A Historical Summary of Gender Differences in College Enrollment Rates

A half century ago in 1961, only 38 percent of women who graduated from high school went on to enroll in college in the same year that they earned their diploma. For men in 1961, 56 percent went on to enroll in college.

In 1976, the percentage of women high school graduates who enrolled in college in the same year exceeded the rate for men for the first time. For the next two decades the college enrollment rates of men and women fluctuated around 60 percent. Some years the percentage of men enrolling in college was greater than the percentage of women. As late as 1995, the percentage of male high school graduates going on to college was higher than the rate for women high school graduates.

Beginning in 1996, the college enrollment rate for women has exceeded that of men. The largest gap was in 2004. That year 71.5 percent of women high school graduates went on to enroll in college. For men in 2004, the college enrollment rate was 61.4 percent.

The latest year for which data is available is for 2009. That year, 73.8 percent of women who graduated from high school enrolled in college, the highest percentage in history. For men in 2009, the college enrollment rate was 66 percent.