Universities will be forced to compete harder than ever to fill empty places after the release of A-Level results next week, as experts report that a dip in UK university applications means a “great year for students”.

Some Russell Group universities will lower their entry requirements in a bid to enlist students onto under-subscribed courses, sector leaders predict.

Applications to UK universities were down by 4 percent this year, due to a sharp fall in the number of applications from European Union students as well as a broader long-term decline in the size of the youth population.

As a result, ‘clearing’ - the process where students who do not achieve the grades required for their preferred university search for spaces on rival, under-subscribed courses - will be more competitive than ever, as admissions teams scramble to fill empty places.