The degree subjects chosen by young students still follow fairly traditional patterns: women are overrepresented in social subjects, whilst men are more likely to study technical subjects. On average in the EU, women accounted for 79% of all education degree students in 2023. The share of female students was also high in health and welfare courses (72%), in the field of "Social science, journalism and information" (66%) and "Arts and humanities" (65%). On the other hand, women remain underrepresented in fields such as engineering (28%) and ICT (20%). The survey covers students at the tertiary level (ISCED 5-8).
Overall, more and more young people are acquiring a degree. In 2024, 45% of all 30- to 34-year-olds had a tertiary education qualification (degree), with women (50%) achieving a higher ratio than men (39%).
Latest update: 03.07.2025. Source: Eurostat.