Male to Female Ratios in Colleges
Male to female ratios vary among different colleges and degree programs throughout the United States, but clear trends exist across the nation. Gender ratios in higher education affect both life in college and the workforce. They also reflect current differences in male and female attitudes toward education, employment and finance.
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Nationally
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Women outnumber men on the campuses of most U.S. colleges and universities. During 2006, female students made up 59 percent of graduate school attendees and 56 percent of other college students, according to the Census Bureau. Some two- and four-year colleges now have as many as 60 or 70 percent female students. In every age range except for 65 and up, more women go to college than men. As of 2006, male to female ratios remained roughly equal among senior citizens attending college.
Exceptions
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This trend does not encompass all colleges and universities in the U.S. For example, about the same number of men and women attend Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Male to female ratios also vary by major and course. Within specific colleges, some courses have many more male or female students. Not as many women take classes associated with science, according to the Population Reference Bureau.
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Reasons
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Various factors influence male to female ratios. More men feel they can find well-paying jobs without a degree, according to Brigham Young University's "Universe" publication. They also don't value the educational techniques used by colleges. The Population Reference Bureau indicates that other potential reasons include weaker high school academic performance among male students and shifts in American values regarding gender. Fewer women now plan to live as homemakers, coinciding with greater acceptance of women in college-educated fields of employment.
History
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The male to female ratio in colleges was much different not so many years ago. Seven out of 10 graduate school students were men in 1971, according to the Census Bureau. The same year, the number of men attending undergraduate universities was 16 percent higher than women. The male to female ratio became equal in 1987, then began to reverse in favor of women. As the economy creates fewer jobs in manufacturing and construction, it remains to be seen whether this trend will persist or gradually change direction.
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References
Resources
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