Gender Parity Index in Chilean Universities (2010–2024): Trajectories by University Type and Discipline

International literature has documented a sustained increase in female representation in higher education; however, less is known about how this process unfolds in segmented and highly privatized systems such as Chile’s. Evidence also remains limited on how gender parity varies across institutional types and disciplinary fields. This study examines the evolution of the Gender Parity Index (GPI) in Chilean universities between 2010 and 2024, disaggregating trends by institutional subsystem and field of knowledge. Using administrative data from the Higher Education Information System and a longitudinal panel of 49 universities, the analysis combines descriptive indicators and mixed-effects models to identify long-term trajectories. The results show a sustained increase in female participation in first-year enrollment, total enrollment, and undergraduate graduation. Institutional patterns differ markedly: increases are strongest in non-traditional private universities, more gradual in state universities, and relatively stable in traditional private institutions. At the disciplinary level, persistent horizontal segregation remains evident, with female overrepresentation in education, health, and social sciences, and male predominance in technology-related fields. These findings provide novel longitudinal evidence on gender stratification in Chilean and Latin American higher education and underscore the need for institutionally differentiated gender equity policies aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5.