University drop-out rates have reached a record high.

More than one in five first-year students are leaving their chosen course, adding to concerns that universities are pushing students into courses that they little real prospect of completing.

The rise in drop-outs comes as a new record is set for domestic student enrolments, which topped one million for the first time in 2014 and now sits at around 1,076,000.

The figures come as the Federal Government waits for a report that insiders say will call for an overhaul of univer­sity admission processes.

Reports say this might include a crackdown on arbitrary “bonus points” schemes, which can funnel academically-inferior students into some high-level (and high-cost) courses.

Grattan Institute higher education policy expert Andrew ­Norton has told News Corp reporters that there is a correlation between drop-out rates and increasing enrolments, especially on the lower end of ATAR results.

“Being from a low socio-­economic background itself is not a big predictor of attrition but it overlaps with other risk factors, including weaker school performance,” Mr Norton said.

“You’d expect equity statistics and attrition to go up together ­because you are bringing in more people who wouldn’t have gone to university five years ago.”

The national average drop-out rate for first years is 21.09 per cent, but when it is adjusted to remove students who simply change course, the rate is a more modest 15.25 per cent.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham says the adjusted figure has been stable for about a decade.

“Student experiences show a range of factors lead to student attrition and it is going to take concerted efforts from ­educators and policymakers to reduce it,” he said.

Adjusted course attrition rates hit a low of 12.48 per cent just before the partial uncapping of university places in 201. After the implementation of the demand-driven system in 2012, dropout rates rose to 13.47 per cent.

Senator Birmingham said the upcoming report into offers and admissions would help address attrition rates.

He claimed changes would be made so that universities give students more consistent information about what to study and where.

Mr Norton still questions the attrition rates.

“The question is: are universities actually informing students of the risks they are taking on, particularly studying online, and are they being responsible in taking on students who are at high risk of not completing?” he asked.

Drop-outs were highest among students studying part-time and online.

“Clearly, if you shift your enrolments to online, you are going to get increases in attrition,” Mr Norton said.

“What it shows is that if you are studying online, chances are you already have a job, a family and a lot of competing demands on your time.”