Male Underrepresentation in Higher Learning Education in the US

Male Underrepresentation in Higher Learning Education In the US

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Abstract

In the past few decades, a new trend in institutions of higher education in the US showing that men are underrepresented in institutions of higher education. This problem started in late 1970s when the number of women in these institutions outnumbered men for the first time. The gap has since widened and it is almost reaching two males for every three females in these institutions. It is a worrying trend when a nearly half of the population is disproportionately represented in higher education. While initially this problem was only about the number of students who were schooling by gender when it first started, it has burgeoned into other dimensions on graduation rates, enrollment numbers, and drop-out rates. This has social, cultural and economic implications in the short and long-term. It is a trend that has sparked heated debates in all over the country as scholars and policy makers attempt to understand and find ways to mitigate the problem.

Analysis of data from the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) clearly illustrates the problem. The data has shown that women are consistently graduating at higher rates and numbers than men. Secondly, women enrollment numbers are higher than that of men. There are three women in higher education for every two men. This is a disproportionate observation and is not representative of the country’s demographic landscape. Thirdly, men are dropping at a higher rate than women in higher education learning institutions and this further widens the attainment gap between the two genders.

These problems necessitate a multifaceted and custom-tailored solutions that are anchored in data and forward-thinking implementation model. First, scholars have blamed the underrepresentation on men in institutions of higher learning on ‘smoother’ education journeys for women. The temperament of males and quirky male behavior may be the cause that makes men have a more difficult time in school because they are more likely to land into problems which when not punished and guided well may push them out of the education system. Secondly, societal norms, career shifts and lack of support structures in sharing men’s and women’s educational paths may lead to imbalance in education. It is imperative for the education system to tailor pedagogy on the nuanced differences of students to ensure they do not fall on the way side. Furthermore, new programs need to be designed to assist men in navigating the education system more effectively. These programs take various unconventional forms, such as athletic programs, which significantly appeal to men and result in increased enrollment numbers. A focus on specialized programs targeting disciplines where men are underrepresented, like education. Moreover, there must be custom-tailored approaches aimed to support men who might be seen as 'undisciplined' or characterized as quirky to preventing them from failing in the educational journey. Cumulatively, all these complex strategies can help bridge that education gap and can help create a more equitable learning environment for all genders which translates to balanced education outcomes.

Motivation/Background

The graduation rates, completion and enrollment numbers of student in institutions of higher education in America point to a widening and probably discriminatory environment that has disproportionately affected men. The outcome of higher education in America is skewed for men and the problem has persisted for over four decades. Since 1979, the number of female students in higher education institutions has surpassed that of men and this trend has continued since  (DiPrete & Buchmann, 2013). Today, the graduation rates are skewed two to three in favor of women in terms of higher education outcomes. Women trounce men in every important metric of numbers which hold the key to better education outcomes. Men trounce women in every bad metric such as substance abuse, drop out rate, low completion numbers etc. According to  Parker, 2021), young women are more likely to be enrolled in college today than young men, and among those ages 25 and older, women are more likely than men to have a four-year college degree.

Statistics indicate a clear disparity in enrollment figures. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), women have consistently outnumbered men in college enrollment since the late 1970s, with the gap continuing to widen. By 2020, women accounted for approximately 56% of undergraduate students in the US, while men constituted 44% of the undergraduate population 3 (Liu, et al., 2022). This discrepancy extends to degree attainment, with women consistently earning more bachelor's and advanced degrees than men in recent years. In fall 2021, female students constituted 58 percent of the overall undergraduate enrollment, totaling 8.9 million students, while male students comprised 42 percent, accounting for 6.5 million students. Over the span from 2010 to 2021, male enrollment witnessed a 17 percent decline, dropping from 7.8 million to 6.5 million students, whereas female enrollment experienced a 13 percent decrease, declining from 10.2 million to 8.9 million students  (NCES, 2023).

Several factors contribute to this observed phenomenon. Socioeconomic shifts, evolving societal norms, and educational policies have all played pivotal roles. Women are dominant in the service industries such as education and social sciences. These industries tend to have stiffer competitions that compels the people who choose to enroll in them to upskill to get promotions and in some cases even getting the education in the first place. There is a healthy competition among people in these industries to upskill. This has been aided by a plethora of institutions that have been offering their course online and on flexible terms. Since most of the education is theory based and relatively ease to administer virtually, it has led to many people choosing them to upskill. Compared to areas where men enroll in higher numbers such as engineering and manufacturing where hand-on pedagogy is preferred, the service industry tends to lead to higher numbers of women in the long run. It is not a very visible trend but its effects stack up by the time individuals reach retirement age. Men who took more hand-on courses are likely to have upskilled because their experience had continued to serve them in their workplace while women who took social sciences may have upskilled severally in her career (Eureopean Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), 2017). Consider the case of a male plumber and a female psychologist, it is likely the psychologist upskilled in the course of her career than a male plumber.

Secondly, changing perceptions of gender roles and societal expectations have influenced career choices for both genders. Studies have shown that as societies become more egalitarian, the educational choices differ more. Therefore, as the American society has become more egalitarian in the last few decades (not perfect egalitarianism) but relatively more egalitarian, then their choices may have become more pronounced(Eriksson, et al., 2020). More women may have become supported to and encouraged to pursue the fields they are interested in and which could have led to higher completion and graduation rates. The workplace has also encouraged balanced gender representation that has prompted girls to upskill to take up those opportunities. There have been other nuanced but important cultural effects such media representation of learned women such that girls found better role models to ‘escape’ the woes they probably saw in their parents especially if their mothers were not educated. Some women