A total of 72,394 students enrolled onto courses in the universities of the A.C. of the Basque Country for the academic year 2004-05, according to Eustat data, meaning 2.9% less than the previous year; of these, 12,309 students entered university for the first time.

In the latest five-year period, the number of university students fell by 12.4%. However, there was a slight rise in the proportion of young people aged 18 to 25 who gained access to university, which stood at 35%.

At 54%, women outnumbered men in the university sphere, in line with the trend throughout the European Union.

With regard to the type of university, 78% of students enrolled in the public sector, especially the University of the Basque Country. In the private sector, the University of Deusto attracted the greatest number of students. As for distribution by province, the number of students attending university in Bizkaia came to 56% of the total number admitted; This was followed by the province of Guipúzcoa with 30% and finally, Álava with 14%.

As for type of study, 31, 705 students chose to enrol on a degree course, accounting for 45% of the total. These were followed by diploma courses, with 22%, technical architecture and technical engineering with 18% and finally, architecture and engineering with 15%. There was a considerable proportion of women doing degree courses (65%) and diploma courses (71%), While in architecture and engineering and technical architecture and engineering, the percentage of men was 67% and 74%, respectively.

If we analyse the proportion of young people aged 18 to 25, the last five years has seen a slight fall in degree courses (-3.6%), while for other studies, there has been a rise, most notably in technical architecture and engineering (+37%).

If we compare the situation with the rest of the State, we see that student preferences, when choosing a course, are very similar. In the State as a whole, the greatest number opt for degree courses (49%), followed by diploma courses (24%), technical architecture and engineering (15%) and finally, architecture and engineering (11%). It should be added, however, that the proportion of technical courses in the A.C. of the Basque Country is approximately 7 percentage points higher.

The qualifications most in demand were: Industrial Technical Engineering (7,077), Business Administration and Management (5,861), Teaching (5,655), Diploma in Business Studies (4,110) and Law (3,658). This order changes if we solely take into account courses chosen by women: Teaching (4,308), Business Administration and Management (3,438), Psychology (2,220), Diploma in Business Studies (2,182) and Law (2,151).

In technical courses, 7 out of 10 students were men

By branch, five out of ten students in the Basque Country opted for courses in Social Sciences or Legal Studies, with 33,418 students enrolling on them. It is worth mentioning that while in Technical Sciences 7 out of 10 students were men, in the other branches, the proportion was the other way round, with a majority of women.

60% of students who completed their studies were women

12,611 students obtained their university qualifications in the academic year 2004-05. Of these 93% completed 1st and 2nd cycle courses and the rest, 907 students, finished postgraduate courses. 60% were women. With regard to the type of university, 80% del total obtained their qualification from the Public University of the Basque Country. A total of 234 students completed their thesis and obtained their doctorate from the Public University of the Basque Country.