A record number of people will begin computer science degrees this year, with more women taking computing than any other university subject group.
Analysis of this year’s exam results in the UK found that the number of students placed on undergraduate degrees in computing across the country has increased by 7% when compared to last year, with just over 24,900 students due to start courses – the largest percentage increase of any subject.
The figures, compiled by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, also revealed that computer science degrees have seen a 20% increase in accepted applications from women since 2019, which is also a higher increase than any other subject group listed by UCAS.
When it comes to A level entries, Computing has also shot up 41% across England, Northern Ireland and Wales in the last three years – the highest increase of any subject, BCS said.
“From autonomous vehicles, to media and communications, to banking and health care, we are in a digital society and computing skills are amongst the highest in demand,” commented Julia Adamson, Director of Education at BCS.
“So, it’s exciting that more young people have opted for advanced studies in computing at university - and particularly important to report a continued growth in the number of young women represented and achieving the highest grades.”
However, BCS has cautioned that the overall number of women that had accepted applications for computing, around 4,830, remains low when compared to men (20,080). This means that male students continue to outnumber women by 4.2:1 this year – only a slight improvement from 4.7:1 in 2019.
Despite this, female students continue to outperform their male counterparts at A level, with 38.8% achieving an A* or A, compared with 34.4% of men. That’s a considerable rise on both counts, with the comparative figures from 2019 showing that 18.7% of women and 17.4% of men hit those same grades that year.
Charlene Hunter MBE, CEO of Coding Black Females and member of the BCS board, commended the figures but warned against any potential complacency.
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“It’s great to see young women choosing to take computer science in record numbers, but we can’t be complacent at all,” she said.
“In a world where big challenges like climate change and cyber security require highly skilled technologists, we need ever greater numbers of people from a diverse range of backgrounds to see computer science as an ethical, aspirational career choice.”
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