The number of students admitted to Kingston University has fallen for the first time in nearly a decade.

Kingston experienced a 1,800 drop in student numbers, or 7.9 per cent, compared to admission rates for 2007, and currently has 21,300 students, compared to 23,135 in 2007.

In contrast, figures released by UCAS showed the average university admission rates in the UK rose by 10.4 per cent in 2008, and reports said  universities are taking on more students in 2008 than ever before.

Despite Kingston’s fall, many believe that there is already a problem with overcrowding at the University. 1800 fewer students may have been admitted in 2008 but figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that over the past 10 years Kingston’ student population increased by 46 per cent, from 14,580 to 21,300. In the same period of time, the University of Leeds increased its population by 26 per cent and Birmingham by 19 per cent.

Overcrowding can have far reaching consequences for students, and some students question whether the university can cope with the number it currently admits. There were still 9,786 new entrants to the University in 2008, 7,240 of whom were undergraduates – a figure at odds with the 2,224 places available in halls of residences.

The University’s Head of Accommodation Services, Kristian Drane, said: “The University can offer most first-year undergraduate students accommodation in halls, as long as they make Kingston their firm choice through UCAS and their permanent address is outside the immediate local area - by this it means more than 10 miles from Kingston train station. It’s very easy for students to find accommodation in the Kingston area if they are prepared to be flexible on location and facilities.”

A large student population can put a strain on facilities. Sophie, 19 and a student at Kingston said the main campus on Penrhyn Road in particular suffers from too many people for too few facilities: “There is only one cash point for however many hundreds of students there are here. The shop too has really long waiting times at peak hours too. It seems that a lot of services here are really under strain.”

Kingston student Nick, 21, was concerned about the lack of space in the library on the main campus: “During the day, it’s often impossible to find somewhere to sit or a computer that’s free anywhere in there. I get a bit fed up waiting around for something to free up.”

Kingston still has a 1:18 ratio of student to staff, an average figure for UK universities. In addition, earlier this month the board of directors for the university gave the go-ahead for the University to invest nearly £50m in the next phase of campus development. The proposals outline ambitious new building projects, a number of which may host environmentally-friendly initiatives such as rainwater harvesting and renewable energy generation.