What Happens to Women College Graduates After They Get Their Degree?

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education examines the status one year later of students who earned a bachelor’s degree in the 2015-16 academic year. Some of the data is broken down by gender.

The data showed that 26.6 percent of women students had applied to graduate school before completing their bachelor’s degree program. Only 21.3 percent of men had done so. Some 24.8 percent of women had enrolled in some type of postbaccalaureate degree or certificate program within 12 months of earning their bachelor’s degree. For men, 21.3 had enrolled in a postbaccalaureate program.

For women the most popular postbaccalaureate field of study was healthcare. For men, business was the most popular.

More than 65 percent of women students took out loans to pay for their postbaccalaureate programs compared to 59.9 percent of men.

Nearly 91 percent of women held at least one job in the 12 months after receiving their bachelor’s degree compared to 89.7 percent of men. Just over 35 percent of women held a salaried job compared to 45.2 percent of men. The median income for women who held a full-time job was $33,900 compared to $38,000 for men.

Women were more likely than men to report that due to their financial situation they were:

1. More likely to take a job rather than pursue additional education.

2. More likely to take a less desirable job.

3. More likely to take a job outside of their field of study.

4. More likely to work longer hours than they desired.

The full report, One Year After a Bachelor’s Degree: A Profile of 2015–16 Graduates, may be downloaded by clicking here.