Is Higher Education Male Dominated?
The increasing number of female college students is one of the most important trends in American college enrollments. Six women now outnumber four men. The largest ever gender gap in higher education is now. Yet, college enrollments fell by more than 1.5million students last year. There is clearly a problem. Seventy percent of this drop was due to men. While there are many factors that contribute to this problem, this article will discuss some of the most prominent.
Women’s “chances” of being a professor have increased from 1:21 to 1:12 between 2013-2015 and 2018
While women make up half of the first rung of the academic ladder, they rarely move upward. According to the Higher Educational Authority, women have increased their chances of being appointed as professors from 1:2 in 2013-2015 up to 1:1 in 2018. Although the percentage may seem small, it is still significantly lower than the proportion of males. This discrepancy is explained partly by the ugly small-brained misogyny that still persists in academia. There is no single reason for this disparity, but it is evident that women still have a low representation in senior academic positions.
Although the percentage of women in tenured positions at colleges and universities has increased, this was mainly at the full professor and associate levels. Those at the full professor level hold significant power and influence over internal and external policies at their institutions. They also tend to have more influence on hiring decisions and are considered highly knowledgeable. This can have negative consequences on the gender pay gap.
Study success is influenced by the relationships between males and women
Research has shown that academic achievement is significantly different between male and female students. Male students are perceived as being better at math and science while female students are more skilled at verbal skills. Nevertheless, the differences between male and female students are not primarily due to a difference in their competence. These findings contradict the stereotype that males are more gifted in science and math than females, or simply because they are interested in mathematics more.
These gender differences may be explained by specific social costs that are gender-specific. The study found that male students were subject to higher social costs for their schoolwork than those of female students. These social costs were between 14 and 15% of the standard deviation. These differences could potentially be significant for future studies of educational outcomes. Because of their lower social costs, female students may be more inclined to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports.
85% of women gain ‘positive net lifetime returns’ from higher education compared to only around three quarters of men
A recent study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies demonstrates that 85% of women will receive positive net lifetime returns from their higher education, compared to only about three quarters of men. In fact, men can earn an average of PS110k more than women after completing four years of college. These findings have important implications both for the welfare and well-being of both sexes.
The report also points out that, while women have made significant strides in higher education and academic achievements, their labour market outcomes have not caught up with them. There are many obstacles that women face in the workplace, as well as gender-specific challenges. HEPI and HESA have previously written about gendered data bias in higher education and the challenges faced by female academics.