It’s been 75 years since the Census Bureau started collecting statistics on the collegiate life of Americans, and it only took that long for women to go from being wholesale discouraged from attending college to outperforming men in the acquisition of bachelor’s degrees. Men are really struggling with having it all.
A look at census data from 2014 reveals that 29.9 percent of American men held a bachelor’s, compared to 30.2 percent of women. In 2005, 26 percent of women earned a bachelor’s degree while 28.5 percent of men did, meaning women have not only surpassed men in terms of attainment, they have also proven that they’re not eager to slow down. Last year was the first year in history that women outearned men in bachelor’s degrees, and all signs point to it not being the last.
It makes sense — women already outpaced men in college enrollment (black and Latina women, in particular, have made gains) and graduation rates, and have been ahead of them for years when it comes to earning doctoral degrees. Here’s hoping we catch up with equal pay soon as well.
