Report: Women Are Earning More College Degrees Than Men

Data from the U.S. Department of Education reveals that women are earning far more college degrees than men, according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education revealed that over 57 percent of all bachelor degrees granted in the United States are awarded to females. By 2026, 60 percent of all college degrees will be awarded to females.

The study comes from Mark J. Perry of the American Enterprise Institute, who argues that men have become the “second sex” in higher education as a result of taxpayer-funded women’s centers that claim to promote gender equity.

Now that there’s a huge (and growing) college degree gap in favor of women such that men have become the “second sex” in higher education, maybe it’s time to stop taxpayer funding of hundreds of women’s centers that promote a goal of gender equity that was achieved 35 years ago in higher education, at least in terms of earning college degrees? And perhaps the selective concern about gender imbalances in higher education should be expanded to include greater concern about the new “second sex.” And perhaps the illegal discrimination against men for faculty awards at public universities in Michigan should stop.

Women in the Class of 2017 will earn “141 college degrees at all levels for every 100 men (up from 139 last year),” according to Perry. This equates to a whopping 659,000 college degree gap in favor of women, who will outearn men in every degree type. Women will earn far more associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees than men in 2017.

The Department of Education forecasts that by 2016 women will earn 150 degrees for ever 100 degrees earned by men.

According to The National Bureau of Economic Research, the change has been largely driven by an increase in the number of women who are invested in pursuing professional careers. They argue that the increased availability of contraceptives allowed women to better plan for their futures.

Tom Ciccotta is a libertarian who writes about economics and higher education for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @tciccotta or email him at tciccotta@breitbart.com