We're used to hearing about white males dominating in fields of academia, business and the arts - it may come as a surprise, therefore, that male students are being significantly outnumbered and outperformed by their female counterparts at university level.

A new study released by HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute) showed that over 40,000 more 18-year-old women applied to university this year than men of the same age. Across all ages and all degree levels, the gender gap exceeded 94,000 candidates - the largest gap on record.

White men from disadvantaged backgrounds fare the worst proportionately - in some areas, just one in ten young men will apply for university. Men are also more likely to drop out of university and are less likely to achieve highly.

Nick Hillman, director of the HEPI and co-author of the report, has called for "targets" to be introduced to encourage applications.

"Nearly everyone seems to have a vague sense that our education system is letting young men down," Hillman commented, "but there are few detailed studies of the problem and almost no clear policy recommendations on what to do about it."