What do US enrollment figures tell us about the college gender gap?
A college-enrollment gap depends on who is counted: undergraduates, graduate students, first-time entrants, or everyone studying part time as well as full time. US enrollment tables let you investigate those differences before deciding what a headline about men and women in higher education really establishes.
Questions you could explore
- How does the comparison change across student groups?
- What additional evidence would be needed to explain a gap rather than describe it?
Start reading
- US National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDSFall 2023 enrollment by sex, enrollment status, and student level
The official fall 2023 table separates undergraduate and graduate enrollment and full-time and part-time status. These are dated counts, not an explanation of why differences arose.
Ready to try your ideas aloud?
Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.