In 1991, 57.6
percent of recent high school male graduates enrolled into college and
67.1 percent of recent high school female graduates enrolled into college.
(2)
Ten years earlier,
54.8 percent of recent high school male graduates enrolled into college
and 53.1 percent of recent high school female graduates enrolled into college.
(2)
In 1997, 54.1
percent of full-time college students were women and 69.3 percent of part-time
students were women. (1)
Enrollment of
women has increased 44 percent in the past 20 years. (5)
By the year 2007,
it is projected that women will make up 55 percent of full-time and 71
percent of part-time college students. (1)
In 1994, 6,371,900
men attended college and 7,906,900 women attended college. (2)
In 1994, 549,600
black men attended college and 898,500 black women attended college. (2)
Receiving degrees:
Women earned 55.
8 percent of all degrees (associate's, bachelor's, master's, first professional,
doctor's) in 1996. (16)
The percent of
all degrees conferred by men has decreased from 65.8 percent in 1960 to
44.2 percent in 1996. (16)
The percent of
associate's degrees awarded to women increased from 43.2 percent in 1970
to 60.4 percent in 1996. (16)
The percent of
bachelor's degrees awarded to women increased from 35.2 percent in 1960
to 55.2 percent in 1996. (16)
The percent of
master's degrees awarded to women increased from 32 percent in 1960 to
55.9 percent in 1996 (16)
The percent of
doctor's degrees awarded to women increased from 10 percent in 1960 to
40 percent in 1996. (16)
The percent of
first professional degree awarded to women increased from 3.6 percent in
1965 to 42 percent in 1996. (16)
Earning bachelor's degrees:
White women get
bachelor's degrees at rates 25 percent higher than men and black women
get bachelor's degrees at rates 70 percent higher than men. (3)
Women receive
their bachelor's degree in four or less years at a rate 10 percent higher
than men. (5)
In 1994, 652,000
women were awarded bachelor's degrees compared to 539,000 men who were
were awarded bachelor's degrees. (2)
In 1992, women
received 52 percent of biological science bachelor's and master's degrees,
67 percent of law bachelor's degrees, 47 percent of business bachelor's
degrees, 47 percent of mathematics bachelor's degrees, and 33 percent of
physical science bachelor's degrees. (6)
In 1990, 62 percent
of all bachelor's degrees awarded to black students were awarded to women.
(2)
Women earning bachelor's degrees by field:
Women received the majority of the degrees in 1996 in the following fields (19):
Ethnic and cultural
studies, 65.7 percent
Biological sciences/life
sciences 52.7 percent
Communications,
58.8 percent
Education, 75.1
percent
English language
and literature/letters, 66 percent
Foreign languages
and literatures, 69.8 percent
Health sciences,
81.6 percent
Home economic,
88.1 percent
Law and legal
studies, 72.9 percent
Liberal/general
studies, 60.6 percent
Library and archival
science, 86.2 percent
Psychology, 73
percent
Public affairs,
78.8 percent
Visual and performing
arts, 59.2
The
largest percent increases seen in the bachelor's degrees women earned between
1971 to 1996 were in the following fields (19):
Agriculture and
natural resources, 4.2 percent to 36.8 percent
Architecture
and environmental design, 11 percent to 36.1 percent
Biological sciences/life
sciences, 29.1 percent to 52.7 percent
Business and
management, 9.1 percent to 48.6 percent
Communications,
35.3 percent to 58.8 percent
Computer and
information sciences, 13.6 percent to 27.5 percent
Engineering,
.8 percent to 16.1 percent
Law and legal
studies, 5 percent to 72.9 percent
Parks and recreation,
34.7 percent to 49.3 percent
Physical sciences,
13.8 percent to 36 percent
Psychology, 44.4
percent to 73 percent
Protective services,
9.2 percent to 38.4 percent
Earning graduate degrees:
In 1994, 220,000
women were awarded master's degrees and 208,000 men were awarded master's
degrees. (2)
In 1995, 40 percent
of doctoral degrees were awarded to women. (6)
Women earned master's degrees in 1996 at the following rates (19):
Agriculture and
natural resources, 42 percent
Architecture
and related programs, 40.9 percent
Biological sciences/life
sciences, 52.9 percent
Business management
and administration services, 52.9 percent
Communications
and technologies, 61.3 percent
Computer and
information sciences, 26.7 percent
Engineering and
engineering technologies, 17.2 percent
Law and legal
studies, 36.4 percent
Mathematics,
38.8 percent
Philosophy, religion
and theology, 39.1 percent
Physical sciences
and sciences technologies, 32.2 percent
Protective services,
36.5 percent
Social sciences,
46.1 percent
Women earned doctor's degrees in 1996 at the following rates (19):
Agriculture and
natural resources, 26.4 percent
Architecture
and related programs, 31.9 percent
Biological sciences/life
sciences, 42 percent
Business management
and administration services, 28.8 percent
Communications
and technologies, 44.9 percent
Computer and
information sciences, 14.5 percent
Engineering and
engineering technologies, 12.5 percent
Law and legal
studies, 35.2 percent
Mathematics,
20.4 percent
Philosophy, religion
and theology, 18.4 percent
Physical sciences
and sciences technologies, 23.1 percent
Protective services,
42.1 percent
Social sciences,
37.8 percent
Enrollment in doctorate programs in science and engineering:
Women almost made
up the majority of science and engineering doctorate students in 1997 with
an enrollment rate of 38.2 percent. (18)
Women comprised
of 18.5 percent of engineering doctorate students in 1997. (18)
About 45 percent
of science doctorate students in 1997 were women. (18)
Women were in
28 percent of physical sciences students, 36.2 percent of environmental
sciences students, 33.7 percent of mathematical sciences students, 26.7
percent of computer sciences students, 38 percent of agricultural sciences
students, 49.5 percent of biological sciences students, 69.4 of psychology
students, and 48.8 percent of social sciences students in 1997. (18)
Women were the
vast majority of health sciences students in 1997 with 74.8 percent of
the students enrolled. (18)
Adult education courses:
About 55 percent
of participants in adult education courses are women. (17)
More women than
men take the course for personal and social reasons, 51 percent of women
and 34 percent of men. (17)
About equal percent
of women and men take the courses to train for a new job, 12 percent versus
10 percent. (17)
More men take
the courses than women for an advance on the job, 60 percent versus 49
percent. (17)
About equal percentage
of men and women take the courses for completing a degree or diploma, 10
percentage versus 9 percent. (17)
Taking advance high school math classes:
More girls take
algebra I, geometry, algebra II, trigonometry, analysis/pre-calculus, and
statistics/probability than boys. (4)
Girls are behind
in calculus and AP calculus compared to boys. However, the difference between
boys and girls in calculus is .3 percent and for AP calculus girls are
behind .4 percent. (4)
15 years ago,
girls were still ahead of boys in algebra I, geometry, and trigonometry.
