Women demonstrate a quicker learning pace in educational settings, as statistics reveal
In a recent survey by the Federal Statistical Office, it was revealed that more female students in Germany completed their bachelor's degrees compared to their male counterparts, particularly in humanities disciplines.
The survey, which considered a period of two additional semesters due to the high number of students who interrupt their studies, was conducted on students who began their studies in 2019. Most bachelor's programs in Germany last six semesters, while master's programs last four semesters.
The findings showed that only 30% of the 515,700 students completed their bachelor's degree within eight semesters. In the humanities, only 27% of students completed their degree within this timeframe, compared to 12% of male students. However, the completion rate after eight semesters for both male and female students was 22%.
In contrast, the completion rates for shorter master's programs were higher, with 51% of students completing their studies after six semesters. In these programs, the gap between the completion rates of women (54%) and men (49%) was smaller compared to bachelor's programs.
The difference in completion rates between women and men was particularly large in the humanities, with the gap between the completion rates of women (27%) and men (12%) being the most pronounced. In engineering, the gap between women (26%) and men (22%) was smallest.
The higher completion rate of bachelor's degrees for female students can be attributed to several interrelated social and educational factors. These include greater female participation and success in tertiary education overall, subject choice impacting completion rates, social and cultural factors, and educational attainment trends.
In terms of subject choice, humanities disciplines traditionally have more female students, and women in these fields often exhibit higher persistence and completion rates compared to male students, who are underrepresented in these areas. Social and cultural factors also play a significant role, with female students often demonstrating stronger motivation, better academic engagement, or more consistent support structures that facilitate degree completion.
The exact causal factors for the observed gender disparities include both the demographic composition of students in these fields and socio-cultural dynamics influencing student success and motivation. The survey did not specify whether the completion rates included students who may have transferred to other universities or programs.
The Federal Statistical Office's survey also reported that many students take more than eight semesters to complete their studies successfully. In 2019, 206,200 people began a shorter master's program, but the survey did not provide completion rates for master's degrees in this context.
The survey's findings indicate that the higher completion rates for bachelor's degrees among female students in Germany might be linked to their education-and-self-development, as they exhibit persistence and completion rates that are higher compared to their male counterparts, particularly in humanities disciplines. This suggests a correlation between personal-growth and learning in these subjects for female students.
In contrast, while the completion rates for master's programs were overall higher, the gender gap in these programs was smaller compared to bachelor's programs, demonstrating that learning and personal-growth might be influenced by various factors, not just subject choice.
