proportion of students

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "proportion of students" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the relative size or percentage of students within a specific group or context, such as in educational statistics or research. Example: "The proportion of students who passed the exam this year has increased compared to last year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The proportion of students attaining a 2.1 has also increased.

The Guardian

A higher proportion of students achieved the highest grade – A* – but the proportion of students achieving all other grades slightly fell.

The Guardian

India accounted for the second biggest proportion of students, with just 6% of participants.

The Guardian

A downside: the high proportion of students to locals creates tension".

The Guardian - Money

Statewide, the proportion of students passing rose 1.9 points, to 47.2percentt.

The New York Times

Curious about what proportion of students at Ohio State graduated within four years?

The New York Times

And the more prestigious the university, the smaller its proportion of students from poor families.

The Guardian - Opinion

Yet the proportion of students in private schools has been falling nationwide.

The New York Times

Last year, the proportion of students who took separate sciences rose, but less sharply.

The Guardian

Yet research consistently shows that a significant proportion of students are anxious about computer use.

Interacting with Computers

One of the metrics is the proportion of students a university turns away, which encourages selectivity.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing "proportion of students" across different groups or time periods, explicitly state the groups or periods being compared to avoid ambiguity. For example, "The proportion of students passing the exam increased from 70% in 2023 to 85% in 2024."

Common error

Avoid using "proportion of students" when you actually mean a specific number or count of students. "Proportion" refers to the relative size or percentage, not the absolute quantity. For example, don't say "The proportion of students increased by 50," when you mean "The number of students increased by 50."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "proportion of students" functions primarily as a noun phrase that acts as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence. It quantifies the relative presence of students within a specific group or context. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is a correct and usable phrase in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Science

38%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Academia

2%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "proportion of students" is a versatile and commonly used phrase for expressing the relative size or percentage of students within a given context. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically sound and widely accepted. It sees frequent use in news, scientific research, and formal business reports. When using the phrase, ensure clarity by specifying the groups being compared and avoiding confusion with absolute numbers. Alternatives include "percentage of students" and "student ratio", each carrying slightly different nuances. The phrase exhibits a neutral to formal register and serves primarily to convey quantitative information.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

student percentage

Replaces "proportion" with "percentage", focusing on the numerical representation of students.

student ratio

Uses "ratio" instead of "proportion", emphasizing a comparative relationship between students and another group or the whole.

percentage of the student body

Rephrases to specify that the percentage is related to the entire student population.

student representation

Focuses on how students are represented within a specific context or group.

fraction of students

Employs "fraction" in place of "proportion", highlighting the part-to-whole relationship.

student share

Uses "share" to denote the part belonging to students within a larger entity.

number of students as a percentage

Expands the phrase to explicitly state that the student count is being expressed as a percentage.

incidence of students

Replaces "proportion" with "incidence", which is most suitable in contexts that discuss how frequently a certain characteristic is observed in students.

extent of students

Uses extent to measure how far the students are involved in a particular thing.

student demographic

Broadens the scope to encompass demographic characteristics of the student population.

FAQs

How can I use "proportion of students" in a sentence?

Use "proportion of students" to describe the relative amount of students within a group. For instance: "The "proportion of students" receiving financial aid has increased significantly this year."

What is a good alternative to "proportion of students"?

Depending on the context, alternatives include "percentage of students", "student ratio", or "student representation". Each has slightly different connotations.

Is it more accurate to say "proportion of students" or "percentage of students"?

Both "proportion of students" and "percentage of students" are generally acceptable. "Percentage" is more commonly used in general contexts, while "proportion" might be preferred in more formal or academic writing.

What does "proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds" mean?

It refers to the relative number or percentage of students who come from families or communities with socioeconomic challenges, such as low income, limited access to resources, or other factors that may hinder their educational opportunities.