Chart · Education
THE COLLEGE GENDER GAP — 1970 TO 2031
Source: NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 303.70 ·
Total undergraduate fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions by sex · 2023–2031 are projections
The flip: In 1970, men outnumbered women in college by more than 1 million students. Women crossed parity in 1979 and have pulled further ahead every decade since. By 2022, women outnumbered men by 2.25 million — the widest gap on record. Men made up 57% of undergraduates in 1970; today women make up 57%. The trend shows no signs of reversing. By 2031, NCES projects the gap will widen further to 2.6 million.
View
Women
Men
Projected
▲ Women surpassed men in 1979 · Gap has grown every decade since