Participation rates of women in STEM courses: an analysis from Portugal
Based on an analysis of women’s participation in STEM courses at the Porto Higher Institute of Engineering – Polytechnic of Porto between 2023 and 2025, the data suggests that the main gender imbalance lies in the number of courses applications. Over the three-year period, based on data provided by DGES, women accounted for 21.8% of total applications (3,658 out of a total of 16,772 applications) and 24.2% of places awarded (677 women out of a total of 2,798 students placed).
This interpretation is reinforced by the conversion rate between applications and placements. The conversion rate for women was 18.5%, compared to around 16% for men, during the same period.
Furthermore, the aggregate figures reveal significant differences across STEM fields. Female participation is in the majority in some fields (more closely linked to areas such as health and sustainability), particularly in Biomedical Engineering, where women accounted for 65.4% of applicants, and in Chemical Engineering, where they accounted for 51.6%. Other areas, such as Industrial Engineering and Management and Bioresources, also showed high female participation, with women accounting for 40.2% and 39.3% of applicants respectively.
In contrast, women remain under-represented in more technical fields. The lowest levels of female participation were recorded in Electrical Engineering – Electrical Power Systems (8.6%), followed by Automotive Mechanical Engineering (9.7%), Telecommunications and Computer Engineering (10.5%), Electrical and Computer Engineering (12.7%) and Computer Engineering (15.5%). However, in absolute terms, the Computer Engineering course recorded the highest number of female applications (616 between 2023 and 2025). This figure was slightly higher than that for Biomedical Engineering, which recorded 608 female applications.
At national level, there is data to support this finding. According to the Boletim Estatístico 2025 da Comissão para a Cidadania e a Igualdade de Género (CIG), although women are widely represented in higher education, they remain under-represented in areas such as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), where the proportion of women is 18.3%, and in the fields of Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction, where it stands at 27.8%.
This trend is also confirmed by data from EDUSTAT, according to which, in 2023/2024, women accounted for 54% of students enrolled in higher education in Portugal, but only 20.2% of women in higher education were enrolled in STEM courses, compared with 43.6% of men.
National data also indicate that this segmentation begins before higher education. In secondary education, girls and boys tend to follow different pathways. According to the Boletim Estatístico de 2023 da CIG, girls are more prevalent in science and humanities courses, whilst boys have a relatively higher presence in vocational courses.
Thus, these results should not be interpreted as an isolated case, but as part of a broader national trend: women are present in the education system and in higher education, but remain under-represented in STEM fields, particularly in technology, digital and engineering. This evidence reinforces the need to take action within the education sector, making these courses more attractive to women.
