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University degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded

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2007 (Previous release)

About 241,600 students received a degree, diploma or certificate qualification from a Canadian university in 2007, a 6.9% increase from 2006. Over 80% of the increase occurred in Ontario.

Nearly 61% of qualifications, or 146,700, were awarded to women, continuing a long-term trend in which female graduates outnumber their male counterparts and their proportion continues to increase.

At the undergraduate level, some 195,200 students received a degree, a certificate or a diploma in 2007, up 7.6% from 2006. The vast majority (90%) of the increase occurred in Ontario.

About 34,800 students received a master's level qualification in 2007, up 2.1% from 2006. Of these, 16,000 were men, unchanged from 2006, and 18,800 were women, a 3.9% increase.

Universities granted 4,800 doctorate degrees in 2007, the highest number recorded. Women accounted for 44.5% of these doctorates in 2007, up from 35.9% a decade earlier.

The number of degrees, diplomas and certificates rose in all fields of study in 2007, except two: mathematics, computer and information sciences (-9.2%) and personal improvement and leisure (-6.7%).

The five fields of study with the largest numbers of qualifications awarded accounted for nearly three-quarters of all graduates. These are: social and behavioural sciences, and law; business, management and public administration; education; health, parks, recreation and fitness; and humanities. Among these, the largest increase in graduates occurred in social and behavioural sciences, and law (+10.9%); health, parks, recreation and fitness (+10.0%); and humanities (+7.6%).

Note: Graduate counts for certain universities are preliminary or based on estimates. Data for the University of Regina are missing since 2005 but this has no significant impact on the trend analysis at the national level presented here. For Quebec institutions, micro programs and attestations are not included. Data are subject to revision.

Available on CANSIM: table 477-0014.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5017.

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

For more information, to order data, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-800-307-3382; 613-951-7608; fax: 613-951-4441; educationstats@statcan.gc.ca), Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics Division.

Table 1
University qualifications awarded by program level and gender

Table 1

University qualifications awarded by program level and gender
  2002r 2006r,1 20071 2002 to 2007 2006 to 2007
  number % change
Total2,3 186,462 225,939 241,551 29.5 6.9
Male 75,225 89,682 94,830 26.1 5.7
Female 111,222 136,212 146,682 31.9 7.7
Undergraduate level2 152,301 181,416 195,210 28.2 7.6
Male 58,671 68,607 73,452 25.2 7.1
Female 93,615 112,776 121,728 30.0 7.9
Bachelor's, first professional and applied degree2 134,019 161,031 175,395 30.9 8.9
Male 52,245 61,581 66,669 27.6 8.3
Female 81,771 99,426 108,696 32.9 9.3
Other undergraduate qualifications awarded2 18,282 20,382 19,815 8.4 -2.8
Male 6,426 7,026 6,783 5.6 -3.5
Female 11,844 13,347 13,032 10.0 -2.4
Graduate level2 33,105 42,708 44,577 34.7 4.4
Male 16,062 20,286 20,694 28.8 2.0
Female 17,043 22,413 23,880 40.1 6.5
Master's degree2 26,307 34,080 34,791 32.2 2.1
Male 12,474 16,032 16,035 28.5 0.0
Female 13,830 18,042 18,750 35.6 3.9
Earned doctorate2 3,729 4,449 4,827 29.4 8.5
Male 2,124 2,520 2,676 26.0 6.2
Female 1,605 1,932 2,151 34.0 11.3
Other graduate qualifications awarded2 3,069 4,179 4,962 61.7 18.7
Male 1,461 1,737 1,983 35.7 14.2
Female 1,605 2,442 2,982 85.8 22.1
r
revised
1.
Qualification figures do not include the University of Regina.
2.
Total includes sex unknown.
3.
Includes the other program level categories.
Note(s):
Qualification figures may not add up because of rounding to a multiple of 3.
Table 2
University qualifications awarded by field of study and gender

Table 2

University qualifications awarded by field of study and gender
  2002r 2006r,1 20071 2002 to 2007 2006 to 2007
  number % change
Total2 186,462 225,939 241,551 29.5 6.9
Male 75,225 89,682 94,830 26.1 5.7
Female 111,222 136,212 146,682 31.9 7.7
Personal improvement and leisure education2 ... 45 42 ... -6.7
Male ... 24 15 ... -37.5
Female ... 24 27 ... 12.5
Education2 23,661 26,820 27,420 15.9 2.2
Male 5,781 6,438 6,468 11.9 0.5
Female 17,868 20,361 20,943 17.2 2.9
Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies2 6,324 8,190 8,727 38.0 6.6
Male 2,175 2,595 2,850 31.0 9.8
Female 4,149 5,592 5,877 41.6 5.1
Humanities2 20,913 25,302 27,222 30.2 7.6
Male 7,173 8,829 9,606 33.9 8.8
Female 13,743 16,470 17,613 28.2 6.9
Social and behavioural sciences, and law2 37,008 45,543 50,529 36.5 10.9
Male 12,675 15,207 16,395 29.3 7.8
Female 24,333 30,333 34,134 40.3 12.5
Business, management and public administration2 37,578 45,771 48,705 29.6 6.4
Male 16,755 20,922 22,926 36.8 9.6
Female 20,823 24,846 25,767 23.7 3.7
Physical and life sciences, and technologies2 14,088 16,935 18,726 32.9 10.6
Male 5,988 7,035 7,641 27.6 8.6
Female 8,100 9,900 11,085 36.9 12.0
Mathematics, computer and information sciences2 9,978 9,414 8,547 -14.3 -9.2
Male 6,867 6,588 5,988 -12.8 -9.1
Female 3,111 2,826 2,553 -17.9 -9.7
Architecture, engineering and related technologies2 14,754 18,528 19,434 31.7 4.9
Male 11,148 14,286 14,799 32.8 3.6
Female 3,609 4,242 4,632 28.3 9.2
Agriculture, natural resources and conservation2 3,660 3,594 3,864 5.6 7.5
Male 1,731 1,557 1,629 -5.9 4.6
Female 1,926 2,037 2,238 16.2 9.9
Health, parks, recreation and fitness2 17,322 23,850 26,226 51.4 10.0
Male 4,470 5,475 5,772 29.1 5.4
Female 12,852 18,375 20,451 59.1 11.3
Personal, protective and transportation services2 270 474 480 77.8 1.3
Male 219 282 255 16.4 -9.6
Female 54 192 228 322.2 18.8
Other2 900 1,473 1,629 81.0 10.6
Male 240 447 489 103.8 9.4
Female 657 1,020 1,140 73.5 11.8
r
revised
...
not applicable
1.
Qualification figures do not include the University of Regina.
2.
Total includes sex unknown.
Note(s):
Qualification figures may not add up because of rounding to a multiple of 3.
Date Modified: 2011-07-05

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