Oxford boasts higher female STEM acceptance rate than Cambridge

Figures show Cambridge University has a larger gender gap in STEM admissions than rival Oxford.

A new study by SaveMyExams has found evidence of a “clear bias favouring male applicants” across the top 20 UK universities for STEM.

While female and male students just as likely to apply to study STEM subjects at Oxbridge, female acceptance rates are disproportionately low.

It found that while Cambridge accepted 14.5 per cent of male STEM applicants, it accepted just 13.79 per cent of female STEM applicants.

In contrast, Oxford accepted 13.5 per cent of male STEM applicants, and 13.6 per cent of female STEM applicants.

In response to the report, SaveMyExams CEO Constance Mantle said “This systemic imbalance demands urgent attention, and the higher education system must take responsibility and act decisively to address this inequity”.

“I know first-hand what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated STEM world. I studied engineering at Oxford, and it was never easy.”

“STEM should be driven by ingenuity and a genuine desire to learn—not by gender.”

STEM subjects remain male-dominated at Cambridge, with female students representing just 38.7 per cent of admissions for Sciences degrees in the 2023 application cycle.

Among STEM subjects, there are stark differences in the proportion of female students.

The most male-dominated STEM subject in the 2023 application cycle was Maths, with just 19.4 per cent of the cohort being female.

In contrast, female students represented 83.6 per cent of 2023 admissions to Veterinary Medicine, and 72.8 per cent for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences.

The University of Cambridge has been approached for comment.