In fall 2024, women were 57% of US undergraduates, 9.3 million to 7.0 million men, or about 4 women for every 3 men (our arithmetic).
The count covers undergraduates at degree-granting colleges in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). NCES lists its newest collection as provisional, so the fall 2024 figures can still be revised (our inference).
How the gap grew since 1970
In fall 1970, women were 42.3% of US undergraduates. By fall 1980 they were 52.3%, the first year in the table with more women than men; the table skips from 1975 to 1980, so the switch came between those years. Women have been above half in every year shown since. The share was 56.7% in 2010, peaked at 58.0% in 2020 and stood at 57.0% in 2024 (our arithmetic).
| Fall | Women | Men | Women’s share (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,118,942 | 4,249,702 | 42.3% |
| 1975 | 4,422,450 | 5,257,005 | 45.7% |
| 1980 | 5,474,878 | 5,000,177 | 52.3% |
| 2010 | 10,246,145 | 7,836,282 | 56.7% |
| 2020 | 9,219,464 | 6,665,095 | 58.0% |
| 2024 | 9,345,480 | 7,040,237 | 57.0% |
Total undergraduate enrollment fell from 18.1 million in 2010 to 16.4 million in 2024, and women stayed the larger group throughout the years shown (our arithmetic).
Four year and two year colleges
The gap shows up at both kinds of college. In fall 2024, women were 56.8% of undergraduates at four year institutions (6.6 million to 5.0 million men) and 57.5% at two year institutions (2.7 million to 2.0 million men) (our arithmetic). The odds that a randomly chosen US undergraduate is a woman are about 1 in 1.75 (our arithmetic).
Who holds a degree by age 25 to 34?
The gap also shows up in degrees. In 2025, 46.8% of US women ages 25 to 34 held a bachelor’s degree or higher, about 1 in 2.14, against 38.6% of men the same age, about 1 in 2.59 (our arithmetic).
| US adults ages 25 to 34, 2025 | Bachelor’s degree or higher (thousands) | Population (thousands) | Share and odds (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 10,678 | 22,810 | 46.8% (1 in 2.14) |
| Men | 8,883 | 23,010 | 38.6% (1 in 2.59) |
These are survey estimates of the civilian population living outside institutions, and the Census Bureau publishes a margin of error for each one.
What the numbers do not say
The NCES table counts students by sex; it does not say why more women enroll. It also counts full time and part time students together, so a head count is not the same as a full course load.
The short version
Women have outnumbered men among US undergraduates since about 1980, and in fall 2024 they were 57% of the total, about 4 for every 3 men (our arithmetic). Among US adults ages 25 to 34, 46.8% of women and 38.6% of men held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2025 (our arithmetic).
Last checked: October 30, 2026, against NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2025 Table 303.70 and the Census Bureau’s Educational Attainment in the United States: 2025 tables. This article was machine-checked against the sources above and has not been expert-reviewed. Spotted an error or a newer public figure? Please tell us on our contact page with the article link and we will review it.
Sources
- S1 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics 2025, Table 303.70: Total undergraduate fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex of student, and control and level of institution: Selected years, 1970 through 2024 (prepared March 2026). https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d25/tables/dt25_303.70.asp Accessed Oct 30, 2026.
- S2 U.S. Census Bureau. Educational Attainment in the United States: 2025, Table 1, All Races (Current Population Survey, 2025 Annual Social and Economic Supplement; published October 28, 2026). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2025/demo/educational-attainment/cps-detailed-tables.html Accessed Oct 30, 2026.