DUNDEE COLLEGE was unable to offer a place to more than 3,000 applicants this academic year, giving it one of the highest rates in Scotland.
Figures released under Freedom of Information have revealed the college was not able to offer a place to 3,191 applicants in the 2012/13 academic year.
Over the same period James Watt College in Greenock turned away 1,261 students and in 2012 Stow College in Glasgow refused 6,207 applicants.
Dundee West End councillor Fraser Macpherson has called on the Scottish Government to stop cuts to college funding.
He said: “It is very concerning that Dundee College was unable to offer a place for 3,191 applicants in the 2012/13 academic year.
“That is up from 2,957 applicants in 2010/11 and shows a worrying trend that is letting down Dundonians wishing to take up a college place.
“Dundee College does an excellent job but the Scottish Government has continually cut its funding.
“The education cabinet secretary should reconsider his decision to further cut college funding.”
In 2012/13 400 applicants were turned away from Carnegie College while 465 were refused places at Elmwood College.
Mr Macpherson’s comments follow Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Liam McArthur’s call on education cabinet secretary Mike Russell to rethink his plans to cut a further £34 million from the college budget.
Mr McArthur said: “These figures show that up and down Scotland, colleges are being forced to turn away applicants due to a lack of places.
“How can the SNP Government seriously expect to tackle unemployment if it is slashing over £30m out of college budgets when they need it most?
“It rings alarm bells that many of our colleges are turning applicants away due to a lack of places.
“Those who attend colleges often face different circumstances than university applicants.
“They tend to look for courses on their doorstep and family commitments may mean they cannot relocate to another city.”