The table gives a comparison of gender, first language other than English, and birth origin of students from six different departments at an Australian university in 2009.
Overall, female students dominated in English, modern languages, and physics. Another striking feature is that the percentage of students whose first language was not English was lower than that of overseas-born students, except in the history department.
Female students were the majority in English, modern languages, and physics, each accounting for over half, compared to those studying math and chemistry. In contrast, the highest proportions of students who did not speak English as their first language were reported in math, history, and chemistry, standing at 49%, 45%, and 42% respectively. This was followed by 38% in physics and below 20% in the remaining departments.
In terms of overseas-born students, the university recorded the highest figures in physics and math, both at 56%. Meanwhile, 48% of students in chemistry were born outside Australia, which was higher than in the other departments.