As Canadian universities welcome a new academic year, a striking trend continues to stand out: women significantly outnumber men on campuses across the country. According to Statistics Canada, in the 2022-23 academic year, women represented 58.3% of undergraduate students, leaving men at just 41.7%. The gap is even more pronounced in graduate programs, with women comprising 63% of master’s students and 57% of PhD candidates.

This gender imbalance is not new. Data from Canadian universities show that the shift towards a majority female student body began decades ago. The 1981 census already indicated that young women had overtaken men in university enrollment, and the trend has only intensified. Today, women also dominate in professional programs: nearly 64% of incoming medical students and the majority of law students in recent decades have been female, according to Statistics Canada.

Academic performance and early advantages

Experts note that the phenomenon is largely shaped by educational outcomes in secondary school. Studies highlighted by The Globe and Mail indicate that girls tend to perform better academically than boys, particularly in middle and early high school, earning higher marks and demonstrating greater diligence in completing homework. Boys are more likely to take courses that do not meet university prerequisites and are more prone to disciplinary interruptions, factors that can impede academic progress.

Labour market realities

The labour market, however, paints a different picture. Despite higher educational attainment among women, men continue to earn more on average. For Canadians aged 25-34, the median income for men is $53,600, compared to $46,100 for women according to Statistics Canada. Scholars emphasize that while women’s educational advantage has grown, men still occupy a majority of leadership positions and higher-paying roles.

Gender gaps by discipline

The gender gap also manifests differently across disciplines. Engineering, math, and computer science programs remain male-dominated, while arts, humanities, social sciences, and education faculties are heavily female. Universities have implemented targeted recruitment efforts, such as encouraging women to enter STEM fields or increasing male representation in nursing, but these initiatives tend to be discipline-specific rather than campus-wide.

Long-term implications

Economists and education specialists caution that the long-term effects of this imbalance could be significant. Postsecondary education contributes not only to career prospects but also to broader social outcomes, including health, civic engagement, and critical thinking. As more women than men pursue higher education, differences in opportunity, experience, and social mobility may continue to widen.Philip Oreopoulos, an economist at the University of Toronto, told The Globe and Mail that the financial return for obtaining postsecondary education remains high for young men. He added that women are seeing stronger incentives to pursue university because of the pay gap between those with and without degrees.

Universities and the public conversation

Despite the persistence of this trend, Canadian universities have generally refrained from framing it as a public concern. Some institutions have discussed potential strategies, such as modifying admission criteria or targeted outreach, but the idea of actively recruiting men remains largely unexplored, partly due to societal norms and the perception that males occupy a privileged position.

A continuing shift

As Canada’s higher education landscape continues to evolve, the widening gender gap underscores the complex interplay of academic preparation, societal expectations, and labour market realities. While women have made significant strides in accessing and excelling in postsecondary education, the curious case of fewer men in universities raises questions about how institutions can foster balanced opportunities for all.