Is the Gender Gap in College Enrollment Influenced by Nonmarital Birth Rates and Father Absence?
Keywords
College enrollment, family structure, father absence, fathers, gender, nonmarital birth rate
Abstract
There is considerable academic and popular concern about the increasing gender gap in higher education enrollment in the United States. Males now constitute just 43% of the postsecondary enrollment. This research focused on nonmarital birth and father absence as predictors of lower levels of college enrollment for boys versus girls. The authors present two studies. In Study 1, using population data on college attendance and nonmarital birth rates, they found a strong positive association between nonmarital birth rates and the gender gap in college enrollment 18 years later. In Study 2, they examined individual-level data on father absence from birth and college enrollment among young adults. The results indicated that males were at greater risk than females of not attending college if they had experienced father absence from birth. Taken together, the 2 studies suggest that changes in family structure may have contributed to the widening gender gap in higher education.
Original Publication Citation
Doherty, W. J., Willoughby, B. J., & Wilde, J., (2016). Is the growing gender gap in college enrollment influenced by nonmarital birth rates and father absence? Family Relations, 65, 263-274.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Doherty, William J.; Willoughby, Brian J.; and Wilde, Jason L., "Is the Gender Gap in College Enrollment Influenced by Nonmarital Birth Rates and Father Absence?" (2015). Faculty Publications. 5144.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/5144
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2015-09-24
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7889
Publisher
Family Relations
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Family Life
Copyright Status
© 2015 National Council on Family Relations
Copyright Use Information
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/