2021 course enrolments

NESA reports on student enrolment information for HSC courses each year. Learn the number of students enrolled in Board Developed HSC courses by gender in 2021.

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About the statistics

These statistics represent course enrolments for the 2021 HSC cohort.

The data displays the total number of students enrolled in a course, and the percentage of male and female students enrolled in each course.

Note that male and female percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

This data is taken from 1 September 2021.

Using this page

Use the tabs to see course enrolment statistics for:

  • General enrolments
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Languages
  • Life Skills.

2021 HSC general course and Languages enrolments

This table outlines enrolments in HSC Board Developed courses, excluding, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Life Skills courses. These courses are externally examined. For English Studies and Mathematics General 1, the external examination is optional.

View the course enrolments for the following learning areas:

English

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemaleFemale percentageTotal
English Advanced210,09541%14,46359%24,558
English EAL/D290347%1,00453%1,907
English Extension 111,13533%2,35267%3,487
English Extension 2138429%93571%1,319
English Standard215,65549%16,17951%31,834
English Studies25,46060%3,62840%9,088

Mathematics

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemale Female percentageTotal 
Mathematics Advanced29,04953%8,00447%17,053
Mathematics Extension 125,21960%3,53540%8,754
Mathematics Extension 222,10765%1,12535%3,232
Mathematics Standard 123,22359%2,24541%5,468
Mathematics Standard 2214,80148%16,08052%30,881

Science

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemale Female percentageTotal 
Biology26,36936%12,08964%19,028
Chemistry25.25652%4,77448%10,030
Earth and Environmental Science21,14548%1,24952%2.394
Investigating Science21,69457%1,25543%2,949
Physics26,29878%1,74322%8,041
Science extension134046%40754%747

Human Society and Its Environment

Course nameUnits Male Male percentageFemaleFemale percentage Total
Aboriginal Studies218725%57175%758
Ancient History22,98345%3,59655%6,579
Business Studies29,63353%8,41647%18,409
Economics23,26164%1,83836%5,099
Geography22,31251%2,20449%4,516
Legal Studies23,98136%6,95464%10,935
Modern History25,42649%5,71351%11,139
History Extension170539%1,08661%1,791
Society and Culture289119%3,86581%4,756
Studies of Religion I13,85645%4,67755%8,533
Studies of Religion II22,21536%3,97664%6,191

Languages

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemaleFemale percentageTotal
Arabic Continuers28029%19571%275
Arabic Extension11624%5276%68
Armenian Continuers2836%1464%22
Chinese Beginners22030%4770%67
Chinese Continuers29345%11656%209
Chinese in Context24333%8867%131
Chinese and Literature217446%20554%379
Chinese Extension11633%3367%49
Classical Greek Continuers21071%429%14
Classical Greek Extension118100%00%8
Classical Hebrew Continuers21243%1657%28
Classical Hebrew Extension1533%1067%15
Croatian Continuers2350%350%6
Dutch Continuers2571%229%7
Filipino Continuers200%4100%4
French Beginners28623%29677%382
French Continuers215626%44274%598
French Extension14030%9270%132
German Beginners23634%6966%105
German Continuers26845%8455%152
German Extension11942%2658%45
Hindi Continuers21357%1043%23
Hungarian Continuers2240%360%5
Indonesian Beginners2737%1263%19
Indonesian Continuers22235%4165%63
Indonesian and Literature218%1292%13

Indonesian Extension

1847%953%17
Italian Beginners29830%22470%322
Italian Continuers27437%12563%199
Italian Extension11542%2158%36
Japanese Beginners224945%30055%549
Japanese Continuers224138%39462%635
Japanese in Context21133%2267%33
Japanese and Literature2431%969%13
Japanese Extension16740%10260%169
Khmer Continuers2225%675%8
Korean Beginners21413%9687%110
Korean Continuers215%1895%19
Korean in Context21229%3071%42
Korean and Literature21452%1348%27
Latin Continuers28555%7045%155
Latin Extension15251%4949%101
Macedonian Continuers21038%1662%26
Maltese Continuers200%1100%1
Modern Greek Beginners23551%3449%69
Modern Greek Continuers21732%3668%53
Modern Greek Extension1531%1169%16
Modern Hebrew Continuers21652%1548%31
Persian Continuers2830%1970%27
Polish Continuers2638%1063%16
Portuguese Continuers2536%964%14
Punjabi Continuers21350%1350%26
Russian Continuers2633%1267%18
Serbian Continuers2542%758%12
Spanish Beginners27427%20173%275
Spanish Continuers25133%10467%155
Spanish Extension11325%3875%51
Swedish Continuers2220%880%10
Tamil Continuers21438%2362%37
Turkish Continuers21232%2668%38
Vietnamese Continuers28438%13762%221

