Girls outnumber boys in colleges, but lose ground at universities

By the Editorial Team · Monday, October 12, 2026

In Bangladesh, female students outnumber males at several college levels but become increasingly underrepresented at universities, with women comprising only 39% of overall university enrolments and 30% of teaching staff. This growing gender gap highlights persistent social, economic, and familial barriers that limit women's access to advanced education and academic careers.

In Bangladesh, the proportion of female students exceeds that of male students at several college levels, but this trend reverses as education advances, with women becoming increasingly underrepresented at universities, according to official data.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) released the Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 report in June 2026, revealing that girls comprised 53% of enrolments at private colleges. However, their representation fell below 48% at the master’s level. At the university level, women made up just 39% of students overall, with the figure dropping to 35% at private universities.

The data points to a growing gender disparity in higher education, prompting concerns about the underlying factors affecting women's access and retention. Social expectations, family spending priorities, economic challenges, and other barriers appear to contribute to the decline in female participation in advanced studies.

The Annual Education Institution Survey 2025 recorded 174 universities across Bangladesh, including 56 public and 118 private institutions, with a total enrolment of approximately 1.114 million (11.14 lakh) students. Women accounted for 41.7% of students at public universities, compared with 35% at private universities. Public universities had an average enrolment of 12,793 students, while private universities averaged 3,369 students.

Women’s representation among university teaching staff also remains limited. Out of 34,831 university teachers, only 30% were female. Public universities reported about 28% female teaching staff, while private universities had a slightly higher proportion at 33%.

Manzoor Ahmed, an educationist and professor emeritus at BRAC University, attributed the disparity to persistent social discrimination against women. He said long-standing gender inequalities are reinforced by social pressures and economic constraints that increasingly restrict women's roles from education to employment in academia.

“Girls face particular social pressures. Socialisation problems and economic constraints make the inequality more pronounced. Women’s roles become increasingly restricted, from receiving education to teaching,” Manzoor Ahmed noted.

Beyond societal factors, family decisions regarding education spending further affect girls’ opportunities to pursue higher education. These combined influences underline ongoing challenges in achieving gender balance in Bangladesh’s higher education system.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.