Stiff entrance standards are an Indonesian trademark, but the hard work required really pays off. Passing the national exam guarantees entrance into any university, and for many country gals, it’s a one-way ticket to a big-city career and independent lifestyle.

Once you’re in, it’s still not all smooth sailing. University of Indonesia graduate, Artanti Wardhani, laments the relative absence of financial backing and scholarships for women with Ph.D. dreams in her country: “Continuing further is a rare chance for [us]. When you are a young woman and doing post-graduate study, it is considered to be very fortunate.”

In Australia.

  • 72 % of the college-age population is enrolled
  • 65 % of the college-age male population is enrolled
  • 70% of the college-age female population is enrolled

In the Land Down Under, the gals live for college athletics. “There is a huge sporting culture in Australia,” says Charlotte Herr of the University of Melbourne. “Absolutely everyone participates in at least a couple of university teams, and every sport, whether football or dance, has a men’s, women’s and mixed team.”

Athletics aside, academic excellence has deep roots here with some highly prestigious colleges at one-fourth the Ivy League cost. “Think of it this way: Melbourne Uni is Harvard and Sydney Uni is Yale,” Herr explains. “It’s stimulating, competitive, but completely affordable, thanks to help from the government.”

In Brazil.

  • 20 % of the college-age population is enrolled in university
  • 17 % of the college-age male population is enrolled in university
  • 23% of the college-age female population is enrolled in university

Aside from the fun of Carnival and the beautiful beaches, Brazil’s killer entrance exams and competition for subsidized spaces dominate the minds of both male and female students.