Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge campus.

Cambridge is bucking the trend, with the number of applicants applying to Anglia Ruskin University rising by 11.3 per cent and Cambridge University by 2 per cent.

This compares with the number of university applicants in England for the 2012-13 academic year dropping by 9.9 per cent - a fall accredited to students having to pay tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year, almost three times the amount those beginning university during the current 2011-12 academic year pay.

A spokesman from Anglia Ruskin University - which has campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford - said the institution was delighted with its significantly higher number of applications but said it was too early to say whether it was because the university was charging undergraduate fees of £8,300 a year - slightly lower than the maximum of £9,000.

She said: “We think it is due to our portfolio of courses and the fact that we have invested so much in both our campuses.

“We had a roadshow which toured the region which explained to prospective students about the tuition fees so they understand the system.

“When people realised they don’t have to pay until they earn enough money, they view the fees differently.”

While applications to Cambridge University rose by 2 per cent from the number for the 2011-12 academic year to 15,675, applications from state school pupils also increased by 3 per cent.

A spokesman for Cambridge University said: “We believe these figures reflect Cambridge’s longstanding commitment to recruiting the ablest and best-qualified students with the greatest academic potential from every background.

“Our extensive and flexible financial support package aims to ensure that no student with the ability to succeed here is deterred from applying because of financial concerns.”