Gender Gaps in Education: Why Young Women are More Likely to Have a College Degree

In the 20 most economically advanced countries, there is an average 13 percentage point gap between young men and women with a college degree, with young women being more likely to have a degree. In some countries, such as Norway, the gap is even bigger, reaching almost 20 points. This difference in college attainment reflects disparities in earlier schooling. In the past, boys were ahead in math and science while girls were stronger in reading and language, but this is no longer the case. At the age of 15, boys have a five point advantage in math, no significant gap in science, but fall behind girls by 30 points in reading and language. However, the gender gap in education is not uniform among all boys and men, as their socioeconomic status plays a role. Boys from poorer and middle-class households are less likely to attend college compared to girls from the same background, but this gap is smaller among those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. The gender gaps in elite communities are also less pronounced, which may contribute to a lack of understanding among the elites about the struggles faced by boys and men in education.