The chart below provides information about Australian university students studying in 2009.
Overall, it is evident that the majority of female students pursue degrees in humanities and education. In contrast, while engineering and information technology are less popular among female students, they are favored by international students.
Female students chose the humanities and education departments at rates of 72% and 68%, respectively; however, 12% to 16% of those students are non-native English speakers. Additionally, science and physics were also popular among female students, accounting for 52% and 56%, but here, non-native English speakers and international pupils predominantly selected these subjects, with their choices ranging from 31% to 38%.
Regarding the other two departments, they had lower selection percentages compared to other subjects among female students, falling between 15% and 17%. Information technology appealed to 49% of international students, while English as a second language students represented 56%. For those whose first language is not English, the interest in information technology was 49%, in comparison to the 38% and 42% selected in engineering.