The gap between women and men choosing Computing degrees is the smallest it has ever been, analysis by the professional body has found.
A record 6,310 UK women started Computing at UK universities in 2024. They are a growing portion of the 32,710 total of UK-based entrants, according to BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. There are now 4.1 young men for every young woman studying computing degrees. That’s down fractionally from 4.2 to one in 2023.
The ratio was much larger in previous years; there were 5.5 UK men to each woman (18 year olds) in 2019. That suggests a long-term trend toward stronger representation of women on undergraduate Computing degrees, according to BCS’ analysis of data from admissions service, UCAS.Overall numbers of students taking Computing degrees in the UK rose by 7% in 2024, (compared with an overall rise of 3% for all subjects).
Socioeconomic background
Students placed on computing degrees from the two least advantaged groups of the UK account for 49% of all acceptances. This compared with 42% for all degrees, suggesting Computing degrees are contributing strongly to social mobility.
Ethnicity
Students starting UK Computing degrees are ethnically diverse. In the latest cycle, Asian (24%), Black (14%), and Mixed-race (6%) students accounted for nearly half of the intake. This compares with only 32% for UK undergraduate higher education as a whole.
Disability
22% of Computing students declared some form of disability or mental health condition, in line with the total student population.
Country of higher education provider
Some 84% of Computing students are at English universities (in line with the norm for all subjects). But there are underlying differences; numbers are growing in England and Scotland (6% and 8% respectively), while there are declines in Northern Ireland and Wales (by 8% and 3%).
Participation by non-UK students
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The percentage of EU students accepted onto Computing courses remains (as in 2023/24) at 1%, below the overall rate of 2% (all degrees). Non-EU numbers have fallen more sharply in Computing (-3.6%) than for UK higher education overall (-2%).
Julia Adamson MBE, MD for Education and Public Benefit at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT said: “A computing degree gives young people influence over the way the world will develop and the direction society will take. They’ve grown up seeing how technology shapes the future of industry, politics, communications, social life and work and they want a way in.
“I’m excited that young women are using computing to seize their future in greater numbers. But we need this to accelerate rapidly because it is vital the UK has diverse teams working in areas like AI to make sure its decisions and outcomes are good for everyone.”
