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2007/2008 (Previous release)

Just over 1,066,000 students were enrolled in Canadian universities during the academic year 2007/2008, up 0.6% from the previous academic year. This is a much slower rate of growth than the annual average increase of 2.9% since 1998/1999.

Of these 1,066,000 students, 613,600, or 57.5%, were women and 452,600, or 42.4%, were men. The proportion of women, slightly lower than the past years, was similar to 2002/2003.

The number of male students increased 1.3% in 2007/2008, faster than the rate of growth among women (+0.1%).

Undergraduate and graduate enrolment

Total undergraduate enrolment amounted to 812,700, down 0.1% from the previous academic year. Women accounted for 58.1% of undergraduate students.

Among men, undergraduate enrolment increased 0.7%. Among women, it declined by an equivalent 0.7%, the first decrease recorded for women in undergraduate enrolment since 1997/1998.

At the graduate level, enrolments increased by 5.0% nationally. In Ontario, it increased by 11.6%, accounting for most of the national growth.

About 101,000 students were enrolled in a master's program in 2007/2008, up 5.4% from the previous academic year. Women accounted for 55.2% of enrolment at the master's level.

At the doctorate level, enrolment rose 5.4% to 40,400 in 2007/2008.

Men outnumbered women in doctorate programs. In 2007/2008, men accounted for about 54% of doctorate registrations, a proportion that has remained the same since 2000/2001.

Full-time and part-time enrolments

Full-time university enrolment rose 0.8% to 796,400 in 2007/2008.

The number of full-time registrations declined in the Atlantic provinces, while the largest gains occurred in Manitoba (+5.3%) and British Columbia (+2.7%).

Part-time university enrolment increased 0.1% to 269,900. Four provinces recorded gains: New Brunswick (+5.5%), Prince Edward Island (+5.3%), Ontario (+2.8%) and Quebec (+0.4%).

Fields of study

The top three fields of study by number of registrants accounted for one-half of total enrolment in 2007/2008. These fields were social and behavioral sciences, and law; business, management and public administration; and the humanities. These fields of study have been in the top three since 1992/1993.

Note to readers

University enrolment data for 2007/2008 are obtained using information from the Postsecondary Student Information System, formerly the Enhanced Student Information System, and the University Student Information System.

Enrolment counts for certain universities are preliminary or based on estimates.

Data for the University of Regina are missing since 2005/2006 but this has no significant impact on the trend analysis at the national level presented here.

Data are subject to revision.

The largest category, social and behavioral sciences, and law, represented 17.8% of total enrolment, or 189,800 students.

The largest increase (+3.5%) occurred in the health, parks, recreation and fitness field.

Enrolment fell in six fields: personal improvement and leisure; humanities; mathematics, computer and information sciences; personal, protective and transportation services; other; and visual and performing arts, and communications technologies, the latter of which was the first decline since 1996/1997.

The decline in the mathematics, computer and information sciences field continued a long-term trend. Enrolment was down 4.6% to 32,400, matching levels in 1994/1995. This field accounted for 3.0% of total enrolment in 2007/2008, the lowest proportion since prior to 1992/1993.

Available on CANSIM: table 477-0013.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5017.

Data tables are available from the Summary tables module of our website.

For more information, to order data, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-800-307-3382; 613-951-7608; fax: 613-951-4441; educationstats@statcan.gc.ca), Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.

Table 1
University enrolment by registration status, program level and gender

Table 1

University enrolment by registration status, program level and gender
  2002/2003r 2006/2007r,1 2007/20081 2002/2003 to 2007/2008 2006/2007 to 2007/2008
  number % change
Total2,3 936,393  1,059,912  1,066,353  13.9 0.6
Male 398,073  446,943  452,589  13.7 1.3
Female 538,257  612,717  613,566  14.0 0.1
Full-time2,3 677,478 790,308 796,440 17.6 0.8
Male 294,918 341,820 346,581 17.5 1.4
Female 382,527 448,332 449,757 17.6 0.3
Part-time2,3 258,915 269,607 269,910 4.2 0.1
Male 103,152 105,120 106,005 2.8 0.8
Female 155,730 164,388 163,809 5.2 -0.4
Undergraduate level2 719,127  813,480  812,691  13.0 -0.1
Full-time2 563,628 654,231 653,403 15.9 -0.1
Male 238,326 275,454 277,683 16.5 0.8
Female 325,281 378,705 375,660 15.5 -0.8
Part-time2 155,499 159,249 159,288 2.4 0.0
Male 60,825 62,403 62,634 3.0 0.4
Female 94,662 96,816 96,624 2.1 -0.2
Graduate level2 134,955  157,830  165,789  22.8 5.0
Full-time2 92,568 115,017 121,866 31.7 6.0
Male 47,316 57,117 59,478 25.7 4.1
Female 45,252 57,828 62,355 37.8 7.8
Part-time2 42,387 42,813 43,923 3.6 2.6
Male 19,251 17,769 18,249 -5.2 2.7
Female 23,136 25,032 25,662 10.9 2.5
r
revised
1.
Enrolment figures do not include the University of Regina.
2.
Includes sex unknown.
3.
Includes the other program level categories.
Note(s):
Enrolment figures may not add up due to rounding to a multiple of 3.
Table 2
University enrolment by field of study and gender

