In early 2025, new data from Eurostat offered a detailed snapshot of gender distribution in higher education across the EU. Among approximately 1.5 million master’s students in 2022, women accounted for 905,678—or 58.6% of the total. At the doctoral level, however, the proportion of women dropped to 48.5% out of 99,204 candidates. At first glance, these figures suggest near parity. But a closer examination reveals deep structural imbalances, particularly across disciplines and country lines, with far-reaching implications for the future of gender equity in science, technology, and leadership.
Across the EU, women made up the majority of master’s students in all countries except Luxembourg, where the distribution was balanced at 49.8% female. Cyprus led the way with 74.2% female representation, followed by Poland (67.3%) and Lithuania (66.1%). At the doctoral level, disparities widened: Luxembourg (42.3%), Austria (43.3%), and Czechia (44.1%) had the lowest shares of female PhD candidates, while Latvia (59.6%), Cyprus (58.0%), and Lithuania (57.4%) recorded the highest.
Looking at trends from 2013 to 2022, the share of women in master’s programs across the EU declined slightly—by 0.4 percentage points—due to reductions in 12 countries, with Latvia (-3.4 pp) and Hungary (-3.6 pp) seeing the most notable declines. Meanwhile, the share of women in doctoral studies increased by 1.0 percentage point during the same period, with Cyprus leading the growth at +8.0 pp. These opposing trajectories indicate shifting decision points for women in academia, suggesting that while access to graduate education is increasing, the leap to research-intensive doctoral programs remains uneven.
Field of study plays a crucial role in these dynamics. Women overwhelmingly dominate the education sector, making up 75.6% of master’s and 66.9% of doctoral students in that discipline. Other female-dominated master’s fields include general programs (73.7%), arts and humanities (69.5%), and social sciences, journalism, and information (68.7%). However, at the PhD level, preferences shift: health and welfare (60.9%) ranks second, followed by agriculture and veterinary sciences (57.5%), social sciences (57.3%), and arts and humanities (53.3%). The biggest gender gaps persist in information and communication technologies (ICT), where women comprise only 26.2% of master’s and 22.6% of PhD students, and in engineering, manufacturing, and construction (33.4% at master’s, 32.7% at PhD level).
These gaps are not merely academic—they reflect broader systemic challenges in preparing women for leadership in high-impact, high-paying fields. And although gender parity appears close on paper, the disciplinary and institutional hurdles paint a more sobering picture.
To humanize these figures, it’s instructive to look at prominent examples of women who have broken barriers in STEM through advanced degrees. Take Ciara Sivels, who became the first Black woman to earn a PhD in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan in 2018. She now works at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and has been recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science as an IF/THEN Ambassador, promoting women in STEM. Her trajectory is emblematic of the kind of impact underrepresented women can have when given access to world-class research environments.
Or consider Wendy Okolo, the first Black woman to earn a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Now a NASA researcher, she has been named one of the most promising young engineers in government service. Her work at NASA Ames in intelligent systems embodies the very frontier of innovation—an area where women remain vastly underrepresented.
Then there is Eva Nogales, a Spanish-American biophysicist who used electron crystallography to reveal the structure of microtubules and the mechanism of anti-cancer drug Taxol. A member of the National Academy of Sciences and a 2025 foreign fellow of the Royal Society, Nogales exemplifies how women in science can drive groundbreaking discoveries and shape the future of medicine.
While individual stories like these provide inspiration, systemic change is needed to transform the broader landscape. In particular, the persistent underrepresentation of women in ICT and engineering is not merely a data issue—it is a structural problem. From admissions criteria and scholarships to research mentorship and industry integration, the ecosystem remains misaligned with the needs and realities of women entering technical fields.
The U.S. has implemented a range of targeted initiatives to address this, including women-specific scholarships in STEM, mentorship programs at institutions like MIT and Stanford, and efforts to integrate doctoral training with internships and industry placements. In Europe, similar efforts are emerging. Poland, for instance, has exceeded 53% female representation at the PhD level—demonstrating that policy can indeed shift the balance.
From a policy perspective, four focal areas are especially promising. First, interdisciplinary fellowships can encourage women to cross into male-dominated fields like AI and quantum engineering. Second, structural reforms to postdoc positions—such as childcare support and flexible work—can make research careers more compatible with family life. Third, increasing the visibility of women leaders in science can foster mentorship and public recognition.
Fourth, the media and advertising industries have a role to play: high-CPC keywords like female STEM scholarships Europe, women in AI leadership, and postdoctoral funding for women in science show rising commercial interest in gender equity narratives, particularly in tech and innovation sectors.
Finally, we must examine the return on investment. Studies increasingly link gender diversity with innovation, better problem-solving, and more ethical AI development. When women are present in the labs, the boardrooms, and the data pipelines, the output tends to be more representative and sustainable. And in a world grappling with global challenges—from pandemics to climate change—the value of inclusive excellence has never been higher.
In conclusion, while the EU’s 2022 data shows promising strides toward gender balance in graduate education, the path to parity—especially in STEM—is far from complete. Master’s-level dominance by women does not automatically translate into doctoral success or leadership influence.
The challenge lies not just in access, but in retention, progression, and ultimately transformation. With the right policies, cultural shifts, and leadership models, Europe—and its global peers—can unlock the full potential of its next generation of women scientists, engineers, and scholars.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into a country-specific strategy, impact study, or policy evaluation on women in PhD education, I’d be happy to assist further with data-backed, field-specific insights.