Universities have been accused of allowing admissions to descend into a “free for all” after it emerged that school leavers are increasingly being offered places regardless of their exam results.

Figures obtained by the Telegraph show that unconditional offers at some of Britain’s leading institutions have more than doubled over the past five years.

It comes amid fierce competition among universities to attract students, with top institutions preparing to drastically lower their entry grades to entice school-leavers during the “clearing” process, as they scrabble to fill their remaining places after A-level results are released next week.