BEIJING, July 8 -- More than 2,600 students from the Chinese mainland were admitted to Taiwan universities this year, a new high since a drive to enroll mainland students was launched four years ago, authorities said Tuesday.

A total of 4,512 mainland students applied for undergraduate programs this year, an increase of 66 percent year on year. Among them, 1,804 were admitted, according to the education department of Taiwan.

Another 849 will pursue master's and doctoral degrees, the department said.

Ming Chuan University, Tamkang University and Chinese Culture University were among those recruiting the most students. Business, foreign languages and design topped the most popular majors, statistics showed.

Taiwan universities opened their doors to mainland students in 2011, enrolling 975 that year.

Taiwan authorities have eased measures to recruit mainland students, including recognizing mainland universities and colleges, increasing the number of mainland students and streamlining registration procedures.

The sharp increase in recruitment this year is attributed to the opening of public-funded universities to mainland students, said Chein Tai, director of Taiwan's University Entrance Committee for Mainland Chinese Students.

A total of 48 public universities have joined a program to absorb mainland students this year, attracting a large number of applications, although each university may recruit five at most, he said.

But 14 of a total of 133 universities and colleges failed to enroll any mainland students, partly due to lack of promotion and relatively low education quality, according to media reports.