The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) have just brought out a report called 'Education at a Glance'. I found it really interesting, but then I have a vested interest in the stats about woman, science and further education. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the major points here. (If you want more, then check out the video I attached too... .)

Education at a Glance: research into international higher education

- Other countries are likely to surpass UK graduation rates. The increase in tertiary enrolment between 1995 and 2005, which will influence future graduation rates, was 33% whereas the OECD average level was at 40%. In comparison, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic and Sweden and partner countries Brazil, Chile, Estonia and Israel, had an increase in enrolment ranging from 44% to 161% during the same period.

- The private rates of return to tertiary education study (wage increase due to university education) in the UK are above average at around 14% for both males and females compared with OECD average rates of 12% for males and 11% for females. But the UK also has the highest private rate of returns to upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education among the 19 OECD countries with available data.

- In the UK, around 80% of those who enter tertiary programmes (and more than 90% in Japan) go on to successfully complete their programme. This is well above the OECD average of 69%.

- International students make a significant contribution to the tertiary graduate output in the UK. Among tertiary-type A second degrees (mainly Masters programmes) and advanced research programmes (including PhDs), more than one-third of the graduate output can be attributed to international graduates. They make up 36% for tertiary-type A second degrees and 40% for advanced research programmes. In the United Kingdom, universities have been able to generate significant additional income from international students.

- The social sciences, business and law are the major educational fields in most countries. Across OECD countries, they constitute 28% of the overall university level attainment in the population. On average, there are 3.6 times as many individuals with degrees in these fields in the younger cohort (25-34 year olds and 30-39 year olds) entering the labour market than in the older one (55-64 year olds) nearing retirement age. Overall, women represent 54% of new entrants in tertiary education in OECD countries. However, the breakdown by gender varies considerably according to the field of education.

- On one hand, the OECD report shows that in the UK there are some 1 974 people with university-level or advanced research qualifications in science per 100 000 employed 25-34-year-olds, compared with an OECD average of 1 340. On the other hand, a comparison of younger to older age groups with science as a field of study shows that the increase in science graduates over recent decades has been faster in OECD countries on average than in the UK.

- The situation in the broad field of sciences differs to that in the other fields of education. Over 77% on average of those entering the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction for the first time are men. This proportion exceeds 85% in Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The proportion of women in this field, although a minority, is highest in Denmark and Iceland at over 30%. Men also account for 76% of new entrants in mathematics and computer science.