The highest number of women on record are to start computing degrees in September, according to figures released by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

The data comes after ONS research found that the number of women in technology roles had declined by 3,000 during the second quarter of the year compared to the first few months.

But there has been an 11 per cent hike in the number of 18-year-old women doing computing degrees in comparison to 2022, said BCS.

The Institute, which analysed data from university admissions service UCAS, added that this represents a higher percentage increase for young women than for another subject.

However, men are still outnumbering women on computing degree courses by 3.8 to one.

“The record number of students, and growing share of young women, starting computing degrees this year is important news for the future of the UK," said Gillian Arnold, president of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. “Teenagers clearly see a computing qualification as the way to influence some of the biggest issues of our age like AI and climate change – which is shown in the rising numbers taking A levels too."

Last year Code First Girls, which aims to close the tech industry gender gap by providing employment through free coding education, published research which suggested that by 2025 there will be just one qualified woman for every 115 roles in technology.

A 2022 report from BCS and Coding Black Females also revealed that more than 20,000 Black women were “missing” from the IT industry.

The study found that while Black women make up 1.8 per cent of the UK workforce, they only make up 0.7 per cent of IT professionals.

The figures demonstrate that to be truly represented, there would need to be around 20,000 Black women join the industry.

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