According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, data shows women earning 60% of bachelor’s degrees. They are also earning 40% more doctoral degrees than men and almost twice as many master’s degrees, while male college enrollment has fallen nearly four percent since 2020.
It’s important to note that since 2011, enrollment in universities has declined across both men and women. However, while female students’ enrollment has begun stabilizing, male students have about 1.2 million less students enrolling in four-year institutions.
Women enroll in college at higher rates, complete degrees at higher rates and drop out less often. It is fantastic to see that majors are being diversified and women are taking up the challenge to enter male dominated fields. However, it’s important to note that when looking at the statistics this change of ratio between men and women in these fields is heavily connected to the fact that men are actively choosing to no longer go to college.
This is concerning because it shows how the education system in the U.S. is not promoting or assisting the future generations in a proper way. It is true that women currently outnumber men in academia but that does not mean the number of women going into higher education has increased from a decade ago.
According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, there are persistent behavioral and developmental differences between males and females. According to the report, men often mature more slowly than women, leading to women spending more time doing homework than men. These behavioral factors, as well as household background and test scores, have led to a proposed idea that this is the root cause of women being more interested in getting into college.
It is clear that men and women learn at different rates. And the U.S. educational system should adapt to this fact to prioritize increasing the number of people who decided to attend college.
Many men are opting out of higher education altogether, often choosing immediate wages over delayed returns. Trades and non-degree careers are valid paths, but they do not replace the need for highly trained professionals. A society needs doctors, lawyers, researchers, psychologists and educators.
Some argue that male underrepresentation threatens universities and the economy. There is no concrete evidence backing up this concern. Even if there was evidence to support this claim, the solution is not to slow women’s progress. The solution should be to re-engage boys and young men earlier, before disengagement becomes permanent. Decades of research show that academic gaps begin in K–12 education, where boys fall behind in reading, behavior metrics and college readiness.
Graduate schools are motivated to increase male enrollment in these programs, with an already threat from the declining enrollment from international students due to the Trump administration.
There is a push to motivate young Americans to believe that college is still a beneficial path that can lead to social mobility. As Lisa Greenhill, chief organizational health officer at the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges whose job is increasing the diversity in veterinary medicine “Women certainly still see education in terms of upward mobility.”
It is a great thing that the number of women entering these competitive industries is increasing every year, however, these statistics are an illusion that makes it sound like more women are getting degrees when in reality the number of women in college
The truth is that women’s educational success strengthens the United States. Advanced degrees are linked to lower unemployment, higher civic engagement, better health outcomes and stronger innovation ecosystems. At a time when the country’s global standing in graduate attainment is slipping, relying on half the population to carry the intellectual load would be reckless.
