The Gender Gap in Australian Higher Education

The federal government in Australia has set a goal to have at least 40 percent of young Australians complete a four-year college degree by the year 2025. It appears that young Australian women have already met the goal.

According to a report in The Australian, nearly 40 percent of Australian women in the 25-to-44 age group during the years 2000 to 2009 completed a four-year college education. The rate for men in the same age group was 25.8 percent. The study found that women had higher enrollment rates, lower dropout rates, and were 50 percent more likely than men to study abroad during their college years.

Officials government data, which includes resident aliens and large numbers of international students, as well as domestic Australians, show that 29.9 percent of men in the 25-to-34 age group complete college compared to 38.5 percent of women.