Enrolments in Year 12 information technology subjects have hit a 20-year low, with more and more girls turning their backs on the subject.

Preliminary enrolment data shows 2493 students enrolled in unit 3 IT applications this year, with numbers slipping from their peak of 14,004 in 2000.

IT student Cora Brewster. Credit:Angela Wylie

Enrolments in another VCE IT subject, software development, have also been declining, while systems engineering's numbers have remained relatively unchanged since 2007.

The three subjects are the most male-dominated VCE units, with girls making up 16 per cent of IT Applications enrolments, 6 per cent of software development enrolments and 2 per cent of systems engineering enrolments.