Universities have responded angrily to a report suggesting they are at risk of merging as a result of cuts to higher education.

A study carried out by the University and College Union (UCU) placed the University of Brighton at high to medium risk of merging in light of Government plans to reduce funding for teaching degrees by 80%.

The cost for most courses will be shifted to students, with plans to raise tuition fees as high as £9,000 a year.

The University of Chichester was said to be in a more precarious position and classed as being as high risk of merging or closing.

Both universities have criticised the report’s findings.

Brighton deputy vice-chancellor Stuart Laing said: “The conclusions that have been drawn from this analysis are simplistic and do not reflect the myriad of factors that influence the success of a university.

“In 2010 we received 41,000 applications, an unprecedented number, placing us in the top 10% of universities in the country.

“We are in the middle of the recruitment cycle for 2011 and already our applications are up 14% on last year, this is against a national average of 11.5%.

“We are confident that this reflects our reputation for delivering high quality, relevant courses that enable our graduates to pursue a range of careers.”

Clive Behagg, acting vice-chancellor at Chichester, said: "I trust that people will not be misled by this report which completely fails to gauge the capacity of a university to thrive in the new framework.

“It fails to take into consideration the current financial position of universities, the impressive track record of institutions in managing change, or their capacity to replace the lost Government funding with fees.

"It is absurd to list the University of Chichester as being 'at risk.”

The University of Sussex was not highlighted in the report.