Men at risk at college

 "In 1972, when the U.S. government passed the landmark Title IX laws to promote gender equality in education, there was a 12 percentage-point gap in the proportion of bachelor's degrees going to men compared to women. By 1982, the gap had closed. Nobody predicted what happened next: the gap started to widen rapidly in the opposite direction. By 2019, the gender gap in bachelor's awards was wider, at 14 points, than it had been in 1972 — but the other way round."

—Richard V. Reeves, Brookings Institution

This quote captures a startling reversal in educational attainment. Today, women comprise approximately 60% of college students in the United States, while men account for the remaining 40%. Some institutions are actively trying to prevent that ratio from tipping further toward 70/30. The concern isn't just enrollment—it's completion. Men are increasingly at risk of not finishing college.

This trend reminded me of Errol Miller's 1991 book Men at Risk, a prescient analysis of male marginalization and female ascendency. Miller, a Jamaican academic, argued that these shifts stem from a patriarchal social structure that historically concentrated power among a few men while limiting access for many others. Meanwhile, public policy and socialization have positioned women to thrive in the emerging service and information economy. Miller predicted that the 21st century would belong to women in terms of power, and current statistics confirm that forecast.

In the U.S., analysts point to the decline of traditional, male-dominated industries, such as manufacturing, which once offered middle-class wages to high school graduates. The knowledge economy demands higher levels of education and adaptability—traits that women, through both policy support and social conditioning, have increasingly embodied. Some commentators see this as an unintended consequence of gender equality initiatives. But the issue is more complex, shaped by historical democratization and global information flows.

The implications of men's declining college participation ripple across society. Without higher education, male job seekers struggle to compete in a world that increasingly values specialized skills and credentials. This isn't just a college problem—it's a reflection of what's happening in elementary and secondary schools, in families, and in broader cultural norms. And it's not confined to the U.S.; the trend is global.

To understand the current plight of men, we must examine the systems that have long disempowered them. For African American men, institutional racism in the criminal justice system plays a significant role. For lower-income white men, the legacy of the war-industrial complex has created a kind of warrior caste—disadvantaged and often overlooked.

Feminist theory, particularly intersectionality, offers a valuable lens. Patricia Hill Collins describes a "matrix of domination" in which multiple social statuses—race, gender, class—interact to produce compounded disadvantage. Though intersectionality is often applied to women, it can also help explain male disengagement from higher education. While white men of European descent still dominate positions of wealth and power (as evidenced by Forbes' top earners), many men outside that elite group face significant barriers. Addressing male marginalization requires an intersectional approach that considers how gender, race, ethnicity, and class intersect.

This shift may be a characteristic of postindustrial societies and liberal democracies, where higher education has helped level the playing field for women. In patriarchal systems, men historically held labor force advantages. But the rise of the service sector, the demand for cheap labor, and the democratization of work have eroded that monopoly. In the Global South, women's participation in education varies according to the economic structures in place. One question worth exploring is how information and communication technology (ICT) has influenced gender participation. I suspect that ICT has benefited women more, enabling them to pursue education while balancing other responsibilities.

In response, many colleges have launched targeted initiatives aimed at improving the retention and completion rates of minority male students. These programs focus on mentoring, networking, and support—but often fade when funding runs out. The challenge is integrating these efforts into broader institutional strategies. Such programs signal a commitment to equity and help bridge achievement gaps across racial and gender lines—an essential goal for states concerned about the future workforce.

However, solutions must go beyond surface-level interventions. We need to rethink the entire educational structure. A deficit approach—one that frames male students as broken or lacking—can be counterproductive. Instead, an asset-based approach recognizes students' agency and seeks to enhance it. Programs must work both to dismantle disempowering structures and to equip students with tools for success. Colleges must be realistic about what can be achieved in a semester, but they must also be bold in their vision.

It's important to note that framing all men as disadvantaged is politically fraught—especially when gender pay gaps and power imbalances persist. Public attention tends to focus on minority males, not on the broader dynamics of patriarchy. As society continues to democratize, competition between men and women intensifies. The data on male college participation necessitate a closer examination of how policy changes impact different groups of men.

We live in an age of compressed space and accelerated access—where it seems all groups have equal opportunity. But appearances can be deceiving. The balance of power between men and women is shifting, influenced by ICT and the growing value placed on equality. Men's declining participation in higher education is part of that adjustment. Whether it signals the end of male-dominated societies remains to be seen.

References

• Baker, G. (2021). Men fall behind women, and that's a problem. The Times.
• Edin, K. (2019). The Tenuous Attachments of. Journal of Economic Perspectives.
• Gerard, B. (2021). Men fall behind women, and that's a problem. The Times.
• Miller, E. (1991). Men at Risk. Kingston: Jamaica Publishing House LTD.
• Reeves, R., & Smith, E. (2021). The male college crisis extends not only to enrollment but also to completion. Brookings Institution.
• Thompson, D. (2021). Colleges Have a Guy Problem. The Atlantic.