Men are statistically better than women at some things. (I’d list them but I’m going to stay away from that stereotype rat-trap.)
That said, last year marked the first time that women outstripped men in the number of doctoral degrees earned.
The report done by the Council on Graduate Schools indicated that while the gap is small—women earned 50.4% of doctoral degrees over men—it’s up significantly from 44% in 2000. This is also the last area of education where men had a slight edge. The number of women in academia has skyrocketed over the last decade, with women now holding a 3-to-2 majority in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Doctoral programs were the last holdout for men because, according to the report, women have tended to avoid the rigorous seven-year process due to conflicts with their biological clocks.
“Many women feel they have to choose between having a career in academics and having a family,” said Catherine Hill, director of research at the American Association of University Women.
The distribution of PhDs continues to be spotty, however. Men still hold the majority of doctorates in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences, and they still hold the majority of faculty and administration positions. In fact, women earn less than men at every level of academia according to the American Association of University Professors. Also, for the first time in years, male enrollment in graduate programs has grown at a faster rate than their female counterparts.
“In general, higher education has expanded over the years to meet demand from both women and men,” said Jacqueline E. King from the American Council on Education. “I don’t expect that it’s ever going to be all women.”