University enrolment

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Enrolment in Canadian universities surpassed the one-million mark for the first time during the academic year 2004/2005, in the wake of Ontario's double cohort, rising numbers of foreign students and growing numbers of young adults.

In total, there were 1.01 million registrations in universities, the seventh consecutive year in which enrolment hit a record high. However, this was up only 2.1% from the previous academic year, the lowest growth rate this decade.

Most of the growth in 2004/2005 was fuelled by students aged 18 to 24, whose numbers increased 2.9% to just over 654,000. They accounted for 64% of total enrolment, up from 59% a decade earlier.

University enrolment was on the decline throughout the mid-1990s, but started to pickup late in the decade. This was largely due to higher numbers of students aged 18 to 24, whose rate of growth outpaced total enrolment.

Between 1998/1999 and 2004/2005, these young adults accounted for three-quarters of the growth in total enrolment, likely the result of the echo-boom generation, that is, children born between 1980 and 1995.

As well, a record 75,200 students from other countries enrolled in programs at Canadian universities in 2004/2005, up 7.3% from the previous year. International students represented 7.4% of the total registrations.

Half of foreign students were from Asia, and China accounted for 46.4% of these Asian students.

Also, the impact of Ontario's double cohort carried over from the 2003/2004 academic year, when it had a substantial impact on enrolment. Registrations at that time jumped 6.4%, the strongest increase in 28 years.

In 2002/2003, two cohorts of students graduated from Ontario secondary schools at the same time because of the elimination of Grade 13 Ontario Academic Courses from the Ontario curriculum.

Women continue to outnumber men, especially as undergrads

Women still vastly outnumbered men in Canadian universities in 2004/2005, even though their enrolment increased at a slightly slower pace.

A total of 585,200 women were registered, up 2.0% from the previous academic year, while 429,000 men were enrolled, a 2.3% increase. Women students accounted for 58% of all registrations, compared with 56% in 1994/1995 and 51% in 1984/1985.

Total undergraduate enrolment hit 785,800, up 2.0% from the previous academic year, and a 19.4% increase from 1994/1995.

Undergraduate enrolment among men edged up 2.4% in 2004/2005, while the corresponding rise among women was 1.7%. Women accounted for nearly 59% of the total.

Some 92,100 students were enrolled in a master's program in 2004/2005, up 3.1% from the previous year and almost 33% higher than a decade earlier. Women accounted for about 53% of enrolment, a proportion that has remained relatively stable during the last decade.

At the doctorate level, enrolment climbed 7.9% to 34,500 in 2004/2005. This was the biggest increase compared to enrolment for all other degree programs, including the bachelor's and master's programs.

Men still outnumber women in doctorate programs, but their proportion has been declining because their growth rate in registrations has been slower. In 2004/2005, men accounted for 54% of doctorate registrations, compared with 61% in 1994/1995.

Full-time university enrolment hits record high

Full-time university enrolment increased 2.6% to a record high 757,000 in 2004/2005.

The number of full-time registrations rose in six provinces in the 2004/2005, with the biggest gains in Ontario, at 5.4%, and Manitoba at 4.3%. Other provinces registering growth in full-time enrolment were Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Alberta.

The provinces showing the largest declines in full-time registration were Saskatchewan, where full-time enrolment fell 6.4% and New Brunswick, where it dropped 3.3%.

Part-time university enrolment increased 0.9% to 257,500. The largest gains were in British Columbia (+14.1%) and Alberta (+6.2%).

Part-time enrolment fell in three provinces, most significantly in Nova Scotia (-5.9%). Ontario and Saskatchewan had declines of less than 2.0%.

Foreign students accounted for one-quarter of growth in enrolment

The increase of about 5,100 foreign registrations at Canadian universities in 2004/2005 represented about one-quarter of the growth in total university enrolment.

Foreign students accounted for just over 7.4% of total enrolment in 2004/2005, nearly double the proportion a decade earlier.

Several factors might explain this growth. These include strong economic growth in leading Asian countries, such as China; new university marketing strategies to counter competition from institutions in other countries; changes in immigration policies; and provincial agreements with other countries to attract foreign students.

Provincially, Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec attracted about 75% of international students. Ontario gained 2,700 international students from 2003/2004, and British Columbia 1,400, the largest increases, while Quebec remained unchanged.

Asian students accounted for the majority of the total increase in foreign students enrolled at Canadian universities. University registrants from China rose 60% to a record high 17,600.

Canadian universities also continued to register significant numbers of students from India, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. The number of students from all these countries increased in 2004/2005.

Overall, some 17.0% of foreign students came from Europe and 18.5% from the Americas and the Caribbean. About one-half of the European students enrolled in Canada were from France. The United States held a majority of the students enrolled from the Americas with 56%.

The proportion of female foreign students is slowly increasing. In 2004/2005, 45% of international students were female, while a decade ago this proportion was 40%.

Among foreign students, enrolments increased in every field of study, in particular in social and behavioral sciences, and law; and in business, management and public administration.

Majority of new enrolment from social and behavioral sciences, and law

Nearly 18% of all enrolments in Canadian universities in 2004/2005 were in social and behavioural sciences, and law, the highest proportion for any field of study. This proportion has been rising since 2002.

A record 178,100 students were registered in this field, up 13,300 from the previous academic year, which was the highest increase for any field.

Enrolment in social and behavioral sciences, and law surpassed business, management and public administration, for the second time since 2002. Business, management and public administration accounted for 162,900 enrolments, rising by 2,400 from 2003/2004.

The three largest fields of study (social and behavioral sciences and law; business, management and public administration; and the humanities) continued to account for 48% of total enrolment.

Student counts in health, parks, recreation and fitness increased by 6,100, while physical and life sciences and technologies gained an additional 4,700.

Enrolments fell in three fields: education; mathematics, computer and information; and humanities. Education decreased the most with a 4,200 drop.

In the mathematics, computer and information field, the drop reflected the continued decline in enrolment in computer and information courses from the peak in 2001/2002. Between 2001/2002 and 2004/2005, overall enrolment in this field dropped by 22.8%

Available on CANSIM: table 477-0013.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5017.

Data tables are also available in the Summary tables module of our website.

For general information or to order data, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-800-307-3382; 613-951-7608; fax: 613-951-9040; educationstats@statcan.gc.ca), Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.

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