Scramble for university places: Hear informed debate - plus A Level results and video

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Universities across the region reported the number of candidates contacting them searching for spare places yesterday had risen compared with last year as school leavers faced a battle to get into higher education.

Sheffield University has no space available through the clearing system while both Huddersfield and York St John expected to fill their remaining courses last night.

Elsewhere, York and Leeds universities said they would only have limited places on offer through clearing – the system which matches applicants to vacant courses.

A spokesman for York University said it had just 50 places left yesterday afternoon, having been able to offer fewer than 100 through clearing this week, compared with 250 last year.

It is feared up to 200,000 applicants will fail to secure a place at university.

Figures published by the university admissions service, UCAS, revealed more than 185,000 students were eligible for clearing.

Last summer, 47,600 students accepted places through the system but the number is expected to be lower this year.

The battle to secure a university place began yesterday as students celebrated record results.

A-level pass rates have risen for the 28th year in a row, with more than one-in-four entries now graded as an A.

About one in 12 exam entries across the country, 69,302 in total, was awarded one of the new A* grades, according to figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications.

This exceeded predictions, based on last year's results, that around seven per cent would get the top grade.

Research from the Independent Schools Council had suggested that 21 per cent of exams sat by its candidates and five per cent of A-levels sat in the state sector would be awarded an A* grade. But several private and state schools in Yorkshire have beaten this prediction.

The region also saw a string of individual success stories as pupils collected straight A*s.

Skipton Girls' High School pupil Molly Davey achieved seven A*s, six in A-level subjects and one for an extended project, while Sheffield High School pupil Mollika Chakravorty earned five A*s at A-level despite sitting exams a year early at 17.

And yesterday's results revealed private school pupils were three times more likely to score the top mark than state school pupils, while overall girls achieved more A*s than boys.

Andrew Hall, chief executive of the AQA examining board, said candidates from comprehensive schools, which are responsible for 43 per cent of A-level entries, gained 30 per cent of the A* grades awarded.

Students from fee-paying schools, which are responsible for 14 per cent of entries, also took 30 per cent of the A* grades awarded.

Girls got more A* grades overall than boys, 8.3 per cent compared with 7.9 per cent, but boys got more A* grades in science and maths-based subjects.

Despite the record results teaching unions insisted the exams were tougher not easier.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:"The questions were harder, the way in which the questions were framed."

He added that this year's A-level group were the best qualified ever, and it was "deeply frustrating" that many will now be forced to miss out on a university place.

Universities Minister David Willetts said: "For those who have sadly not done as well as they hoped, there are places available in clearing."

More than 300,000 students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their results yesterday, the first year that changes to A-levels came into effect. As well as the new A* grade, students sat four modules instead of six, and answered questions designed to allow them to fully demonstrate their knowledge.

AT A GLANCE

Three universities in Yorkshire have no places left today and many others warned only a handful of clearing spaces remain.

Yorkshire's students accounted for nine per cent of A-level entries, with 6.7 per cent achieving top marks.

Nationally the pass rate has risen for the 28th year in a row – with more than one in four entries gaining an A grade.

About one in 12 exam entries was awarded one of the new A* grades,

The results show girls achieved more A*s than boys but not in maths and science.

Maths students were the highest proportion of candidates gaining the new A* grade, with 17.2 per cent achieving the mark.

Independent school pupils were three times more likely to get an A* than their counterparts in state schools.