An increasing number of young women are entering higher education, both in Sweden and internationally. We asked Maria Stanfors, professor of Economic history, to comment on this intriguing trend.
Historically, men have enrolled in higher education to a greater extent than women. However, in recent decades, the number of young women entering higher education has risen significantly, both in Sweden and internationally. Women now outnumber men as university entrants, and the likelihood of attaining a higher education degree is currently greater for women than for men. In Sweden, this trend began in the late 1970s.
Maria Stanfors, based at the Centre for Economic Demography at LUSEM, conducts research on women's labor market participation and the links between their labor market position and family dynamics. In a recent study (published as an IZA Working Paper in November 2024), she and Martin Nordin, associate professor of economics at LUSEM, examined the consequences of the reversal of the gender gap in education. This phenomenon is receiving increasing international attention but is not well understood. We asked, why more women than men are choosing higher education in Sweden today?
“This phenomenon is part of a long historical process. For a long time, women did not have the same access to higher education as men. With the 1977 reform of higher education, women surpassed men regarding enrollment in higher education as traditionally female-dominated post-secondary vocational programes, such as nursing and teacher training, were integrated into the university system. Since then, the trend has continued, and today, women dominate university enrollment, including in prestigious programs such as law and medicine. The exception is engineering programes, which are feminizing at a slower pace.”
What are the potential long-term consequences of this trend?
“The rapid increase we have seen so far cannot continue indefinitely, but we can be fairly certain that this is part of a comprehensive long-term shift toward greater gender equality. One consequence is that women are becoming more confident and can improve their position in the labor market. They will likely continue to enter traditionally male-dominated fields and high-status professions. We also know from previous research that each generation of women learns from the preceding ones and improve their situation. Young women will continue to enter higher education because they have seen other women do so successfully. Women now know that they are capable and they also have much to gain from higher education—interesting careers, higher salaries, and greater social status.”