So I don't mean to pick on Finland- this post applies to many countries around the world, and in fact you will see other countries cited from the study in this post. However, as an example, Finland has a particularly high gender gap in university- men are significantly less likely to attend university. The gap is not only one of the wider in the OECD, but getting wider. Women outnumber men by nearly 2:1 in the Finnish university system

I believe the conscription system may play a part in this gap. There is evidence that conscription decreases university enrollment. This studies measured conscription's effects on university at multiple European countries, including Finland. Here is an excerpt:

We find that compulsory military service decreases the proportion of Dutch university graduates by 1.5 percentage points from a baseline of 12.3 per cent. In addition, being a conscript reduces the probability of obtaining a university degree by almost four percentage points. The effect of military service on earnings is also negative and long-lasting. Approximately 18 years after military service, we still find a negative effect of 3 to 4 per cent. The effect of conscription on educational attainment does not fully explain the wage reduction.

The results were consisted across all countries. The data shows that in all likelihood, conscription hurts the educational and employment attainment of men.

The study found several reasons for this, from economic burden to transition difficult to lower rates of acceptance. One cause not explored in the paper and is a theory of mine has to do with time removed from the learned material- the longer it's been since you've studied a subject like math, the less sharp and clear it retains in your mind.

To again use Finland as an example, consider that the Finnish university system requires [Entrance exams for acceptance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matriculation_exam_(Finland). If a student is delayed due to his obligatory service, this removes them further from the material, so it's less fresh in their mind.

What do you think?