26 gender equality in higher education

Women outnumber men in higher education, but are less likely to enrol in selective or scientific courses and are in the minority in PhD programmes. In 2013, their unemployment rate three years after leaving was higher than men for nearly all levels of qualification, and their employment conditions were less favourable.

After achieving better results than boys throughout school, on average more girls than boys obtain their Baccalaureate: in 2014 in one generation, 84.2% of girls passed their Baccalaureat compared to 70.9% of boys ¹.

Of those who were successful in the general Baccalaureat, 57% were girls. They are almost as likely as boys to continue their studies in higher education (74% compared to 76%), but do not follow the same courses (chart 26.01). 38% of them enrolled in university (excluding IUT) compared to 29% of boys. By contrast, they were less likely to enrol on selective courses such as CPGE (5% compared to 8%), IUT (5% compared to 10%) or STS (17% compared to 22%). At university (excluding IUT), they are less likely to study Sciences and Physical education and sports science and techniques (STAPS) than other disciplines.

Girls tend not to take the same study programmes: 36% enrol for a Bachelor's degree compared to 25% of boys, and 8% go into the first year of core medical studies (PACES) compared to 6% of boys. Conversely, girls are less likely to choose selective courses such as classes preparing students for admission to Grandes Écoles (CPGE) (7% against 12%), Technological university institutes (IUT) (6% against 12%) or Advanced technician's sections (STS) (21% against 26%). When enrolling for Bachelor's degree programmes, they are two to three times more likely to choose Humanities, Arts, Languages or Human Sciences.

From one programme to the next, there is great diversity in the proportion of women attending. Whereas in 2014-15 women represented 55% of all enrolled students, they made up barely half of students in STS, 39% in IUT, and 42% in CPGE (chart 26.02). Conversely, paramedical and social care courses were made up of 84% women. In universities, they made up 70% of students in Arts and Humanities. In ten years, the number of women on scientific courses at university has slightly increased, but is still in the minority. However, they represent more than 60% of students on Healthcare, Life Sciences, Earth and Astrophysical Sciences courses. (chart 26.03). While they represented 56% of students enrolled in Bachelor's degree programmes and 59% in Master's programmes, they represented only 48% of PhD students (RERS 2015 6.4).

Of female students leaving initial education in 2011, 2012 and 2013, half obtained a higher education qualification, compared to only 39% of men. Female higher education graduates were most likely to have a Bac + 5 university degree and a Bac + 3 paramedical or social work degree, whereas men were more likely to have degrees from specialist universities (écoles supérieures) and short-cycle Bac + 2 courses (BTS or DUT) (table 26.04).

In 2013, three years after leaving higher education and for each level of qualification (excluding the 2 and 3-year diplomas in the healthcare/social sector and PhDs), the unemployment rate for women was slightly higher than for men. However, although they are better qualified than men, women experience an overall unemployment rate equivalent to that of men. In the same way, rapid access to stable employment is generally more common for men, although this is not true at all levels of qualification.

Despite this structural effect, their employment conditions are also less favourable: they are less likely to have a permanent job (54% compared to 61%), often work part-time (15% compared to 7%), and are less likely to be managers (27% compared to 32%). This last difference has however markedly decreased since the last survey carried out three years earlier (table 26.05).

Christophe Jaggers

¹ Proportion of Baccalaureate holders in a generation: this is the proportion of Baccalaureate holders in a hypothetical generation of people with, for each age, the candidate and pass rates observed for the year in question.