Student numbers are rising according to new figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Overall figures show a 1.8 per cent increase from 2,247,440 in 2003-04 to 2,287,540 in 2004-05. First-year undergraduate numbers have risen by 0.7 per cent from 943,815 in 2003-04 to 950,130 in 2004-05. Numbers of first-year postgraduates are also up, by 0.6 per cent, from 255,465 to 257,000. The figures exclude Open University students owing to a computing error.