Updated Numbers on the Gender Gap in Higher Education Enrollments and Degree Attainments

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education offers preliminary data on enrollments in higher education and the number of degrees earned by students during the 2012-13 academic year.

According to the report, there were 16,179,517 women enrolled in Title IV institutions in the United States. Women made up 57.2 percent of all students at these educational institutions. Title IV institutions are any educational entity that is eligible to participate in federal student financial aid programs.

In the 2012-13 academic year there were 2,262,755 women enrolled in graduate programs. They made up 59.9 percent of all graduate students.

The report also shows that in the 2012-13 academic year, 1,761,510 women earned degrees at four-year Title IV institutions. They made up 58 percent of all students who earned degrees at these institutions that year.

The full report, Postsecondary Institutions and Cost of Attendance in 2013–14; Degrees and Other Awards Conferred, 2012–13; and 12-Month Enrollment, 2012–13, may be downloaded by clicking here.