Where Are All the Men? - male vs. female postsecondary enrollment in North Carolina

Oct 15, 2026

Policy brief analyzing male underenrollment compared with female enrollment in postsecondary education, with a focus on North Carolina. Executive findings show women make up the majority of college students and carry two-thirds of all student-loan debt, while men’s share has declined notably since 1980 across both University of North Carolina and community college systems. The brief links lower male enrollment to reduced application rates and discusses drivers such as mismatches between degree pathways and career goals, including impacts from K-12 outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

National Landscape

North Carolina's Enrollment Trends

Discussion

POLICY BRIEF # Where Are All the Men?: A look at male vs . female postsecondary enrollment inNorth Carolina by: Jenna A . Robinson and Shannon Watkins ## EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The majority of students sitting in college classrooms today are female. Decades-long efforts to increasefemale representation in academia appear to have worked—perhaps too well. Women carry two-thirds ofall student-loan debt yet often major in the lowest-earning fields. An exception is the healthcareprofessions, in which women also dominate. North Carolina reflects national trends. The proportion ofmale enrollment in both the University of North Carolina System andthe North Carolina CommunityCollege System has significantly decreased since 1980. Fewer men are enrolling in part because fewer men are even applying to college. There are severalexplanations for why this might bethe case. One is that a traditional college degree is not the best fit formen’s career aspirations. Another possibility is that the flawed K-12 system, where boys graduate at lowerrates, is discouraging them from pursuing more education. These and other factors are explored in this brief, followed by concrete recommendations forimprovement. 1 Policy Brief ## NATIONAL LANDSCAPE Data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that, on average, women outnumber men at America’scolleges and universities. NCES reports, “In fall 2021, female students made up 58 percent of total undergraduateenrollment (8.9 million students), and male students made up 42 percent (6.5 million students) .1” Table 1: Total Fall Enrollment in Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions, United States This pattern has been consistent since 1979, when female enrollment first eclipsed male enrollment. The trend hasonly accelerated since then. According to NCES, Between 2010 and 2021, male enrollment decreased by 17 percent (from 7.8 million to 6.5 million students)and female enrollment decreased by 13 percent (from 10.2 million to 8.9 million students). Over this period,male enrollment saw its largest single-year decline in fall 2020 (7 percent), while female enrollment saw itslargest single-year decline in fall 2021 (3 percent). In contrast, between 2021 and 2031, female and maleenrollment are both projected to increase by 9 percent (to 9.7 and 7.1 million students, respectively) .2 1 National Center for EducationDepartment of Education, Instituteprograms/coe/indicator/chb . 2 National Center for EducationDepartment of Education, Instituteprograms/coe/indicator/cha . Statistics. (2022) . Postbaccalaureate Enrollment. Condition of Education. U.S.of Education Sciences. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://nces.ed.gov/ Statistics. (2023) . Undergraduate Enrollment. Condition of Education. U.S.of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://nces.ed.gov/ 2 Policy Brief ## NORTH CAROLINA'S ENROLLMENT TRENDS In both the University of North Carolina and North Carolina Community College Systems, male and femaleenrollment was close to 50-50 in 1980, with women edging out men very narrowly. In absolute terms, both maleand female enrollment have increased since that time. However, by 2023, the proportion of male enrollment atNorth Carolina colleges and universities decreased significantly. Men constituted 41 percent of the undergraduatestudent body in the UNC System and 39 percent of the student body in the NCCC System. This is because morewomen than men enrolled and persisted in North Carolina colleges and universities. In the University of North Carolina System, female undergraduate enrollment increased by 119 percent from 1980to 2023. However, male undergraduate enrollment increased by only 65 percent in the same period. Table 2: Undergraduate Enrollment in the UNC System In the North Carolina Community College System, female enrollment for both degree-seeking and non-degreestudents increased by 220 percent from 1980 to 2023. However, male enrollment increased b

FAQs

What does the brief identify as the main enrollment imbalance in higher education?

Women outnumber men in postsecondary enrollment, and the gap has persisted since at least 1979 and intensified over time. In North Carolina, men’s enrollment shares declined significantly by 2023 in both UNC and community college systems.

How have male and female enrollment trends changed in the United States since 2010?

Between 2010 and 2021, male enrollment decreased by 17% and female enrollment decreased by 13%. The brief also notes that projections through 2031 include increases for both groups.

What reasons does the brief discuss for lower male enrollment and applications?

The brief suggests fewer men are applying to college and explores explanations such as the fit of a traditional degree with career aspirations and potential discouragement from issues in the K-12 system. It also notes alternative high-paying pathways such as trades, apprenticeships, and the military.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Maya Linwood