What’s behind the growing gap between men and women in college completion? (2023)

FAQs

What is the gender gap in college graduation? ›

Some 66.4 percent of all women had earned a degree within six years compared to 60.4 percent of men. The gender gap in graduation rates was slightly higher at private, not-for-profit colleges and universities.

As women increased their labor force participation over time, financial returns to college investment became more important, and more women chose to enter college so as to gain access to more lucrative careers. More generally speaking, there is no reason to expect a perfect gender balance in college.

There are multiple reasons why men are not as likely to attend college, both cultural and economic, but one important reason is concerning: The return on investment for receiving a college degree has declined or turned negative, especially for men.

Women graduate high school and college at higher rates

But this is just one part of the story. Men are also less likely to graduate high school in the first place and less likely to complete college after enrolling.

The gender gap is the difference between women and men as reflected in social, political, intellectual, cultural, or economic attainments or attitudes. The Global Gender Gap Index aims to measure this gap in four key areas: health, education, economics and politics.

Far too many girls, especially those from the poorest families, still face gender discrimination in education, child marriage and pregnancy, sexual violence and unrecognized domestic work. These are some types of gender inequality.

Reasons for College Dropouts

38% of the students drop out of college due to financial shortcomings for their college education. 13% of the students find it hard to fit into the social life at college correctly. The lack of adequate support from the family contributes to 9% of college dropouts.

The largest identifiable causes of the gender wage gap are differences in the occupations and industries where women and men are most likely to work.

The crisis of masculinity relates to the shift in our societal structure that has changed what it means to be masculine. Due to a shift in gender norms and power structures, women now have more independence and professional status and no longer need to fulfill traditional roles.

Why are more people not going to college? ›

Many have turned to hourly jobs or careers that don't require a degree, while others have been deterred by high tuition and the prospect of student debt. What first looked like a pandemic blip has turned into a crisis.

Money matters to students, but so too do stress and uncertainty. Researchers asked participants why they chose not to go to college or finish a degree. Two of their top four responses related to money. More than one-third of respondents, 38%, said they didn't want to take on debt or that college was too expensive.

Women now comprise nearly 60 percent of enrollment in universities and colleges and men just over 40 percent, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports. Fifty years ago, the gender proportions were reversed. This disparity grew wider when the pandemic descended.

This is not always possible, but admissions officers at top schools do their best. This tends to make admissions more difficult for female applicants. More, and more qualified, women apply to top colleges than men. While this is not the case at all colleges, it is true of admissions as a whole.

Some studies cite gender differences, suggesting that males are more likely than females to both drop out of high school before receiving a diploma, as well as report completing eight or fewer years of schooling (Sum & Harrington, 2003).

Consequences of inadequate gender data are dire: social and economic policies are less impactful, opportunities to improve project design are missed, and a blind eye is turned to stubborn inequalities in gendered social and economic realities.

Trans and gender diverse people may feel forced to hide their gender identity when using services, at school or at work. They are at greater risk of mental illness, verbal and physical abuse and social exclusion.

While globally gaps have narrowed, in low-income countries, gender gaps in schooling are the largest. Girls' enrollment in primary school in low-income countries is 78%, compared to the world average of 88%, and only 31% in secondary school, compared to the global average of 66%.

Gender inequality in education likely affects education indirectly, through different channels such as by lowering the fertility rate, increasing the life span of the population, and increasing social cohesion. However, one possible channel that has not been widely explored is educational outcomes.

What is an example of gender inequality in education? ›

For example, comments that girls are not as good at math as boys. Being called derogatory names related to your sexual orientation. Being misgendered by classmates or teachers. Being told by a teacher that they expect more (or less) of you because you are a girl, boy, or nonbinary person.

New York City has more than 200,000 more single women than men; Atlanta 95,000 more; Washington, D.C. 63,000 more; Philadelphia nearly 60,000 more. The pattern continues for Baltimore and Miami. Meanwhile, the opposite is true out West, where the absolute numbers favor heterosexual single women.

Some students say the answer to “What's your number?” is not a deal-breaker. A 20-year study of over 5,000 college students cited in The Huffington Post from July 2014 found that the average number of sexual partners for students age 18-24 is 3 to 4 partners. The study was conducted from 1990-2010.

Students who major in computer science tend to have the highest dropout rate, followed by advertising and agriculture majors. College is a significant investment, and selecting the right major can aid in your success.

Computer sciences and business and administrative studies are among the degree subjects with the highest drop-out rates; with around nine per cent of students dropping out by their second year.

While the gender pay gap has not changed much in the last two decades, it has narrowed considerably when looking at the longer term, both among all workers ages 16 and older and among those ages 25 to 34. The estimated 18-cent gender pay gap among all workers in 2022 was down from 35 cents in 1982.

The motherhood penalty is a term describing career problems women face after having a child. It's based on biased, stereotypical views of mothers, like the notion that they're less productive. The motherhood penalty affects wages, mothers' ability to get hired, evaluations, and promotions.

