Women Hold an Edge Over Men in College Graduation Rates

New data compiled by the National Collegiate Athletic Association shows a graduation rate of 65 percent for all women students who entered college from 2002 to 2005 and earned their bachelor’s degree within six years at the same institution. For men at these institutions the graduation rate was five points lower at 60 percent.

Asian American women had a graduate rate of 75 percent. The rate for White women stands at 67 percent. For Hispanic women, the graduation rate was 59. Black women had the lowest graduation rate of any ethnic group at 48 percent.

Women student athletes had a graduation rate of 72 percent. This was 15 percentage points higher than the rate for male student athletes. In many cases, student athletes have a high graduation rate than other students due to the fact that because of athletic scholarships student athletes are able to remain in college without have to worry about paying bills for tuition and room and board.