Rising student fees should not put off youngsters wanting to apply for admission to the nation’s top universities, a senior educationalist has insisted.

The assertion comes as new figures lay bare stark differences between how Oxfordshire schools compare in getting Students into the leading universities.

Many universities are set to charge the maximum £9,000 a year for academic courses.

But new figures seen by the Oxford Mail show county schools got between eight and 44 per cent of their students into 30 “selective” universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

The England average was 18 per cent, while the county average stood at 26 per cent for comprehensives and 41 per cent for independent schools.

Councillor Melinda Tilley, cabinet member for schools improvement at Oxfordshire County Council, said any struggling schools would face “strong challenge and support” from the local education authority.

Speaking of changes in fees and funding for students, she said: “I don’t think it would put off any determined student.”

Bottom of the county list was Cowley’s St Gregory The Great RC School, which had not commented as we went to press. Next was by Bicester Community College on 10 per cent.

College spokesman Alison Pexton said: “In the current economic climate, it has been our observation that students are choosing to move directly into employment, vocational training, or set up their own business, as a realistic alternative to university.”

Oxford Spires Academy – Oxford School until January – had 13 per cent of pupils heading to top universities.

Principal Sue Croft said initiatives such as weeks away at universities and mock Oxbridge interviews would get more students into major institutions.

She said: “We will not be towards the bottom of the table next year.”

Julie Frenn, head of Woodstock’s Marlborough School, rated 19 per cent, said: “We give access to A-Level courses for students with lower GCSEs grades than other schools would.”

She feared the gap could widen due to Government policy changes.

These will see the cap on university fees rise to £9,000 in September 2012 and the end of the educational maintenance allowance (EMA) cash support for poorer students.

She said: “Students from lower income families are thinking very seriously about going to university.”

Jolie Kirby, head at Oxford’s Cheney School, which got 30 per cent of pupils into top places, said extra support for youngsters from 13 and programmes such as work experience had helped.

She said: “Sometimes it is to do with aspirations of students and communities. Often students don’t apply for [top] universities.”

Paul James, the head at North Oxford’s Cherwell, which got the county’s highest state school score, put its success on “having real focus on the learning and teaching and having high aspirations.”

Twelve of the 18 county independent schools scored higher than the best comprehensive. Top was Magdalen College School, with 97 per cent.

The figures, for 2007 to 2009, were produced by the Sutton Trust, which campaigns for better social mobility.

Nationally, they show four schools and one college sent more students to Oxbridge than 2,000 others combined.