The Gender Gap in Persistence and Degree Attainment Rates

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education shows gender gaps in persistence rates and degree attainments for students who entered college in the 2011-12 academic years.

The data shows that for all students who entered postsecondary education that year, 10.9 percent earned an associate’s degree and 36.8 percent earned a bachelor’s degree by the spring of 2017. For women students who entered postsecondary education in the 2011-12 academic year, 10.7 percent earned an associate’s degree and 38.6 percent were awarded a bachelor’s degree. For men, 11.1 percent earned an associate’s degree and 34.4 percent earned a bachelor’s degree.

For students who entered a four-year college in the 2011-12 academic year, 61.7 percent of women had been awarded a bachelor’s degree by 2017. For men, the figure was 55.7 percent.

If we look at only those students who enrolled at two-year colleges in the 2011-12 academic year, 14.3 percent of women went on to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. For men who initially enrolled at a two-year college, 10.9 percent went on to earn a bachelor’s degree by 2017.

For those entering women students in the 2011-12 academic year, 11.7 percent were still enrolled in higher education in 2017 but had not earned a degree. The corresponding figures for men was 12.9 percent.

The full report, Persistence, Retention, and Attainment of 2011–12 First-Time Beginning Postsecondary Students as of Spring 2017, can be downloaded here.