Ashesi University is committed to gender equity and educational accessibility and tracks, measures, and promotes diversity, ensuring that underrepresented groups, particularly women, have access to quality education and opportunities for advancement.
Building a learning organization on gender parity is integral to Ashesi’s vision despite its STEM focus. Every year, the Ashesi admissions and hiring teams are intentional about the gender ratio of applicants accepted into the various programs and positions, respectively. The table below illustrates the intentionality for parity from application to admission to graduation. See Table 1.0.
Table 1.0
Ashesi’s Gender Parity from Application to Admission and Beyond
Support systems are put in place to contribute to the success of all students, particularly female students in STEM programs. The average % of women graduating compared to the number of women admitted to Ashesi is a high (88%), similar to the men’s (84%). Often, 50% of the graduates are female. Rigor and striving towards excellence are the hallmarks of an Ashesi education for all. For students in C2023, C2024, and C2025, Figure 1.0 shows a breakdown of the application and admission numbers by gender for each year. See Figure 1.0.
Figure 1.0
Breakdown of the Application and Admission Numbers by Gender from 2019 – 2022
Typically, at Ashesi, more male candidates apply than females. However, Ashesi strives to admit as many females as male students. Ashesi has been able to achieve substantial progress in gender parity. Recent enrollment data shows that for the first time in 2022, more women were admitted (194) than men (180), highlighting the success of targeted initiatives. In the past five years, Ashesi has admitted 150–160 female students each year alongside 175–180 male students.
We also track the nationality of our students. Ashesi is in Ghana, and it is not surprising that more male and female applicants come from Ghana than from other African countries. See Figure 2.0.
Figure 2.0
Tracking Ghanaian and Non-Ghanaian African Applicants by Gender
STEM programs, specifically Engineering, Computer Science and Management Information Systems, and Business Administration, attract females differently. More male students apply for Engineering and Computer Science than females, which is the reverse for Business Administration. At Ashesi in 2022, there was a negligible difference in the number of male and female Engineering and Business Administration graduates. See Figure 3.0.
Figure 3.0
Male Vs. Female Tracking Data: Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Business Administration
The number of female students matriculated in 2022 was more than their male counterparts for the first time in the past 5 years. See Figure 4.0
Figure 4.0
Acceptance Numbers: Tracking Male to Female Matriculation Data 2019 – 2022
