The Large Gender Gap in Degree Attainments in the United States

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education offers data on degrees earned during the 2016-17 academic year at Title IV institutions. Title IV educational institutions are those that have qualified to participate in federal financial aid programs for postsecondary education.

In the 2016-17 academic year, women earned 1,994,940 degree awards from four-year institutions. They accounted for 58.1 percent of all degrees awarded that year. Women earned 728,358 awards from two-year institutions. They accounted for 57.4 percent of all degrees awarded by two-year institutions.

During the 2016-17 academic year, women earned 1,119,987 bachelor’s degrees. This was 57.3 percent of all bachelor’s degrees earned that year. Women earned 59.4 percent of all master’s degrees awarded that year, 50.3 percent of all research doctorates and 55.2 percent of all professional practice doctorates.

The full report, Postsecondary Institutions and Cost of Attendance in 2017-18; Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2016-17; and 12-Month Enrollment: 2016-17: First Look (Provisional Data), may be downloaded here.