Gender gaps in Higher Education enrollment: analysis from a public university in Ecuador

Abstract

This study analyzes gender gaps in undergraduate enrollment at a public university in Ecuador, considering variables such as sex, faculty, degree program, and level of study during a specific academic period. A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional design was employed, using a secondary analysis of the institutional enrollment database with a sample of 9,109 students, of whom 55.2% were women and 44.8% were men. The results indicate a female overrepresentation in Business Sciences (69.3%) and Environmental Sciences (63.0%), while the Faculty of Engineering shows a male predominance, with only 32.5% women. Programs such as Nursing, Food Science, Accounting and Auditing, and Marketing exceed 70% female enrollment, whereas Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering have between 84% and 92% male students. These findings reveal a horizontal gender segregation consistent with regional patterns in STEM and service fields, highlighting the need for institutional policies that promote the inclusion of women in technological areas and men in traditionally female-dominated programs, fostering equal opportunities in higher education.