Women are outshining their male counterparts at university, leading to claims intelligent women are unable to find equal partners.

A "striking gap" is developing between the number of men and women graduating from higher institutions, David Willetts, the universities minister, said on Sunday. Around half of women are graduating from university compared to only 40% of men, Willetts told Sky News in an interview.

According to one newspaper, this has led some disgruntled women in their early 30s to complain they cannot find a potential husband with the right credentials and prospects.

One self-professed matchmaker "expert" previously told women to "dumb it down" if they wanted to bag a man.

"Men like smart women after marriage, but not before", Patti Stanger, TV personality and author proclaimed.

"You've got to dumb it down a little because men are not that bright."

Willetts said the trend of more females graduating than men may lead to a "change in household living".

"There is now a rather striking gap if we look at the statistics, where it looks as if approximately 50% of women are graduating from university by the time they are 30 and perhaps about 40% of men. It does look as if the challenge we particularly face in our society at the moment is that the boys are lagging behind the girls."

He added the trend may "shift balance of earnings" between the genders and lead to changes in the pattern of household living.

"There are some deep questions here and I think these are questions that, as a society, we should focus on", Willetts added.