Bradford University is succeeding in attracting students from state schools and poorer backgrounds onto its courses.

New figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England show the university exceeding its target for the number of students from state schools by four per cent, with 91 per cent of undergraduates coming from the state sector.

And one third of students come from families of lower socio-economic groups, six per cent better than the benchmark calculated by the funding council.

University chiefs say pioneering schemes such as its junior university - which offer local youngsters Saturday and summer schools on campus - have played a major role in making sure pupils from less well-off backgrounds decide to opt for a university education.

Professor Geoff Layer, director of continuing education, said the figures were encouraging and reflected efforts the university had made. "We have a major commitment to social inclusion," he said.

The figures also show a 15 per cent drop-out rate, one percentage point better than the benchmark.

Students who came to the university tended to stay the course and succeed at the end of it too, Professor Layer said.

"We now have students who came to our junior university and are now undergraduates studying biomedical sciences who can contribute to today's junior university and help other, younger people," he added.

One third of Bradford University's students come from West Yorkshire, with 17 per cent from areas with a Bradford postcode, said Prof Layer.

Neil Drayton, communications secretary at the university's students' union, said: "The intake of students from local families or students who would not normally go to university is probably helped by the summer schools run by the university. There's a fantastic opportunity for kids from the local area to find out what university is really all about.

"I would like to think our low drop-out rate is due to the friendliness of the campus and a good student advice centre."

At Oxford University, only half of students come from a state school, with nine per cent from lower socio-economic groups, but drop-out rates stand at only one per cent.