BOLTON Institute has the worst drop out rate for students in England with more than a third quitting part way through their courses.

And almost half of students working towards a degree in Bolton leave before the end, according to Government figures.

The report, compiled by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, says that 35.8 per cent of students studying all types of courses in Bolton drop out.

It is also one of eight universities to have a first year drop out rate of 20 per cent.

The figures reveal that 42 per cent of undergraduates fail to complete their degree courses. But Bolton Institute bosses have branded figures as misleading.

Vice-Principal Dr Peter Marsh said: "These figures relate to student trends three years ago and take no account of our recent improvements as a result of measures offering students extra support.

"Our own statisticians estimate drop out rates have since fallen by seven per cent and we are working hard to continue this downward trend."

Dr Marsh said the Institute ranks as the top performing university for social inclusion and if it is compared with similar institutions serving equally diverse populations then they do compare favourably in terms of non completion rates.

He said: "It is the other side of the social inclusion coin -- universities with the highest degree completion rates do have the lowest social inclusion rankings.

"In addition, Bolton Institute offers its students highly accessible learning and study flexibility. Our students can take up to six years to complete their degree course.

"They may withdraw for financial reasons or family pressures, only to return to their studies at a later date.

"These statistics will register them as withdrawals and so does not accurately reflect our position."

The statistics showed that universities admitting the smallest proportion of pupils from the four lowest socio-economic groups, such as Oxford and Cambridge, had some of the highest completion rates.

Colleges such as the Institute which have been upgraded to university status within the last 15 years had the worst records on retaining students for the full period of their degree course.