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University enrolment

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2008/2009  (Previous release)

Just over 1,112,300 students were enrolled in Canadian universities during the academic year 2008/2009, up 3.7% from the previous year.

This increase was due mainly to the attribution of university status to five colleges in British Columbia. If there had been no changes in the number of universities surveyed between 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, the growth in enrolments would have been 0.7%.

Of the 1,112,370 students enrolled in 2008/2009, 57.6% were women and 42.4% were men. The proportion of female students was virtually unchanged from 2007/2008.

Full-time university enrolment rose 4.0% to 828,216 in 2008/2009 while part-time university enrolment increased 2.9% to 284,154.

Provincial changes

Enrolments increased in half of the provinces. The largest annual gain was in British Columbia (+33.3%), due to the addition of five new universities. The second largest increase was in Prince Edward Island (+6.6%). Gains were also observed in Manitoba (+0.9%), Ontario (+0.5%) and Quebec (+0.4%).

Compared with 2007/2008, lower enrolments were observed in Saskatchewan (-4.7%), New Brunswick (-2.8%), Nova Scotia (-1.3%), Newfoundland and Labrador (-1.1%), and Alberta (-0.9%).

Undergraduate and graduate enrolment

Total undergraduate enrolment increased 1.2% to 822,501. Women accounted for 58.0% of enrolment at the undergraduate level.

In 2008/2009, 102,654 students were enrolled in a master's program, up 1.2% from the previous year. Women accounted for 55.7% of enrolment at the master's level.

At the doctorate level, enrolment rose 4.1% to 42,801 in 2008/2009. Men outnumbered women in doctorate programs, but by a slimmer margin than in previous years. Women accounted for 46.8% of doctorate students, up from 46.3% in 2007/2008.

The addition of five universities in British Columbia contributed to the increase of students enrolled in other educational activities offered in the universities, from 92,823 in 2007/2008 to 119,796 in 2008/2009.

Fields of study

In 2008/2009, three fields of study accounted for one-half of total enrolment. These fields were social and behavioral sciences, and law; business, management and public administration; and the humanities. They have been the top three broad fields of study since 1992/1993.

The largest field of study, social and behavioral sciences, and law, represented 17.2% of total enrolment, or 191,016 students.

Enrolment increased in almost every field. The largest change occurred in the personal improvement and leisure field, and the second largest in personal, protective and transportation services. These increases again were mainly because of the addition of five universities in British Columbia.

Enrolment in mathematics, computer and information sciences increased 1.5% to 33,219, reversing a multi-year downward trend. This field accounted for 3.0% of total enrolment in 2008/2009, the lowest proportion since 1992/1993.

Note to readers

University enrolment data for 2008/2009 are obtained 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.

For the University of Saskatchewan, the definition of full-time and part-time enrolments has changed. The registration status for enrolments in 2008/2009 refers to the September to December period. In previous years, it referred to the September to April period.

Data are subject to revision.

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
  2005/2006r 2006/2007r 2007/2008r 2008/2009 2007/2008 to 2008/2009
  number % change
Total1,2 1,050,225 1,066,905 1,072,488 1,112,370 3.7
Male 443,136 449,697 455,235 471,408 3.6
Female 606,720 616,953 617,022 640,674 3.8
Full-time1,2 780,567 792,768 796,245 828,216 4.0
Male 338,421 342,888 346,578 360,663 4.1
Female 442,017 449,721 449,526 467,442 4.0
Part-time1,2 269,658 274,140 276,240 284,154 2.9
Male 104,715 106,809 108,657 110,748 1.9
Female 164,700 167,232 167,499 173,232 3.4
Undergraduate level1 803,799 814,233 812,820 822,501 1.2
Full-time1 645,813 653,115 649,887 662,610 2.0
Male 272,145 275,022 276,216 281,985 2.1
Female 373,623 378,021 373,572 380,559 1.9
Part-time1 157,986 161,115 162,933 159,891 -1.9
Male 61,008 62,997 64,188 63,177 -1.6
Female 96,924 98,088 98,718 96,672 -2.1
Graduate level1 153,969 158,922 166,848 170,076 1.9
Full-time1 111,591 116,241 122,877 127,527 3.8
Male 55,974 57,672 60,012 61,662 2.7
Female 55,566 58,494 62,832 65,841 4.8
Part-time1 42,378 42,684 43,971 42,549 -3.2
Male 18,111 17,736 18,282 17,271 -5.5
Female 24,258 24,939 25,680 25,257 -1.6
revised
Includes sex unknown.
Includes the other educational activities offered in universities.
Note(s):
Enrolment figures may not add up due to rounding to a multiple of 3. Enrolment figures do not include the University of Regina.

