Women dominate Spain's 2026 PAU exams: higher intelligence or systemic bias?

Women sweep top scores in the 2026 PAU: superior intelligence or a rigged system?

This news has shaken the educational landscape: 16 of the 22 students with the highest scores in this year's Selectividad (the university entrance exam in Spain) are women. Laura, Leti, Elia, and the latest to join them, the Catalan Laura Tallada, are the names topping a list that, according to the data, is predominantly female. The question is inevitable: are women more intelligent than men, or is the education system designed for them to achieve better grades?

Female dominance in classrooms: the figures don't lie

The 2026 PAU data is conclusive. In almost every autonomous community, with few exceptions, the highest grade belongs to a female student. This phenomenon is not new: for years, women have obtained better average grades in secondary school and Bachillerato (high school). However, a qualitative shift occurs when analyzing chosen degree programs. According to INE (Spain's National Statistics Institute) data for 2020, the graduation rate in science, mathematics, computer science, and engineering among men is double that of women (33.5‰ compared to 13.1‰). In other words, they are the majority among top scorers, but men dominate technical disciplines. Where does the intelligence lie, then?

The education system under suspicion

One school of thought argues that the current system is "feminized": it prioritizes memory, perseverance, obedience, and the ability to repeat information without questioning. Women, due to their socialization, are said to be better adapted to this model. "They are the best at memorizing and repeating," some argue. "Intelligence is the ability to solve problems, not to cram," others add. The case of ELbichito-19 vaccination rates, which are higher among women, is used as an example of this docility. In contrast, men, with higher testosterone and a tendency toward rebellion, may fit poorly into a system that punishes originality and rewards submission.

The gap in technical careers: where are the female engineers?

Despite female success in entrance exams, the presence of women in STEM careers remains low. In Computer Science and ICT, they represent between 13% and 17% of students; in Engineering, barely one in four. Those who defend the idea that intelligence is independent of gender point out that the gap is due to personal preferences or social conditioning. Others suggest that the type of intelligence measured in the PAU is not the same as that required to innovate or create wealth. "The 100 richest women in the world are so through inheritance, not through entrepreneurship," is a common criticism of the idea of female intellectual superiority.

A self-fulfilling prophecy? The core debate

The interesting part of the debate is not who is right, but how the data is interpreted depending on one's perspective. Those who believe women are more intelligent point to Laura Tallada and others as proof. Those who think the system is biased remind us that men still hold the majority of Nobel Prizes, patents, and major business ventures. Both positions hold some truth. But there is an uncomfortable fact: as long as the education system rewards memory over critical thinking, women will continue to win. And men, trapped in their rebellion or their addiction to technology, may be missing the boat.

The question that remains is: are we measuring intelligence correctly, or have we created a system that only measures one part of it?