The university said the rise in female students was spread across almost all subjects.
The university said the rise in female students was spread across almost all subjects.
Rising awareness of pathways cited as females outnumber males at Lincoln for first time.
A line of gumboots sits outside the library at Lincoln University in Canterbury - a 137-year-old institution known for its stubby-wearing students and land-based prospectus.
But for the first time in the university's history, females outnumber males.
A 10 per cent increase in female students at Lincoln this year means women now make up just over 51 per cent of the roll as more women see agriculture as a career choice.
First year Bachelor of Science student Alexia Marr, a former pupil of Christchurch's Cashmere High School, is at Lincoln to major in ecology.
The 19-year-old, a keen skier and swim tutor, wants to work in the outdoors but is still undecided whether that will be with flora or fauna.
As a Global Challenges scholar, Ms Marr is part of a programme that encourages students to tackle major issues like food security for a growing world population.
She said she was enjoying her time at Lincoln and had already taken part in a wide range of studies and field trips.
The university said the rise in female students was spread across almost all subjects, with female numbers noticeably higher in the agricultural courses Lincoln was best-known for.
The Telford campus, which specialises in agricultural training, has gone from having a roll comprised of 16 per cent females in 2010 to 50 per cent this year.
SchoolsLinc programme manager Fiona Scott, who promotes Lincoln University in schools, said more women were now considering agriculture-related occupations as a career choice.
The figures could reflect several factors.
"I think there is more exposure in the media for girls to notice and relate to, and more female science teachers are also encouraging girls to try areas they might not have considered.
"I think female students are realising that working on the farm involves more than lugging bales of hay, or getting up at 4am to milk cows."
Lincoln University deputy vice-chancellor, International and Business Development, Jeremy Baker said it was a good sign that its student body represented the wider population.
"We are attracting an increasingly diverse range of talented people to meet the needs of those sectors.
Alexia Marr is one of a growing number of women studying agriculture at Lincoln University.
"We are also trying to attract more people from urban backgrounds, to let them see there are exciting opportunities in the land-based rural sectors."
Federated Farmers spokesman Don Carson said the turnaround in female students was an "interesting outcome".
Some parts of agricultural training, such as horticulture, had always had very high female enrolment, he said.
This recent trend could also be seen in other sectors, such as law.
Land girls •Females now outnumber males at Lincoln University for the first time as more women consider a career in agriculture. •The Telford campus, which specialises in agricultural training, has moved from a 16 per cent female roll in 2010 to 50 per cent this year. •The turnaround is being linked to more media exposure of women in agriculture and science teachers encouraging girls to consider new study avenues.
