Differences Between Male and Female graduation rate among U.S. Collegs and Universities - Research Paper Example

Graduations in different colleges and universities in the United States are held on an annual basis for each class that is completing their education. Recent studies have shown that today more women graduate from US colleges as compared to men. Although the number of men enrolling in colleges is significantly higher than that of women, research has shown that only about 2/3 of this number make it to graduation. The rate of women dropping out of school is lower compared to that of their male counterparts and at the end of their four years of study, more women graduate than men.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that around 20,501,000 females hold a bachelor’s degree while only 18,423,000 males have a degree. The percentage of these figures is at 59.9% for women and around 49% for men. The 10% difference is attributed to various factors, which in most cases have favored women more than men (Janet, 136). Studies have shown that today women enrolment in US colleges and universities outpace that of men by a ratio of 1.4 to 1. In his book, The Rise of Women, Thomas DiPrete says that there have been major changes in the educational sector in the US.

The big difference of college enrolment begins at kindergarten level where young girls are said to have better social and behavioral skills that enable them attain good skills. From an early age, girls are said to love school more than boys. They realize the value of good grades and they study more as compared to their male counterparts. On the other hand, boys do not engage themselves so much with school work. By the time they get to college, if they manage to, they are hardly ready for college life, leave alone education.

This makes them to drop out even before completion leaving more girls to graduate (Thomas, 98). At a young age, boys have been taught that they do not need to obey rules set by the society; neither do they need to work hard. This is because traditionally men who dropped out of school were able to get good paying jobs at construction sites, manufacturing industries and travel agencies. They were therefore assured of earning a salary in spite of them having not completed college. However, this is not the case today as jobs are not readily available to people who have not studied (Thomas, 125).

In spite of this, boys go ahead thinking that they can make it through life without an education hence dropping out of college or getting poor grades. Girls on the other hand grow up knowing the value of hard work and accept the fact that they have to put in extra effort in their studies if they want a good paycheck later in life. This drives them to have the desire to go up to college level and attain their degrees. Thomas argues that men are by nature over optimistic of their capabilities. They believe that they can get higher salaries and better jobs compared to women even without an education.

This optimism makes them to pay less attention to their school work. They have poor academic performance and their chances of completing college are lower. Psychologist Judith Kleinfeld says that boys are misinformed and are unaware of the importance of a college degree. Peer pressure and the need to be popular also results in most boys dropping out of school at early ages. With the rise of feminism, girls have learnt that they need to empower themselves and that education is the most powerful tool for motivation and a better middle class life in future.

This of course motivates them to work hard in school and see to it that they