Women Outpacing Men in Initial College Enrollment Rates

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has issued new data on the educational and employment status of 2011 high school graduates. The statistics show that of the 1,474,000 women high school graduates in 2011, 1,065,000, or 72.3 percent, were enrolled in college by October 2011. For male high school graduates in 2011, 64.6 percent were enrolled in college.

The data also showed that for the 1,065,000 women high school graduates who were enrolled in college, 370,000, or 34.8 percent, also were employed. For 2011 male high school graduates who were enrolled in college, 26.3 percent were employed.

For those 2011 high school graduates not enrolled in college, 30.4 percent of women were looking for work but could not find jobs. For men, the unemployment rate for 2011 high school graduates not enrolled in college was 35.4 percent.