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Graduates of higher vocational education studies in 2020

Graduation rate increased in higher vocational education in 2020

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2021-11-19 9.30

The graduation rate has increased, after decreasing in the three previous years. Men are driving this trend reversal, as their graduation rate has increased by just over 1 percentage point. Among women the graduation rate has continued to drop somewhat.

Higher vocational education is a post-secondary form of education that is essential for skills supply in Sweden and has therefore been expanded in recent years. These statistics show how many people attain a higher vocational education qualification.

Key results show that:

  • The number of graduates continued to increase sharply.
  • Major differences between the sexes persist between fields of education.
  • The overall graduation rate increased somewhat.
  • The graduation rate rose among men and fell among women.

In 2020, there were 17 100 graduates from higher vocational education programmes in total, which is 17 percent more than in 2019. The number of women increased the most, by 19 percent, while the number of men increased by 14 percent. The proportion of women among the graduates, which has been larger over time than the proportion of men, was now 60 percen

Graduation rate somewhat higher in 2020
The total graduation rate was 71.6 percent in 2020, compared with 71.4 percent in 2019. The graduation rate among women fell from 76.6 percent to 75.8 percent, while the graduation rate among men rose from 65.0 percent to 66.1 percent.

Graduation rate somewhat higher in 2020
The total graduation rate was 71.6 percent in 2020, compared with 71.4 percent in 2019. The graduation rate among women fell from 76.6 percent to 75.8 percent, while the graduation rate among men rose from 6lthough the gender gap has narrowed somewhat, major differences remain in various fields. Economics, administration and sales was the field of education with most graduates in 2020, at 4 700 graduates. In this field, women accounted for 76 percent of graduates. This was followed by Health and medical care and social care, which had 2 900 graduates; women accounted for 91 percent of graduates. In the fields Technology and manufacturing and Civil and structural engineering, which had 1 900 and 2 100 graduates respectively, men accounted for the largest shares, at 75 percent and 69 percent respectively. In Computers/IT, which had 1 500 graduates, 73 percent were men.

Number of graduates of higher vocational education studies in 2020, by field of education and sex

Diagram: Number of graduates of higher vocational education studies in 2020, by field of education and sex

Graduation rate somewhat higher in 2020

The total graduation rate was 71.6 percent in 2020, compared with 71.4 percent in 2019. The graduation rate among women fell from 76.6 percent to 75.8 percent, while the graduation rate among men rose from 65.0 percent to 66.1 percen

Graduation rate in higher vocational education in 2007–2020, by sex

d: Graduation rate in higher vocational education in 2007–2020, by sex

There are major differences between fields of education. Among the five largest fields of education, Economics, administration and sales accounted for the highest graduation rate, at 77.9 percent, followed by Health and medical care, at 74.0 percent, despite a drop in the graduation rate in both fields. Among fields of education that are male-dominated, the graduation rate increased; the largest increase was noted in Computers/IT, in which the graduation rate increased by 3.9 percentage points and was 64.0 percent. In Civil and structural engineering, the graduation rate was 65.5 percent. The lowest graduation rate was noted in Technology and manufacturing, at 62.5 percent.

Graduation rate among men increased in distance learning programmes

The graduation rate remains disparate between distance learning programmes and traditional programmes. In 2020, the graduation rate in distance learning programmes was 62.0 percent. The corresponding figure for traditional programmes was 74.7 percent. Compared with the previous year, the graduation rate in distance learning programmes decreased among women, while it increased among men. In 2020, the proportion of students in distance learning programmes increased from 20 percent to 21 percent.

Graduation rate in higher vocational education programmes 2019–2020, by form of study and sex

Diagram: Graduation rate in higher vocational education programmes 2019–2020, by form of study and sex

During the pandemic, traditional programmes also had distance learning. Course organisers who converted to distance learning received increased support from the National Agency of Higher Vocational Education.

Graduation rate increased among men with a Swedish background

The graduation rate increased among men with a Swedish background by almost 2 percentage points, from 69.4 percent to 71.3 percent, while the graduation rate among women with a Swedish background decreased somewhat from 79.3 percent to 78.8 percent. Among women with a foreign background, the graduation rate decreased by just over 1 percentage point, from 69.1 percent to 67.9 percent, while among men with a foreign background, the graduation rate increased from 55.7 percent to 56.4 percent.

Graduation rate in higher vocational education programmes in 2007–2020, by sex and national background

d: Graduation rate in higher vocational education programmes in 2007–2020, by sex and national background

Definitions and explanations

Official statistics on higher vocational education

Statistics Sweden has been responsible for official statistics on higher vocational education since 2018. Statistics on graduates of higher vocational education are based on information from the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education, which in turn receives the information from the education providers.

Post-secondary vocational education is included in the statistics for 2007– 2013.

Graduates

Graduates refers to all those who graduated from a programme session. Graduates are reported based on the final year of the programme, rather than the date on which the student actually graduated. Late additions lead to some lag in the statistics, and around 100 graduates are estimated to be added in the next publication in November 2022.

Graduation rate

The graduation rate refers to the proportion of admitted students who conducted studies at programmes that lead to a qualification. Late additions affect the graduation rate.

Each programme session is included

Students who have been enrolled in several programmes during a specific period are counted once for each programme session. In 2020, just over 700 persons commenced studies in more than one programme session. Roughly 20 people received more than one qualification in 2020.

Field of education

Field of education refers to the classification of programmes in the fields of education used by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education. The fields of education are based on the SUN 2020 standard.

Next publishing will be

Statistics on students in 2021 will be published in March 2022. Detailed statistics on graduates in 2021 will be published in November 2022.

Statistical Database

More information is available in the Statistical Database

Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.

Statistical agency

Statistics Sweden

Enquiries

Evalena Andersson

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E-mail
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