taken, show an increasing demand for higher education - with applications rising to 521,000, up from 484,000 last year and 474,000 in 2003.

Tuition fees

This pressure has led to a rise in the number of students gaining places, but has meant that thousands more applicants have missed out. This year 18,000 more applicants failed to get places than in 2003.

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There have been claims that the surge in demand for university places this year is the result of an attempt to avoid paying higher tuition fees next year.

But the higher education organisation, Universities UK, says the rise is "due to a range of factors including demographics, an increase in the number of mature students, and increased interest from the new EU members".

The figures also show that the different tuition fee payment systems in England and Scotland do not appear to have had an impact on applications.

There had been forecasts that removing "up-front" fees could make Scotland more attractive - but student numbers rose in England and fell in Scotland.

This year's intake will include more than 17,000 students from the European Union, including about 4,000 from "new" EU states, and 28,000 from elsewhere.

Numbers of both male and female students have increased, but the rate of increase for female students has been marginally higher. This year, there will be 217,000 female students starting courses and 188,000 male students.