College enrollment among young Americans has been declining gradually over the past decade. In 2022, the total number of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college was down by approximately 1.2 million from its peak in 2011.
Most of the decline is due to fewer young men pursuing college. About 1 million fewer young men are in college but only 0.2 million fewer young women. As a result, men make up 44% of young college students today, down from 47% in 2011, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.
This shift is driven entirely by the falling share of men who are students at four-year colleges. Today, men represent only 42% of students ages 18 to 24 at four-year schools, down from 47% in 2011.
At two-year colleges, which are largely community colleges, the drop in enrollment has been similar for men and women, so the gender balance has not changed much. Men represent 49% of students ages 18 to 24, up slightly from 48% in 2011.
The decline in young college enrollment since 2011 is not driven by a drop in the overall number of 18- to […]
Somehow I’m inclined to believe this: ever since the GOP came to power in the US, many things have been affected when it comes to needing money. The GOP just hates to spend money on things America knows are important and necessary for the continuation of our country—-a good education, clean air and clean water, housing, medical care, social security. These are all issues that they fight to the teeth to prevent paying for. So now we have the result——our education system is floundering and going down the tubes. Our health care is one of the worst in the civilized world. We have a huge number of homeless people all over America. The GOP is constantly threatened to lower social security and do away with the ACA. And now we have a guy running for president who wants to be a dictator, put those who oppose him in jail, execute top people who disagree with him.
Is this where we want to be as a country? I hope not. If Americans don’t wake and vote for Democrats who actually care about healthcare, education, the environment, and the well-being of Americans, then we will have an dictatorship that rules this country and pushes us further into the ground. Think before you vote!!!!! Who will do the most for you and this wonderful country? Terri Quint
I’m not surprised at all,,, between the MAGA movement, men feeling disenfranchised. I believe many young men are still reeling from the changes that came about in the ongoing shifts with working women. And much of the change is due to technology. Steve Jobs dropped out of college. He enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, in 1972, but he dropped out after just six months. Jobs later explained that he felt the college education he was receiving was too expensive for his working-class parents and that he didn’t see the value in it at that time. The tech world offers more opportunity for higher earners, greater freedom in shaping one’s future. I suspect there are more women who continue to enter the field of education. Men tend to be moe inclined to take risks. One more important factor is that online studies are available for less money. With Zoom students can still have the college experience without having to pay for campus living. There are fields tend to campus studies, such as medicine. I thiink it’s great that online learning is opening the way for many to engage in higher education.