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Monday, March 31, 2003

University enrolment by field of study

2000/01 (preliminary)

University enrolment in fields related to technology, such as engineering and mathematics, has soared during the past three years, and the gains have been particularly prominent among women.

From 1997/98 to 2000/01, enrolment in mathematics and physical sciences rose 19%, the biggest jump among all fields of study. This was nearly twice the increase of 10% in engineering and applied sciences, the second fastest growing discipline.

In both fields of study, the number of women enrolled increased more than 20% during the three-year period. In fact, the proportion of women increased in every field of study except agricultural and biological sciences.

These data confirm trends found by the 2001 Census. Census education data were released in The Daily on March 11.

In total, 861,700 full-time and part-time students were enrolled at universities in 2000/01, up 2% from the previous academic year and up 5% from 1997/98.

About 70,600 were enrolled in engineering and applied sciences, up 10% from 1997/98, and 56,300 in mathematics and physical sciences, up 19%. Programs in the mathematics and physical sciences field of study include mathematics, computer science, chemistry, geology and physics. Engineering and applied sciences includes all types of engineering, architecture, forestry and landscape architecture.

Women accounted for 23% of the enrolment in engineering and applied sciences, and 30% of the enrolment in mathematics and physical sciences.

Most popular field of study still social sciences

The most popular field of study among university students, both men and women, was still social sciences, which includes commerce, economics, psychology, sociology, political science and anthropology.

A total of 261,200 students were enrolled in this discipline in 2000/01, up 4% from 1997/98. This field was also the largest single contributor to the increase in the actual number of students on university campuses since 1997/98.

Social sciences accounted for 30% of total university enrolment. Six out of every 10 students in the field were women.


Note to readers

Preliminary university enrolment data for 1999/2000 and 2000/01 were obtained using information from the Enhanced Student Information System and the University Student Information System.

This information covers a limited number of variables: registration status (full-time/part-time), major field of study, program level, sex, province/territory and institution.

Preliminary data on age will be released shortly. Final data providing information on all variables will be released at a later date.

For more information on the methodologies used for compiling these preliminary enrolment figures, contact the Centre for Education Statistics.

Enrolment data for 1999/2000 for the Atlantic provinces may be revised from data already published.


The number of students in social sciences was almost triple the number of students enrolled in arts and science, the second most popular field in 2000/01. Enrolment in arts and science increased 3% during the three-year period.

Only three fields of study experienced decreases: agricultural and biological sciences (-4.3%), humanities and related fields (-2.2%), and education (-0.6%).

Despite these decreases within education and humanities, they remain the third and fourth most popular fields of study. In 2000/01, education accounted for 10% of total enrolment, and humanities, 9%.

Women led growth in all fields of study

Of the total enrolment of 861,700 in 2000/01, some 494,700, or 57%, were women, their highest proportion ever.

Women accounted for just over 78% of the total growth in university enrolment between 1997/98 and 2000/01.

In addition, they formed the majority in all fields of study except engineering and applied sciences and mathematics and physical sciences.

The two fields of study with the largest proportion of women in 2000/01 were education, where they represented 72% of total enrolment, and health professions and occupations, at 70%.

Despite the overwhelming majority of men in engineering and applied sciences and mathematics and physical sciences, women made the bigger gains in enrolment in both fields.

Between 1997/98 and 2000/01, the number of women in mathematics and physical sciences rose 22%, compared with 17% for men. The number of women in engineering and applied sciences increased 20% during the same time frame, compared with only 7% for men.

Growth rate among graduate students outpacing undergrads

Of the total enrolment in 2000/01, about 85%, or 735,300, were undergraduate students, and 126,300, or 15% were graduate students.

From 1997/98 to 2000/01, the number of graduate students increased by 8,500, or 7%. At the same time, the number of undergrads rose by 30,300, or 4%.

There were significant differences between the two groups in the growth among fields of study from 1997/98 to 2000/01.

Enrolment growth at the undergraduate level has been driven by two fields of study over the last three years. Undergraduate enrolment increased 20% in mathematics and physical sciences and 10% in engineering and applied sciences.

At the graduate level, enrolment also increased in these two fields of study. But graduate enrolment growth in social sciences, at 14%, and agricultural and biological sciences, at 12%, outpaced graduate enrolment growth in mathematics and physical sciences and in engineering and applied sciences. In fact, of the 8,500 new graduate students since 1997/98, 5,000 enrolled in social sciences.

Among women, enrolment increases at the graduate level exceed 13% in five different fields of study: engineering and applied sciences; mathematics and physical sciences; agricultural and biological sciences; social sciences; and health professions and occupations.