Table 2

University enrolment by field of study and gender
  2002/2003r 2006/2007r,1 2007/20081 2002/2003 to 2007/2008 2006/2007 to 2007/2008
  number % change
Total2 936,393 1,059,912 1,066,353 13.9 0.6
Male 398,073 446,943 452,589 13.7 1.3
Female 538,257 612,717 613,566 14.0 0.1
Personal improvement and leisure2 69 234 168 143.5 -28.2
Male 18 99 90 400.0 -9.1
Female 42 132 75 78.6 -43.2
Education2 71,925 74,526 74,634 3.8 0.1
Male 17,595 17,799 17,931 1.9 0.7
Female 54,321 56,694 56,679 4.3 0.0
Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies2 32,463 37,707 37,671 16.0 -0.1
Male 11,037 12,921 12,927 17.1 0.0
Female 21,426 24,783 24,741 15.5 -0.2
Humanities2 146,352 168,342 166,551 13.8 -1.1
Male 55,686 64,782 64,713 16.2 -0.1
Female 90,651 103,530 101,802 12.3 -1.7
Social and behavioural sciences, and law2 149,793 187,950 189,831 26.7 1.0
Male 52,329 65,385 66,366 26.8 1.5
Female 97,461 122,556 123,462 26.7 0.7
Business, management and public administration2 152,298 174,858 176,883 16.1 1.2
Male 68,532 82,869 84,168 22.8 1.6
Female 83,763 91,947 92,688 10.7 0.8
Physical and life sciences, and technologies2 79,980 93,789 94,677 18.4 0.9
Male 35,460 42,201 43,227 21.9 2.4
Female 44,517 51,582 51,438 15.5 -0.3
Mathematics, computer and information sciences2 45,765 34,011 32,442 -29.1 -4.6
Male 33,060 24,729 23,640 -28.5 -4.4
Female 12,702 9,279 8,799 -30.7 -5.2
Architecture, engineering and related technologies2 81,096 86,238 88,164 8.7 2.2
Male 62,388 67,953 69,633 11.6 2.5
Female 18,702 18,270 18,525 -0.9 1.4
Agriculture, natural resources and conservation2 14,592 15,630 15,975 9.5 2.2
Male 6,720 6,861 6,987 4.0 1.8
Female 7,869 8,769 8,985 14.2 2.5
Health, parks, recreation and fitness2 85,329 108,657 112,425 31.8 3.5
Male 25,083 30,708 32,292 28.7 5.2
Female 60,243 77,904 80,109 33.0 2.8
Personal, protective and transportation services2 1,317 2,244 2,214 68.1 -1.3
Male 882 1,287 1,296 46.9 0.7
Female 432 954 918 112.5 -3.8
Other2 75,417 75,732 74,724 -0.9 -1.3
Male 29,277 29,349 29,319 0.1 -0.1
Female 46,122 46,320 45,348 -1.7 -2.1
r
revised
1.
Enrolment figures do not include the University of Regina.
2.
Includes sex unknown.
Note(s):
Enrolment figures may not add up due to rounding to a multiple of 3.
Table 3
University enrolment by province and registration status

Table 3

University enrolment by province and registration status (correction*)
  2002/2003r 2006/2007r,1 2007/20081 2002/2003 to 2007/2008 2006/2007 to 2007/2008
  number % change
Canada 936,393 1,059,912 1,066,353 13.9 0.6
Newfoundland and Labrador 16,908 17,811 17,301 2.3 -2.9
Prince Edward Island 3,561 3,999 3,837 7.8 -4.1
Nova Scotia 41,892 42,456 41,448 -1.1 -2.4
New Brunswick 24,654 23,757 23,682 -3.9 -0.3
Quebec 250,809 266,712 268,011 6.9 0.5
Ontario 362,739 441,363 446,313 23.0 1.1
Manitoba 35,172 40,119 40,302 14.6 0.5
Saskatchewan 34,254 20,604 20,607 ...2* ...2
Alberta 83,448 94,131 94,659 13.4 0.6
British Columbia 82,959 108,960 110,190 32.8 1.1
Full-time students 677,478 790,308 796,440 17.6 0.8
Newfoundland and Labrador 13,953 14,547 14,112 1.1 -3.0
Prince Edward Island 2,952 3,372 3,177 7.6 -5.8
Nova Scotia 33,903 34,656 33,702 -0.6 -2.8
New Brunswick 19,887 19,617 19,317 -2.9 -1.5
Quebec 153,330 169,872 170,760 11.4 0.5
Ontario 277,443 357,468 360,036 29.8 0.7
Manitoba 25,233 29,271 30,813 22.1 5.3
Saskatchewan 25,923 15,729 15,735 ...2* ...2
Alberta 62,889 67,542 68,433 8.8 1.3
British Columbia 61,965 78,231 80,349 29.7 2.7
Part-time students 258,915 269,607 269,910 4.2 0.1
Newfoundland and Labrador 2,952 3,264 3,186 7.9 -2.4
Prince Edward Island 609 627 660 8.4 5.3
Nova Scotia 7,992 7,803 7,743 -3.1 -0.8
New Brunswick 4,767 4,137 4,365 -8.4 5.5
Quebec 97,479 96,840 97,254 -0.2 0.4
Ontario 85,293 83,892 86,277 1.2 2.8
Manitoba 9,939 10,848 9,486 -4.6 -12.6
Saskatchewan 8,331 4,872 4,869 ...2* ...2
Alberta 20,559 26,592 26,229 27.6 -1.4
British Columbia 20,997 30,729 29,838 42.1 -2.9
r
revised
...
not applicable
1.
Enrolment figures do not include the University of Regina.
2.
Percentage change is not provided due to the absence of data for the University of Regina in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.
Note(s):
Enrolment figures may not add up due to rounding to a multiple of 3.
Date Modified: 2011-07-05

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