5.3.1 - Tracking Access Measures

Bahçeşehir University’s Central Admissions Office systematically monitors and reports gender-disaggregated application, admission, and enrolment data, with particular attention to female students’ representation across academic disciplines. These data are reviewed annually to identify trends, assess potential disparities in access to higher education, and inform institutional outreach and mentoring initiatives aimed at encouraging women’s participation across all fields of study.

Bahçeşehir University systematically monitors gender representation throughout the student admissions and enrolment process as part of its institutional commitment to gender equality and equal access to higher education.

The University tracks the proportion of female applicants and newly enrolled female students on an annual basis, enabling it to assess gender participation trends, identify potential disparities between applications and enrolment, and evaluate progress towards gender-balanced access to higher education.

1- Systematic Tracking of Gender Representation in Undergraduate Admissions and Enrolment

Between 2023 and 2025, female applicants consistently represented the majority of all applicants, accounting for 59% in 2023, 62% in 2024, and 60% in 2025. Similarly, the proportion of female students among newly enrolled students stood at 50% in 2023, 57% in 2024, and 55% in 2025, reflecting an overall improvement in female representation compared with 2023.

These figures demonstrate the University's continued monitoring of gender representation at two critical stages of the admissions process. While annual fluctuations are observed, female enrolment remained five percentage points higher in 2025 than in 2023.

By maintaining and reviewing these gender-disaggregated records, Bahçeşehir University supports an evidence-based approach to monitoring women's access to higher education, identifying emerging trends, and informing institutional efforts to promote gender equality in student recruitment and enrolment.

A visual summary of these findings is provided in the graph below, highlighting the consistent predominance of female applicants and enrollees across both student groups during the 2023–2025 period:

A comparison of 2024 and 2025 enrolment figures reveals notable variations in female participation across academic fields. In the Faculty of Communication, the proportion of female students increased from 53.4% in 2024 to 58.9% in 2025, while the Faculty of Law recorded an increase from 72.2% to 76.7%. The Faculty of Architecture and Design also maintained a strong female majority, with women's representation increasing from 72.0% to 75.5%.

Gender distribution patterns differ across other disciplines. In 2025, male students represented 53.7% of enrolment in the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, compared with 46.3% female students. Similarly, the School of Applied Sciences recorded 65.9% male and 34.1% female enrolment, highlighting differences in gender representation across academic fields.

Female representation remained particularly strong in health-related and education disciplines.

These findings demonstrate the importance of monitoring gender representation at the faculty level rather than relying exclusively on university-wide averages. By systematically reviewing annual enrolment data, BAU identifies variations in participation across disciplines and maintains an evidence base for institutional outreach, student support, and initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality throughout higher education.

The figures below present the results of BAU’s systematic tracking of gender representation across academic programmes, illustrating the distribution of female and male students and highlighting differences in participation across disciplines.

PS: “Yerleşenlerin Cinsiyet Dağılımı” means Gender Breakdown of Placed Students / “Kız”: Female / “Erkek”: Male

2- Systematic Tracking of Gender Equality in Scholarship through ApplyBAU (2022–2025)

Through the ApplyBAU digital platform, Bahçeşehir University systematically monitors gender representation in scholarship applications and awards across its faculties. This ongoing monitoring enables the University to assess female students' access to financial support, identify differences in scholarship allocation across academic disciplines, and inform evidence-based approaches to promoting gender equality in higher education.

Between 2022 and 2025, BAU consistently tracked the gender distribution of scholarship recipients at the faculty level, revealing distinct patterns of female participation across academic fields. Women continued to represent a substantial majority of scholarship recipients in the Faculty of Educational Sciences, accounting for approximately 80% of awards. Similarly, the Faculties of Health Sciences and Architecture and Design maintained high levels of female representation, generally ranging between 70% and 85% during the reporting period.

Other faculties demonstrated different patterns of gender representation. The Faculty of Law showed a notable increase in the proportion of scholarships awarded to female students over the four-year period. In Engineering and Natural Sciences, where women have historically been underrepresented, scholarship allocation has moved towards a more balanced gender distribution, in line with BAU's institutional commitment to encouraging and supporting women's participation in these academic fields. Meanwhile, the Faculties of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences and Communication maintained relatively balanced scholarship distributions, with female and male recipients representing comparable proportions in several reporting years.

These faculty-level findings demonstrate the importance of examining scholarship allocation beyond university-wide averages. By systematically reviewing gender-disaggregated data through ApplyBAU, the University can identify areas where disparities persist, monitor changes in women's access to financial support, and strengthen the evidence base for its admissions and scholarship policies.

This approach reflects BAU's continued commitment to transparent monitoring, equitable access to educational opportunities, and the advancement of gender equality across academic disciplines.

The graphs below illustrate gender distribution trends in scholarship awards across faculties between 2022 and 2025.

3- For Graduate Students: Systematic Tracking of Gender Representation in Enrolment and Scholarship Allocation

BAU systematically monitors access to graduate education to support gender equality and inclusion across its master’s and doctoral programmes. By tracking gender representation at each stage—from application and admission to enrollment—the University assesses participation patterns and identifies areas where additional support may be needed to ensure equitable access to advanced study.

Data for 2023, 2024 and 2025 show that women consistently represented the majority of students enrolling in graduate programmes at Bahçeşehir University. Female representation reached 58% in 2023, while the data for 2024 also confirmed a female majority.

In 2025, women accounted for 62.13% of graduate enrollees. Female representation reached 61.91% in master’s programmes and 65.91% in doctoral programmes, demonstrating strong participation at both levels of graduate education.

These findings inform BAU’s ongoing efforts to support gender equality and inclusive access to postgraduate education. Monitoring gender representation over time enables the University to assess participation patterns across master’s and doctoral programmes and identify areas that may require further attention.

The graphs below present annual student numbers and percentage distributions by gender, drawing on the University’s systematic monitoring of access to graduate education.

As part of its commitment to promoting equal opportunities in postgraduate education, Bahçeşehir University systematically monitors the distribution of scholarships and financial support by gender, alongside graduate application and enrolment trends. This integrated approach enables the University to assess not only women's access to advanced education but also their access to the financial resources that support academic progression and research opportunities.

Across the two reporting years, female students accounted for 58.6% of graduate scholarship recipients, compared with 41.4% male students. Women represented the majority of scholarship beneficiaries in both years, reflecting their continued access to financial support for postgraduate education.

By regularly reviewing gender-disaggregated scholarship data, BAU strengthens its ability to monitor funding patterns, identify potential disparities, and inform institutional efforts to promote equitable access to graduate education. This systematic monitoring forms part of the University's broader commitment to gender equality, inclusive academic opportunities, and women's continued participation in advanced education and research.

The graph below illustrates the gender distribution of graduate scholarship recipients in 2024 and 2025.

All results are reported through institutional equality and admissions reports, reflecting BAU’s dedication to data-driven, transparent, and inclusive admissions practices that advance gender equality and equitable access for all learners.