Top universities, including Cambridge,  are to be subjected to a fresh review of their admissions policies, as ministers say they must do more to open their doors to students from underprivileged backgrounds.

Sir Martin Harris, head of the university admissions watchdog, will consider new targets for research-intensive universities, aimed at improving access for poorer students.

The move was announced by Lord Mandelson, the minister responsible for universities, as he presented the Government’s ten-year plan for universities.

Lord Mandelson said that, while the quality of education provided by universities was generally good, it “needs to be higher”.

Focus is likely to fall on the Russell Group of research-intensive universities in England, which includes Cambridge and Oxford. Universities will have to demonstrate that they are making a significant contribution to Britain’s economy, prioritising courses that match skills gaps: predominantly science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A spokesperson for the Russell Group said, “We warmly welcome the Government’s commitment to support science and engineering courses, which are both vital to the UK economy and in high demand from employers. However, higher education must always be more than just training for a job and care must be taken in attempting to decide which courses give graduates the greatest advantage in the labour market or predicting which skills will be most in demand in the future. A Russell Group degree is for life – not just for that first graduate job.”

Lord Mandelson’s proposals come with the news that applications to UK universities filed by October 15 are already up 12 per cent on last year. This figure factors in applications to Cambridge, Oxford, and Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary degrees, and is thought to indicate that universities’ efforts to encourage participation in higher education are working well.

According to the Russell Group, “evidence about the impact of fees is promising – there has been no adverse impact on recruitment. Applications to English universities have continued to increase from students of all social backgrounds.”

Lord Mandelson made only passing reference to the separate forthcoming review of the cap on variable tuition fees, which have risen only in line with inflation from their original ceiling of £3,000.

Universities will be expected to become more “consumer-friendly” in the commitments and information they offer to students in the future, with the prospect of fee-hikes to what many academics believe should be between £5,000 and £7,000 a year.

The Government’s aim that half of young people aged 18 to 30 should enter higher education will remain -– 43 per cent do so at present – but the 50% figure originally to be reached by 2010 has been diluted from a “target” to a “goal”, with increasing emphasis on those studying part-time for work-based foundation degrees, studying at home, and taking higher education level apprenticeships.