Table 2

University enrolment by field of study and gender
  2005/2006r 2006/2007r 2007/2008r 2008/2009 2007/2008 to 2008/2009
  number % change
Total1 1,050,225 1,066,905 1,072,488 1,112,370 3.7
Male 443,136 449,697 455,235 471,408 3.6
Female 606,720 616,953 617,022 640,674 3.8
Personal improvement and leisure1 306 213 222 2,892 1,202.7
Male 105 93 102 1,167 1,044.1
Female 201 120 120 1,722 1,335.0
Education1 74,052 75,222 75,129 75,492 0.5
Male 17,694 18,018 18,105 18,051 -0.3
Female 56,325 57,171 57,000 57,405 0.7
Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies1 37,443 37,830 37,800 41,859 10.7
Male 12,645 12,978 12,993 14,397 10.8
Female 24,798 24,852 24,807 27,462 10.7
Humanities1 170,355 170,916 167,664 176,817 5.5
Male 65,910 66,000 65,307 68,436 4.8
Female 104,409 104,892 102,327 108,336 5.9
Social and behavioural sciences, and law1 182,010 187,770 189,996 191,016 0.5
Male 63,555 65,316 66,441 66,918 0.7
Female 118,449 122,448 123,549 124,074 0.4
Business, management and public administration1 168,678 175,428 177,537 189,201 6.6
Male 79,248 82,992 84,333 89,547 6.2
Female 89,391 92,394 93,129 99,612 7.0
Physical and life sciences, and technologies1 90,441 92,328 93,372 94,113 0.8
Male 40,245 41,439 42,543 43,191 1.5
Female 50,190 50,880 50,820 50,916 0.2
Mathematics, computer and information sciences1 36,636 34,242 32,724 33,219 1.5
Male 26,682 24,912 23,844 24,135 1.2
Female 9,954 9,324 8,874 9,075 2.3
Architecture, engineering and related technologies1 85,533 86,313 88,470 91,890 3.9
Male 67,551 68,025 69,912 72,504 3.7
Female 17,979 18,273 18,549 19,383 4.5
Agriculture, natural resources and conservation1 15,252 15,708 16,032 17,091 6.6
Male 6,768 6,900 7,029 7,434 5.8
Female 8,481 8,808 9,000 9,654 7.3
Health, parks, recreation and fitness1 104,748 109,176 113,157 118,941 5.1
Male 29,469 30,795 32,535 34,113 4.9
Female 75,237 78,336 80,601 84,804 5.2
Personal, protective and transportation services 1,761 2,244 2,217 2,823 27.3
Male 1,038 1,287 1,299 1,554 19.6
Female 720 954 915 1,269 38.7
Other1 83,007 79,518 78,165 77,016 -1.5
Male 32,232 30,945 30,792 29,964 -2.7
Female 50,589 48,507 47,325 46,956 -0.8
revised
Includes sex unknown.
Note(s):
Enrolment figures may not add up due to rounding to a multiple of 3. Enrolment figures do not include the University of Regina.

Table 3

University enrolment by province and registration status
  2005/2006r 2006/2007r 2007/2008r 2008/2009 2007/2008 to 2008/2009
  number % change
Canada 1,050,225 1,066,905 1,072,488 1,112,370 3.7
Newfoundland and Labrador 18,336 17,811 17,523 17,322 -1.1
Prince Edward Island 3,849 3,999 3,837 4,089 6.6
Nova Scotia 43,308 42,456 41,442 40,899 -1.3
New Brunswick 25,014 23,757 23,682 23,028 -2.8
Quebec 265,995 266,712 268,011 269,097 0.4
Ontario 431,049 440,604 446,196 448,467 0.5
Manitoba 39,615 40,119 38,964 39,306 0.9
Saskatchewan 20,622 20,604 20,607 19,647 -4.7
Alberta 91,665 94,131 94,659 93,774 -0.9
British Columbia 110,775 116,709 117,561 156,741 33.3
Full-time 780,567 792,768 796,245 828,216 4.0
Newfoundland and Labrador 14,994 14,547 14,340 13,968 -2.6
Prince Edward Island 3,318 3,372 3,177 3,336 5.0
Nova Scotia 35,388 34,656 33,699 33,126 -1.7
New Brunswick 20,601 19,617 19,317 18,666 -3.4
Quebec 168,552 169,872 170,760 172,425 1.0
Ontario 348,252 357,450 360,669 365,775 1.4
Manitoba 28,938 29,271 28,620 29,145 1.8
Saskatchewan1 15,756 15,729 15,735 17,493 11.2
Alberta 68,070 67,542 68,433 68,787 0.5
British Columbia 76,701 80,709 81,498 105,492 29.4
Part-time 269,658 274,140 276,240 284,154 2.9
Newfoundland and Labrador 3,345 3,264 3,186 3,351 5.2
Prince Edward Island 528 627 660 756 14.5
Nova Scotia 7,920 7,803 7,743 7,770 0.3
New Brunswick 4,413 4,137 4,365 4,359 -0.1
Quebec 97,443 96,840 97,254 96,675 -0.6
Ontario 82,797 83,157 85,527 82,692 -3.3
Manitoba 10,680 10,848 10,344 10,164 -1.7
Saskatchewan1 4,863 4,872 4,869 2,154 -55.8
Alberta 23,595 26,592 26,229 24,987 -4.7
British Columbia 34,074 35,997 36,063 51,246 42.1
revised
For University of Saskatchewan, the definition of full-time enrolments and part-time has changed. The registration status for enrolments in 2008/2009 refers to the September to December period. In previous years, it referred to the September to April period.
Note(s):
Enrolment figures may not add up due to rounding to a multiple of 3. Enrolment figures do not include the University of Regina.