Girls outnumber boys at several college-level stages in Bangladesh, but their share declines as they move towards higher education, with women accounting for less than 40% of university students and just over 30% of university teachers, according to official education statistics.
The Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025, published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) in June 2026, shows that girls made up 53% of students at private colleges. Still, their share fell to less than 48% at the master's level.
At universities, women accounted for only 39% of students, dropping to 35% at private universities.
The figures highlight a widening gender gap as students advance through the education system, raising questions about social expectations, family spending priorities, financial constraints and the barriers women face in pursuing higher degrees.
The Annual Education Institution Survey 2025 recorded 174 universities in the country, including 56 public and 118 private institutions, with a combined enrolment of 11.14 lakh students.
Women accounted for 41.7% of students at public universities, compared with 35% at private universities. Public universities had an average enrolment of 12,793 students, against 3,369 at private institutions.
Women's representation is also limited in university teaching. Of 34,831 university teachers, 30% were women. They accounted for roughly 28% of teachers at public universities and 33% at private institutions.
Educationist and BRAC University Professor Emeritus Manzoor Ahmed told TBS that the disparity reflects persistent social discrimination against women.
"We have repeatedly failed to achieve gender equality. Girls face particular social pressures. Socialisation problems and economic constraints make the inequality more pronounced. Women's roles become increasingly restricted, from receiving education to teaching," he said.
Family decisions about education spending can also influence girls' access to higher education.
Sharif Ahmed, a father of three from Bhatara in Dhaka, said he sent his son to a private university for an MBA, while his two daughters studied at government colleges and completed their honours degrees.
"Educating girls is a responsibility. Both my daughters have completed their honours and are now doing well with their husbands and children. Girls have their husbands and fathers to look after them, but sons have to take responsibility for their households. That is why I sent my son to a university. He now works for a good multinational company and earns well," he said.
However, some families prioritise their daughters' education. A marketing student at another private university, who requested anonymity, said her father spent most of his savings on her education to help her build a successful career.
She said her parents treated her and her brother equally, making her educational journey easier.
Mithila, a Bangla student at Jagannath University, described a different experience. She wanted to study business but was told by her father that he could not afford private university education for her, although her elder brother had completed an MBA at a private university.
Tania Haque, a professor at the University of Dhaka's Department of Women and Gender Studies, told this newspaper that traditional views of gender roles often lead families to invest more in sons.
"Girls are still often seen as reproductive workers rather than productive workers. Families may invest more in sons because society expects them to earn money and take responsibility for their parents," she said.
The belief that a daughter's responsibilities will be transferred to her husband after marriage also influences family decisions, she added.
The professor said these attitudes must change, stressing that both sons and daughters can support their parents and should receive equal opportunities.
She also highlighted accommodation, safety and employment prospects as key barriers to women's higher education, particularly for students coming to Dhaka from outside the capital. Linking higher education more closely with the job market could make it more valuable for women, she said.
Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education and former adviser to the caretaker government, said the disparity should not be attributed solely to family decisions.
Transport, accommodation and safety shortages often prevent girls from progressing to university, making institutional support and targeted assistance for financially disadvantaged students essential, the educationist said.
Experts caution that enrolment figures alone cannot establish whether families spend less on girls' higher education.
Financial capacity, institutional choices, marriage, family responsibilities, accommodation, safety and employment opportunities may all contribute to the declining female participation rate, they said.