The Fact
U.S. colleges and universities awarded 2,015,035 bachelor's degrees in 2021–22. Men received 835,316, about 41%, while women received 1,179,719, about 59%.
What This Means
The education gap is no longer simply a story about girls being kept out of higher education. At the bachelor's-degree level, men are now the clear minority of graduates. That affects who enters credential-gated careers, professional pipelines and the earnings paths attached to them.
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, Table 318.30, academic year 2021–22.