Why is masculinity declining? ›

Due to rapid social, economic and political change, many aspects of the traditional male sex role have been rendered increasingly dysfunctional and obsolete. This has led to a period of destabilisation in traditional gender roles and relationships, prompting sex role strain and a contemporary 'crisis of masculinity'.

The term toxic masculinity originated in the mythopoetic men's movement of the 1980s and 1990s. It later found wide use in both academic and popular writing. Popular and media discussions in the 2010s have used the term to refer to traditional and stereotypical norms of masculinity and manhood.

Results suggest that red, orange, blue, black, and white are perceived as more masculine (than feminine), and that high levels of brightness tend to increase femininity—a result that was significant for the hue purple.

According to data released Thursday, Feb. 2, U.S. colleges and universities saw a drop of just 94,000 undergraduate students, or 0.6%, between the fall of 2021 and 2022. This follows a historic decline that began in the fall of 2020; over two years, more than 1 million fewer students enrolled in college.

Together, these factors–the increases in selectivity, the focus on rankings, the intensified stress on test scores, the lack of clarity around each school's enrollment priorities–has made the college admissions landscape feel treacherous, littered with obstacles to potentially thwart applicants' aspirations.

Part of the reason is that students on average are collectively taking fewer classes. In the last two years, students began taking . 4 fewer units a term. That may seem insignificant, but with more than 400,000 students, that fraction of a change means the equivalent of 8,000 fewer full-time students enrolled.

Only 9% of those who attended a public institution wish they had not gone to college, the Federal Reserve survey found. Those numbers were slightly higher for those who went to private for-profit schools — 14% said they would not have attended college in hindsight.

While college is a good option for many people, it isn't for everyone — and not going to a four year college doesn't mean you can't have a meaningful career. More people than ever before have a college degree, but a four-year program isn't the only way to be successful.

While high school dropout rates are decreasing, the United States experiences a daunting 40% college dropout rate every year. With only 41% of students graduating after four years without delay, American universities tend to pale at the scale of this recurring issue (ThinkImpact, 2021).

The Voyers based their results on a meta-analysis of 369 studies involving the academic grades of over one million boys and girls from 30 different nations. The findings are unquestionably robust: Girls earn higher grades in every subject, including the science-related fields where boys are thought to surpass them.

Which gender is most competitive? ›

Research suggests that men are more competitive than women. This gender difference appears in childhood, as evidenced by the playtime activities that girls and boys choose, and increases through puberty and adulthood.

Young women are more likely to be enrolled in college today than young men, and among those ages 25 and older, women are more likely than men to have a four-year college degree. The gap in college completion is even wider among younger adults ages 25 to 34.

Fifty-four percent of students are female, 44% are male, less than 1% are non-binary. The gender of 2% of students is unknown. Approximately half of California community college students are traditional aged (24 years old or younger) and half are adult students (25 years old or older).

“Single-gender schools can establish more relaxed environments [and] less gender stereotyping, and courses can be tailored to student needs and interests.”

The Bottom Line on Gender Inequality and Schools

Consciously or unconsciously, today's teachers treat boys and girls differently in classrooms. Boys are given more opportunities than girls. Disparities in gender influence the development of children, and this negative impact continues to grow with the children.

The number of women attending college increased in the 1960s and accelerated in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1994, the sex ratio was balanced at 50-50. In the almost 30 years since, the gap has widened in the opposite direction. Today there are about 40 men for every 60 women on many college campuses.

It was during this year that, for the first time in history, the number of women outnumbered the number of men on American college campuses. Since that moment, this trend has only continued to increase, with the gender ratio on campuses nationwide approaching 60 women for every 40 men.

What percent of college students take a gap year? ›

And few do: a recent study by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at UCLA found that only 3% of American students take a year off before heading to college. In Europe and Commonwealth countries, however, the “gap year” has been a well-established tradition since at least the 1960s.

Harvard Demographics Gender

At Harvard, there are approximately 15,882 female students, making up approximately 50.5% of the student body, and 14,509 male students, making up approximately 49.5%.

In fall 2020, female students made up 58 percent of total undergraduate enrollment (9.2 million students), and male students made up 42 percent (6.7 million students). Enrollment patterns for female and male students exhibited similar trends between 2009 and 2019.

Research Analyst - Center on Children and Families

The education gender gap emerges well before college, however: girls are more likely to graduate high school on time and perform substantially better on standardized reading tests than boys (and about as well in math).

Male persistence in higher education is a major issue — men are 20% more likely to drop out of college than women. Considering the fact that 40% of students in general drop out of college every year, that 20% increase is quite a significant factor.

Gap years are meant to give students a break from academics. It's usually a time to discover yourself and consider what kind of education and career you want to pursue. A gap year can take many forms. For example, you could work a job, complete an internship, volunteer, or travel.

Is it harder to go to college after a gap year? ›

Taking a gap year before college (or university) won't affect your admission chances if you use your experience wisely. Make sure you understand when and how to mention your gap year when applying for college.

Up from the last two years, just over 9 percent of students reported taking a gap year before beginning their studies.