FEWER first-year students dropped out of courses at The University of Bolton last year than ever before, figures show.

Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that around 705 students aged under 21 began a full-time first degree course at The University of Bolton in 2019-20, with 85 quitting before their second year.

That rate of 12.2 per cent is down from 14.7 per cent the year before, and is the lowest since records began in 2014-15.

Universities Minister Michelle Donelan welcomed the latest statistics, which have occurred despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on higher education.

Mrs Donelan said getting on at university is just as important in getting in, and providers must continue to focus on tackling drop-out rates.

She added: "This is real progress, impacting real lives, and I want to put on record my thanks to our universities for their hard work, especially through a challenging pandemic, in reaching this milestone."