Technology

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemaleFemale percentageTotal
Agriculture272247%83053%1,522
Design and Technology21,94256%1,51544%3,457
Engineering Studies22,21491%2329%2,446
Food Technology21,09229%2,66471%3,756
Industrial Technology24,82684%94516%5,771
Information Processes and Technology21,57781%36219%1,939
Software Design and Development21,56690%18210%1,748
Textiles and Design2635%1,13895%1,201

Creative Arts

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemaleFemale percentageTotal
Dance2425%86695%908
Drama21,37734%2,62666%3,963
Music 122,40851%2,34249%4,750
Music 2233747%37553%712
Music Extension117546%20854%383
Visual Arts22,23626%6,27174%8,507

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemaleFemale percentageTotal
Community and Family Studies291810%8,24290%9,160
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education27,46245%9,27755%16,739

2021 VET course enrolments 

This table outlines unique enrolments in HSC VET Industry Curriculum Frameworks, which are delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), including schools and colleges as part of a school system RTO, TAFE NSW and other providers.

Each VET Industry Curriculum Framework includes multiple courses. VET Industry Curriculum Frameworks have optional external examinations.

Course nameMaleMale percentageFemaleFemale percentageTotal
Automotive52594%326%557
Business Services1,00039%1,56461%2,564
Construction3,49295%1715%3,663
Electrotechnology46395%265%489
Entertainment Industry63453%57247%1,206
Financial Services7555%6145%136
Hospitality2,38733%4,88767%7,274
Human Services708%76392%833
Information and Digital Technology53784%10416%641
Primary Industries52556%41644%941
Retail Services57036%1,03064%1,600
Tourism, Travel and Events2710%24890%275

2021 Life Skills course enrolments 

This table outlines enrolments in HSC Life Skills courses, which are available for students with disabilities for whom the regular outcomes and content are not appropriate. These courses are Board Developed and meet the requirements for the award of the HSC.

Course nameUnitsMaleMale percentageFemaleFemale percentageTotal
Aboriginal Studies Life Skills23265%1735%49
Agriculture Life Skills26168%2932%90
Ancient History Life Skills26864%3936%107
Business and Economics Life Skills25967%2933%88
Chemical World Science Life Skills2563%338%8
Citizenship and Legal Studies Life Skills21846%2154%39
Community and Family Studies Life Skills210541%15059%255
Creative Arts Life Skills231566%15934%474
Dance Life Skills216%1694%17
Design and Technology Life Skills25264%2936%81
Drama Life Skills25757%4343%100
Earth and Space Science Life Skills25680%1420%70
English Life Skills21,35566%684

34%

2,039
Food Technology Life Skills233765%18335%520
Geography Life Skills26361%4039%103
Human Society and its Environment Life Skills239466%19934%593
Industrial Technology Life Skills219990%2210%221
Information Processes and Technology Life Skills26281%1519%77
Investigating Science Life Skills227571%11529%390
Living World Science Life Skills29362%5738%150
Mathematics Life Skills21,23169%56531%1,796
Modern History Life Skills210874%3726%145
Music Life Skills210266%5334%155
Personal Development, Health & PE Life Skills278668%36932%1,155
Physical World Science Life Skills22091%29%22
Society and Culture Life Skills25958%4242%101
Studies of Religion I Life Skills11252%1148%23
Studies of Religion II Life Skills2939%1461%23
Technology Life Skills227068%12732%397
Textiles and Design Life Skills2938%1563%24
Visual Arts Life Skills230158%22042%521
Work and the Community Life Skills273767%35633%1,093
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