Education Department Projects a Widening of the Gender Gap in Higher Education

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education projects a widening of the gender gap in higher education enrollments and degree attainments. The projections show an increase in enrollments by women of 18 percent in the 2011-to-2022 period. During the same timeframe, enrollments in higher education by men are expected to increase by only 9 percent. By the fall of 2022, the Department of Education projects that there will be just over 14 million women in enrolled in higher education compared to about 9.8 million men. That year women will make up 59 percent of total enrollments, according to the projections. The latest actual enrollment count, show women make up 57 percent of total enrollments.

Women are expected to increase their number of bachelor’s degree awards by 22 percent by the 2022-23 academic year. For men, bachelor’s degree awards are projected to increase by 11 percent. In master’s degree awards, the Department of Education projects an increase of 45 percent for women and 22 percent for men.

Men are expected to increase their doctoral degree awards by 26 percent during the 2010-11 to 2022-23 academic years. For women the figure is 22 percent.