In contrast, among men, gains in enrolment were less than 13% in every field. Much the same pattern occurred in undergraduate enrolment, as percentage gains were greater for women than men in every field of study.

Information on methods and data quality available in the Integrated Meta Data Base: 5017 and 3124

For general information or to order data, contact Client Services (1-800-307-3382; 613-951-7608; fax: 613-951-9040; educationstats@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Todd Robertson (613-951-4711; fax: 613-951-6567; todd.robertson@statcan.gc.ca) or Sylvie Bonhomme (613-951-5366; fax: 613-951-6567; sylvie.bonhomme@statcan.gc.ca) Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics.

University enrolment by field of study
  1997/98 1999/2000 2000/01 1997/98 to 2000/01
      % change1 actual change
Agricultural and biological sciences 50,200 48,900 48,000 -4.3 -2,200
  Female
 30,600 30,600 30,400 -0.8 -200
  Male
 19,500 18,300 17,600 -9.9 -1,900
Arts and science 91,600 93,400 94,800 3.4 3,200
  Female
 54,700 55,800 57,100 4.3 2,400
  Male
 36,900 37,600 37,700 2.1 800
Education 88,700 87,300 88,100 -0.6 -600
  Female
 62,000 61,800 63,300 2.2 1,300
  Male
 26,700 25,500 24,800 -7.2 -1,900
Engineering and applied sciences 64,300 68,500 70,600 9.7 6,300
  Female
 13,500 15,300 16,300 20.2 2,800
  Male
 50,800 53,100 54,300 6.9 3,500
Fine and applied arts 25,000 25,200 26,000 4.1 1,000
  Female
 16,100 16,700 17,300 7.6 1,200
  Male
 8,900 8,500 8,700 -2.1 -200
Health professions and occupations 55,600 55,400 57,800 3.9 2,200
  Female
 38,000 38,300 40,500 6.4 2,500
  Male
 17,600 17,100 17,300 -1.5 -300
Humanities and related fields 78,000 75,700 76,300 -2.2 -1,700
  Female
 48,300 47,700 48,800 0.9 500
  Male
 29,700 28,000 27,500 -7.3 -2,200
Mathematics and physical sciences 47,500 53,400 56,300 18.7 8,800
  Female
 14,000 16,300 17,100 22.0 3,100
  Male
 33,400 37,100 39,200 17.3 5,800
Social sciences and related fields 252,000 256,500 261,200 3.7 9,200
  Female
 145,300 150,200 153,900 5.9 8,600
  Male
 106,600 106,200 107,300 0.6 700
Total Female 464,400 480,800 494,700 6.5 30,300
Total Male 358,400 363,000 366,900 2.4 8,500
Total2 822,800 843,800 861,700 4.7 38,900
1Percentages are based on actual, non-rounded figures.
2Enrolment figures may not add up because of the exclusion of the not reported and not applicable categories in the table or because of rounding.
Note:Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

University enrolment by program level
  1997/98 1999/2000 2000/01  1997/98 to 2000/01
      % change1 actual change
Total2 822,800 843,800 861,700 4.7 38,900
Undergraduate enrolment2 705,000 721,700 735,300 4.3 30,300
Mathematics and physical sciences 39,100 44,800 47,100 20.3 8,000
Engineering and applied sciences 53,000 56,600 58,300 10.0 5,300
Fine and applied arts 23,000 23,200 23,900 4.0 900
Arts and science 90,400 92,300 93,700 3.6 3,300
Health professions and occupations 38,000 37,300 39,000 2.7 1,000
Social sciences and related fields 216,100 217,400 220,300 1.9 4,200
Education 71,900 71,200 71,600 -0.4 -300
Humanities and related fields 64,600 62,900 63,600 -1.5 -1,000
Agricultural and biological sciences 44,000 42,200 41,000 -6.7 -3,000
Graduate enrolment2 117,800 122,000 126,300 7.3 8,500
Social sciences and related fields 35,800 39,100 40,800 14.0 5,000
Agricultural and biological sciences 6,200 6,700 7,000 12.4 800
Mathematics and physical sciences 8,300 8,600 9,300 11.0 1,000
Engineering and applied sciences 11,400 11,900 12,300 8.3 900
Health professions and occupations 17,600 18,100 18,800 6.6 1,200
Fine and applied arts 2,000 2,000 2,100 5.2 100
Education 16,800 16,100 16,500 -1.9 -300
Humanities and related fields 13,500 12,800 12,700 -5.9 -800
Arts and science 1,200 1,100 1,000 -11.9 -200
1Percentages are based on actual, non-rounded figures.
2Enrolment figures may not add up because of the exclusion of the not reported and not applicable categories in the table or because of rounding.
Note:Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.


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