University Lecturers with PhDs in Rwanda Exceed 1,300, but Women Remain Few

The number of lecturers at universities and higher learning institutions in Rwanda holding PhD degrees increased significantly in the 2024/2025 academic year, but women remain underrepresented in this category.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education show that the number of lecturers with PhDs increased from 1,091 in the 2023/2024 academic year to 1,360 in 2024/2025. This represents an increase of 24.6% in one year. Of the 1,360 lecturers with PhDs, 1,144 are men, while only 216 are women. Women therefore account for 15.9% of lecturers with PhDs, compared with 84.1% for men.

Although the gender gap remains large, the statistics show that the number of women with PhDs has been increasing. In 2020/2021, there were 141 women with PhDs. The number increased to 162 in 2021/2022 and 179 in 2022/2023. It then fell to 169 in 2023/2024 before rising to 216 in 2024/2025.

In just one year, the number of women with PhDs increased by 47, or nearly 28%. Among men, the number of PhD holders increased from 922 in 2023/2024 to 1,144 in 2024/2025.

Over the five-year period, the total number of lecturers with PhDs increased from 976 in 2020/2021 to 1,360 in 2024/2025. However, the proportion of women in this category changed only slightly, rising from 14% to 15.9% during the same period.

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Women Also Remain Few Among University Lecturers

The issue is not limited to PhD holders. In 2024/2025, universities and higher learning institutions in Rwanda had 5,463 lecturers, including 4,283 men and 1,180 women.

Women therefore represented 21.6% of all lecturers at this level of education, while men represented 78.4%. There has nevertheless been some improvement compared with previous years. In 2020/2021, women numbered 809 out of 4,301 lecturers at universities and higher learning institutions, representing 18.8%. By 2024/2025, their number had increased to 1,180, representing 21.6%.

At public higher learning institutions, there were 2,517 lecturers in total, including 539 women, or 21.4%. At private higher learning institutions, there were 2,946 lecturers, of whom 641 were women, representing 21.8%.

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Most Lecturers Hold Master’s Degrees

The report shows that although the number of lecturers with PhDs is increasing, most lecturers at universities and higher learning institutions hold Master’s degrees.

In 2024/2025, 2,935 lecturers, representing 53.7% of all lecturers, held Master’s degrees. Among them, 2,265 were men and 670 were women.

There were 1,360 lecturers with PhDs, representing nearly one-quarter of all lecturers. Those with Bachelor’s degrees numbered 936, including 683 men and 253 women, while 232 lecturers held qualifications below a Bachelor’s degree.

The Ministry of Education indicates that the increase in the number of lecturers with PhDs shows that many are continuing to advance their educational qualifications. However, the report also highlights that the small number of women with PhDs remains an issue that requires efforts to support more women in continuing their studies to this level.