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Distribution of Female and Male Students Among Higher-Education Sectors, Fall 1986 to Fall 2016

Almanac 2018

August 19, 2018

In the fall of 2016, there were nearly 30 percent more women than men enrolled in college as compared with about 14 percent more women than men in 1986. Women outnumbered men in every sector in 2016. The share of women was most significantly higher than the share of men at two-year private nonprofit institutions and at two- and four-year for-profit institutions, and the least so at four-year public institutions. Both sexes had more students enrolled at four-year public institutions than in any other sector, even though the share of all male students and of all female students who attended four-year public institutions declined over the 30 years.

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Gender and year	Total enrollment	4-year public	4-year private nonprofit	4-year for-profit	2-year public	2-year private nonprofit	2-year for-profit
Female, 2016	11,201,967	4,779,574	2,324,456	644,101	3,286,630	36,060	131,146
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	42.7%	20.8%	5.7%	29.3%	0.3%	1.2%
Female, 2006	9,732,937	4,226,099	1,985,358	277,514	3,123,174	21,314	99,478
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	43.4%	20.4%	2.9%	32.1%	0.2%	1.0%
Female, 1996	7,744,425	3,584,557	1,552,308	70,354	2,480,426	10,468	46,312
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	46.3%	20.0%	0.9%	32.0%	0.1%	0.6%
Female, 1986	6,323,627	3,059,216	1,234,800	47,620	1,960,150	7,038	14,803
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	48.4%	19.5%	0.8%	31.0%	0.1%	0.2%
Male, 2016	8,625,353	3,948,182	1,702,784	337,532	2,554,892	14,497	67,466
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	45.8%	19.7%	3.9%	29.6%	0.2%	0.8%
Male, 2006	7,261,358	3,335,402	1,465,353	157,812	2,232,350	12,982	57,459
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	45.9%	20.2%	2.2%	30.7%	0.2%	0.8%
Male, 1996	6,060,383	2,944,234	1,241,105	50,699	1,788,297	7,632	28,416
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	48.6%	20.5%	0.8%	29.5%	0.1%	0.5%
Male, 1986	5,540,629	2,804,709	1,182,690	30,399	1,500,700	6,720	15,411
Percentage in each sector	100.0%	50.6%	21.3%	0.5%	27.1%	0.1%	0.3%

Note: Data cover all part- and full-time degree- or certificate-seeking students enrolled at degree-granting institutions in the United States that are eligible to participate in the Title IV federal student-aid program. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data