Based on responses from 1,000 second-year students, it finds that nearly one in four (22%) would choose a different course if they could.

This is the equivalent of 150,000 students if the findings were applicable to the whole university population.

The survey also finds that 39% of second years say their workload is heavier than they expected, 42% say the cost of living at university is higher than they expected, 28% feel that the information about career prospects offered by their courses is lacking, and 37% are not confident they have the skills to sell themselves to an employer.

The results are prompting concerns that poor information about courses could cause more students to drop out from college, particularly after this year's introduction of tuition fees of up to £1,000 a year.

The findings were reported at a conference hosted by the education information company, ECCTIS 2000 Ltd.

'Consumers'

Its chairman, Professor Clive Booth, said the advent of tuition fees would see students becoming "more discriminating consumers" of higher education.

Those finding that courses were not what they expected could be more inclined to abandon them, he said.

"We as educationalists should be pooling ideas for enabling applicants to make the right choice the first time."

Dropping out wastes both university resources and the time of the individuals involved, he said.

"It is important to allow people to change their minds or to take a break from higher education when family, work or financial considerations require it.

"But there remains a core of genuine dropouts for whom we must accept responsibility. We should not let them down."