Credits and graduations from higher education, 2011/2012

Just under 24 700 women completed a tertiary degree in 2011/12, and the corresponding figure for men was 15 800. While 52 per cent of doctoral degrees were completed by men, most undergraduate and graduate degrees were completed by women, with 63 and 57 per cent of the completions respectively.

Seventy per cent of the women completed an undergraduate degree, 27 per cent a graduate degree and 3 per cent a doctoral degree. A higher share of men, 32 per cent, completed a graduate degree, while around 5 per cent completed a doctoral degree and 37 per cent an undergraduate degree.

One out of four completed within health, welfare and sport

More than 80 per cent of completions within health, welfare and sport were by women. A third of all women who completed a tertiary degree in 2011/12 were within this field, while men accounted for 12 per cent. Women are also in the majority within teacher training and pedagogy; 21 per cent of the women and 12 per cent of the men completed a degree within this field. This field is somewhat less popular among immigrant women and Norwegian-born women by immigrant parents, of these 14 and 12 per cent completed a degree within teacher training and pedagogy respectively. It is important to notice that the proportions of immigrants and Norwegian-born with immigrant parents completing a tertiary degree in 2011/12 by field of education are sensitive to even small changes, as the cohort is small.

Health, welfare and sport and teacher training and pedagogy are the two fields where most women completed an undergraduate degree. These groups include studies in nursery school teaching, primary and lower secondary teaching, and nursing. The situation is different for graduate degrees. Here, 22 per cent of the women completed a degree within social sciences and law and health, welfare and sport, while 17 per cent completed within natural sciences, vocational and technical subjects and 14 per cent within business and administration.

Natural sciences, vocational and technical subjects was the most popular field of study among male students. In total, 31 per cent of the men, 4 900 students, completed a tertiary degree within this field. The corresponding figure for women was 9 per cent and 2 300 students. Of male immigrants who completed a graduate degree, 43 per cent did so within this field, while the corresponding figure for female immigrants was 18 per cent. Of all completed graduate degrees, natural sciences, vocational and technical subjects was the field of study with most completions, with 25 per cent of all completions. Followed by social sciences and law, with 20 per cent of the completions. Many men also chose an education within business and administration, and just under 19 per cent of the men completed an education within this field, while 13 per cent of the women did the same.