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The representation of women in Japanese higher education continues to grow, with female students comprising ** percent of university enrollments in 2025. This marks a steady increase over the past decade, reflecting changing societal attitudes and educational opportunities for women in Japan.

Study field preferences

Female students enrolled at universities in Japan exhibit a strong interest in the social sciences, with the highest number of female undergraduates majoring in the subject in 2025. At the postgraduate level, the engineering field had the highest number of female students in the same year. When it comes to gender distribution, humanities, education, medicine, and art, among others, attracted a higher share of women than men in postgraduate studies.

Employment prospects

The rising female university enrollment is translating into positive career outcomes. In 2024, over 80 percent of female university graduates in Japan entered employment after completing their studies. It is worth noting that this proportion was much lower among women with postgraduate degrees, with below ** percent of those with master’s and doctoral diplomas securing employment after graduation.