Universities fail to fill hundreds of courses nearly two weeks after A-Level results were announced Highly-regarded degrees still being advertised include engineering, law, classics, politics and economics, and history Hundreds of places were still available at major universities yesterday - nearly two weeks after A-level results came out. Highly-regarded degrees being advertised include engineering, law, classics, politics and economics, and history. The number of undergraduates that universities can take used to be governed by strict government quotas. Hundreds of places were still available on courses at major universities nearly two weeks after A-level results came out That was changed last year when they were allowed to take unlimited students as long as they had A-level grades of AAB or higher. This year that was lowered to ABB, creating a free-for-all as top universities vied for bright students or poached those who did better than expected from less prestigious courses or institutions. Two-thirds of the Russell Group, which represents 24 leading universities, used clearing this year, some for the first time. A few, including Birmingham and Cardiff, have announced they are now full. But others were still advertising places through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service yesterday. Liverpool had 217 courses with places such as law, architecture and aerospace engineering. Newcastle had room on 134 courses including classics, history and politics and economics. Leeds had room in biology, classics and Spanish among others and Warwick was advertising for engineering undergraduates. Professor Alan Smithers, an education expert from the University of Buckingham, said those universities that had stopped taking more students might have simply run out of space in lecture halls or student accommodation. A University of Leeds spokesman said: "We have a small number of vacancies available for students with good exam results." A Newcastle University spokesman added: "We have no limit on places, within reason." A record 39,480 people had been found courses through clearing yesterday, close to one in ten of the 452,000 applicants who have won places at universities.