The gap between the number of men and women entering higher education in the UK has doubled in under a decade from around 29,000 to 58,000, according to the latest statistics from UCAS.

The latest figures for 2014 also show that two thirds of university courses are now dominated by women. On some courses, such as teaching, nursing and social work, nine out of ten students are female. Last year Dr Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of UCAS, raised concern about the growing university gender gap saying:

“There remains a stubborn gap between male and female applicants which, on current trends, could eclipse the gap between rich and poor within a decade. Young men are becoming a disadvantaged group in terms of going to university and this underperformance needs urgent focus across the education sector.”

Key Facts:

512,370 students placed in higher education through UCAS in 2014

44.4% male

55.6% female

In 2006, 29,780 more women entered university than men

In 2014, 57,790 more women entered university than men

Women now 27.7% more likely to enter higher education

Women outnumber men in two thirds of university courses

Gender Divide By Subject Area:

Nursing 90.9% female students

Dance 90.1% female students

Education 88% female students

Social Work 87.6% female students

Engineering 84,7% male students

Building 84.7% male students

Animal Science 84.3% female students

Computer Science 82.3% male students

Technology 80.9% male students

Psychology 80.6% female students

---Photo: UNE Photos/flickr

Article by Glen Poole author of the book Equality For Men

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