The University of Technology Sydney will allow female school leavers to enter its engineering courses with a lower ATAR than males under a plan to boost the number of women in the field.

The university applied to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board for permission to give 10 Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) adjustment points to female students applying for engineering and construction degrees next year.

UTS is offering female high school graduates bonus points to study the course, meaning they'll be able to achieve a lower entrance score than their male counterparts. Credit:Steven Siewert

Many universities allocate adjustment points based on disadvantage or illness, but UTS Director of Women in Engineering and IT, Arti Agarwal, said she believed the university would be the first to base them on gender.

Dr Agarwal said a better gender balance will lead to improved student outcomes and better buildings and design in the wider world.