Revealed: The gender breakdown of every undergraduate Durham degree, 2019-2024

Ever wondered what the gender divide on your undergraduate degree at Durham is? The Tab can reveal the gender breakdown of 133 undergraduate and integrated masters degrees in the last five academic years at Durham University, from 2019 through to 2024.

The data was provided by Durham University, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Tab. It showcases the 2023/24 data for every degree, and depicts changes over time for each classification of degree – Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science/Engineering (BSc/BEng), Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Master of Biological Sciences, Natural Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Engineering and Bachelor of Education (BAE).

In all classifications, students registering their gender as other make up an average of less than one per cent. Where there are a number of students identifying their gender as other, this is mentioned in each section. While The Tab does not have data on the precise number of students on each degree in each year, if all sizes were equal, female identifying students account for 54 per cent of the student body – male identifying students account for 46 per cent in this scenario.

Additionally, placement, abroad and foundation years are all covered below.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

In 2023/24 academic year, 60 per cent of BA students identified as female, closely reflecting the five year average of 59.6 per cent. The proportion of BA students identifying as female in this period ranges from 58-61 per cent.

In 2023/24, the BA degree with the highest proportion of students identifying as female was English Literature with an abroad year, at a rate of 95 per cent. Meanwhile, the BA degree with the highest proportion of students identifying as male was Accounting and Finance with a placement year, at a rate of 75 per cent.

With the exclusion of degrees including placement, abroad or foundation years, the BA degree with the highest proportion of students identifying as female was tied between Religion, Society & Culture and Education Studies – Sociology, at a rate of 94 per cent. For male identifying students, it was Economics and Management at a rate of 67 per cent.

An average of at least 1 per cent of students identified their gender as other in the following BA degrees, from 2019-2024: Education Studies – Sociology and Philosophy & Theology.

Bachelor of Science/Engineering (BSc/BEng)

 

In 2023/24, 53 per cent of BSc/BEng students identified as female, a number slightly higher than the five year average of 50.4 per cent. The proportion of BSc/BEng students identifying as female in this period ranges from 47-53 per cent. Despite an overall even split, 25 of 39 BSc/BEng degrees registered a proportion of at least 60 per cent of one gender in 2023/24 – 16 female-heavy degrees, nine male-heavy degrees.

The degree with the highest proportion of students identifying as female in 2023/24 was Psychology with an Abroad Year, at 90 per cent. For male identifying students, it was Engineering (Electronic), at 92 per cent. Degrees with considerable change over the five years include Geophysics with Geology, where the proportion of female identifying students increased from 16 to 50 per cent, and Archaeology, where the proportion of male students increased from 27 to 39 per cent.

At 0.4 per cent, Physics recorded the highest proportion of students identifying their gender as other.

Bachelor of Education (BAE)

In 2023/24, 88 per cent of BAE students identified as female, slightly lower than the five year average of 89.4 per cent. The proportion of BAE students identifying as female in this period ranges from 88-91 per cent.

BAE accounts purely for Primary Education, meaning that the data provided is exclusively for this degree.

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

In 2023/24, 70 per cent of LLB students identified as female, a rate considerably higher than the five year average of 64.8 per cent. The proportion of LLB students identifying as female in this period ranges from 60-72 per cent.

LLB students identifying as male were more likely to take the standard three year course at a rate of 39.8 per cent over the five year period, compared to 36.6 per cent on the foundation year course, and 29 per cent on the abroad year course.

Integrated Master of Biological Sciences, Natural Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Engineering

In 2023/24, 70 per cent of integrated scientific masters students identified as male. This figure is exactly the same as the five year average, where the proportion of students identifying as male has ranged from 68-71 per cent.

Biosciences, with a five year average of 60.2 per cent, had the highest proportion of students identifying as female. In this time, the proportion of Computer Science students identifying as female rose from 8 to 21 per cent, an increase of 162.5 per cent.

MEng Aeronautical Engineering had the highest average proportion of students identifying as male, at 88 per cent.

With an average proportion of 0.2 per cent, Computer Science, Natural Sciences and Physics & Astronomy recorded the highest rate of students identifying their gender as other.

Placement Year

After a very male-heavy proportion of placement year students in 2019/20, a relatively even trend has settled – over the five year period, an average of 50.2 per cent of students taking placement years identify as male.

Despite an overall even split, 7 of 12 placement year degrees registered a proportion of at least 60 per cent of one gender in 2023/24 – four female-heavy degrees, three male-heavy degrees. Psychology with a placement year had 89 per cent of students identifying as female in 2023/24, while Finance with a placement year had 78 per cent of students identifying as male.

The proportion of Philosophy, Politics and Economics with a placement year students identifying as female increased from 33 to 52 per cent, and the proportion of Marketing & Management with a placement year students identifying as male increased from 19 to 31 per cent.

Abroad Year

Female identifying students were much more likely to take an abroad year, at a proportion of 60.6 per cent. One reason for this could be the requirement of languages students to take an abroad year – with the exception of Japanese Studies (44 per cent female, 2023/24), all language degrees had at least 60 per cent of students identifying as female in 2023/24.

In some subjects, however, female identifying students were more likely to opt for an abroad year. 62 per cent of Business and Management students with an abroad year in 2023/24 identified as female, despite much lower rates of 47 per cent on the three year course and 41 per cent on the placement year option. History provides another example of this, with 81 per cent of abroad year students in 2023/24 identifying as female, despite a lower number of 46 per cent on the three year course.

An anomaly to this trend is Natural Sciences, where 67 per cent of abroad year students identified as male, despite a lower number of 48 per cent on the three year course.

Japanese Studies with an abroad year recorded the highest rate of students identifying their gender as other, at an average of 0.6 per cent.

Foundation Year

There is very little trend between gender and foundation year students.

Over five years, 51.6 per cent of foundation year students identified as female, with a large range of 42-57 per cent showing considerable variation.

Data via Excel (Ben Green)

Featured image via Georgia Sanderson

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