However girls were behind in algebra II (2.1 percent difference), analysis/pre-calculus
(.6 percent difference), statistics/probability (.2 percent difference),
calculus (1 percent difference), and AP calculus (.2 percent difference).
(4)
Subject testing scores in primary school:
Eighth grade boys
and girls in the United States had similar average scores in both mathematics
and science. The scores in mathematics were 502 for boys and 497
for girls and in science they were 539 for boys and 530 for girls. (8)
Girls have consistently
higher reading scores than boys at all ages; in math, 9 year- old girls
and boys score similarly in math, but in later years, at 13 and 17 years
old, boys scored slightly higher than girls. (9)
In fourth, eighth,
and twelfth grades, girls have significantly higher reading scores than
boys. While the scores of high school seniors were down overall, the decline
was greater for boys than it was for girls. (10)
American College Testing (ACT):
Female high school
students were the majority (57 percent) of ACT test takers in 1998. (14)
The participation
of male high school students in taking ACT has decreased from 52 percent
of test takers in 1970 to 43 percent in 1998. (14)
Male and female
high school students have about the same scores in composite, English,
math, reading and science reasoning in the years 1990 and 1994-1998. (14)
Female high school
students have higher scores in reading, English and composite than male
high school students in 1990 and from 1994-1998. Female scores were less
than one score point higher than male scores. (14)
Female high school
students had scores in math and science reasoning very comparable to male
high school students. Scores by female high school students were no more
1.4 points less than male high school students in the years 1990 and 1994-1998.
(14)
Advanced Placement (AP) testing of high school students:
Female students
in 1998 took more AP tests than male students, 352,171 feamles versus 282,997
males. (15)
More female students
took AP tests in 1998 in the following subjects: art history, art drawing,
general art, biology, english language/composition, English literature/composition,
environmental science, European history, French language, French literature,
German language, U.S. government and politics, international English language,
Latin literature, Spanish literature and U.S. history. (15)
About 12 percent
less female students took the AP test in calculus AB than male students
in 1998, 55,156 female test takers compared to 62,515 male test takers.
(15)
About 25 percent
less female students took the AP test in chemistry than male students in
1998, 19,275 female test takers compared to 25,662 male test takers. (15)
About 28 percent
less female students took the AP test in microeconomics than male students
in 1998, 5,546 female test takers compared 7,697 male test takers. (15)
Advanced students:
Gifted, creative
boys are often held back in the primary years because of "immaturity"--the
inability to socialize with peers who are less developmentally advanced.
(11)
Gifted girls outperform
gifted boys in terms of grades (13)
Technology:
Gender differences
in technology interest are not present when boys and girls have equal levels
of experience with computers. (12)
Special needs students:
72 percent special
needs students in private schools are male. (7)
Sources:
1- American Demographics, October 1997.
2- 116th Edition, Statistical Abstract of The United States (1996), The National Data Book of the U.S. Department of Commerce Statistics Administration.
3- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Degrees and Other Formal Awards Conferred" surveys, and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Completions" surveys. Table 259.--Bachelor's degrees conferred by institutions of higher education, by racial/ethnic group and sex of student: 1976-77 to 1993-94.
4- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "The 1994 High School Transcript Study Tabulations: Comparative Data on Credits Earned and Demographics for 1994, 1990, 1987, and 1982 High School Graduates, 1996."
5- US Census Bureau.
6- "Where Women Stand: An International Report on the Status of Women in 140 Countries 1997-1998" by Naomi Neft and Ann D. Levine.
7- Private Schools in the United States: A Statistical Profile, 1993-94/ Table 2.4, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey: 1993-94.
8- The Condition of Education 1997, Indicator 20, International comparisons of mathematics and science performance of eighth grade students.
9- America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, Federal Interagency Forum on Child & Family Statistics, July 1997.
10- Riley "Disappointed" by Latest Reading Assessment, The 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading: A First Look, from the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics.
11- "How Parents Can Support Gifted Children," Linda Kreger Silverman, Council for Exceptional Children, Reston, Va.
12- Implementation Challenges and Strategies Technology and Education Reform: Technical Research Report - August 1995.
13- "Career Planning for Gifted and Talented Youth" by Barbara Kerr.
14- The ACT Inc., Iowa City, IA, High School Profile Report, annual.
15- The College Board, New York, N.Y., Advanced Placement Program, National Summary Report, 1998.
16- U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, annual.
17- U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, 1995 National Household Education Survey.
18- U.S. National Science Foundation, Survey of Graduate Science Engineering Students and Postdoctorates, annual.
19- U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, annual.
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