In Australia, Young Women Are Outpacing Young Men in Degree Attainments

Several years ago, the Australian government set a goal that by 2040, 40 percent of all citizens in the 25-to-34 age bracket would be college educated. Women in Australia have already met the goal, 28 years before the target date.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that at the beginning of 2012, 40 percent of all Australian women between the ages of 25 to 34 had obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher. For men, 30 percent of all Australians in this age bracket were college educated. Despite the fact that they trail Australian women, Australian men have made tremendous progress. A decade earlier only 22 percent of Australian men ages 25 to 34 were college educated.