Gender Differences among Bachelor's Degree Graduates at the University of Guadalajara (2021-2025)

Abstract

This study examines gender differences among bachelor’s degree graduates at the University of Guadalajara from 2021 to 2025. Although women’s participation in higher education has increased, gender gaps persist in the distribution of graduates across degree programmes, fields of knowledge, and the urban centres where university campuses are located. Using public data on degrees issued, a database was constructed with year, gender, degree programme, field of knowledge, and campus urban centre as variables. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics to identify overall gender distribution, field-level concentration, territorial patterns, and degree programmes with the greatest and smallest disparities. A total of 81,769 graduates were recorded, comprising 48,568 women and 33,201 men. Women represented 59.4% of all graduates, while men represented 40.6%. Women predominated in health sciences (72.3%), social sciences and humanities (63.4%), and economic-administrative sciences (62.2%). Men predominated in exact sciences and engineering, including computing and electronics (65.5%). Graduation was concentrated in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (65.7%). The findings indicate that women outnumbered men among graduates, but this overall advantage did not eliminate gender segmentation by professional field. Further research incorporating enrolment, dropout, terminal efficiency, and academic trajectories is needed to clarify the origins of these differences within the observed period.