The bar chart illustrates the proportion of four types of students in the UK in 1990, 1998 and 2005, measured in thousands.
Overall, the number of students increased, with part-time female students showing the most significant growth. The four types of students were nearly equally shared by 2005.
In 1980, male full-time students accounted for the largest share among the four kinds of students in 1990 and 1998, at 200 thousand and 800 thousand, respectively. The figure further climbed to 800 thousand by 2005. In addition, the number of female full-time students continuously rose and eventually reached its peak in 2005 from less than 200 thousand, with just over 800 thousand.
Furthermore, the number of male part-time students halved from 1990 to 1998, being the lowest number of the four kinds of students in 1998, at about 100 thousand. After that, the number of male part-time students rose significantly to almost 800 thousand by the end of the period. While the number of female part-time students doubled between 1990 and 1998, reaching 200 thousand, the figure surged to an absolute 800 thousand in 2005, accounting for the same figure as male full-time participants.