The Huge Gender Gap at the U.S. Service Academies

According to the U.S. Department of Education women made up 56.8 percent of the all undergraduate enrollments in degree-granting institutions nationwide in 2009. But there is one group of undergraduate institutions where women continue to make up a very small share of the total enrollments. This is the U.S. service academies.

At both the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, in 2009 women were just 20 percent of the total enrollments. At the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, women were even more scarce. Women made up just 15 percent of the total enrollments.

At the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, women do slightly better. There, in 2009 women were 27 percent of the total enrollments.