A free bus travel policy has saved Aberdeen pupils £33,000 in transport costs.
Sixth-year pupils previously had to pay to switch between schools for lessons as part of the City Campus scheme.
A campaign was launched to reverse the policy, which would have cost youngsters up to £40 per week to take their chosen subject.
While 411 pupils first took part in the scheme three years ago, this has now increased to 581.
Barry Black, who led the campaign to have free travel brought in, believes the rise is down to the lack of financial concerns about bus fares.
“Money should not be a barrier to education and, thanks to the introduction of travel cards, more and more school pupils can study what they want to without the worry of costs,” he said.
“These statistics show that the vast majority of students on travel afternoons need their fares paid for. It is great to see students taking the subjects they want to without the financial burden of high bus fares.”
Aberdeen City Council’s education, culture and sport convener, Jenny Laing, said free travel cards for youngsters involved in the city campus programme had allowed them to access courses they would have otherwise struggled to study.
Councillor Laing added: “They are a key part of the inclusive educational policies which this council is vigorously pursuing.”
When the city campus scheme was first introduced, concern was raised that it would be detrimental and unfair to youngsters from poorer backgrounds.
It was also thought that pupils would be put off taking subjects if they had to pay their own bus fares.
The travel passes were introduced in 2011 to encourage a greater uptake of different subjects – and was hailed as a breakthrough by Aberdeen Youth Council.
In the last academic year, from August 2012 to July 2013, the city council spent £32,934 on travel cards for youngsters.
Aberdeen pupil Liam Yeats, who is in S6 at Northfield Academy, said the scheme had allowed him to study drama at Aberdeen Grammar School.
“Having fares paid for has allowed me to take subjects like drama that I would not normally have chosen due to the cost of travelling across the city,” he said.