School is not cool for a growing number of young people, especially young men. A Pew Research report shows college enrollment continues to decline in America, but the drop is much steeper among men than women. Overall college enrollment among 18-24 year-olds has fallen by about 1.2 million since hitting its peak in 2011. But young men make up about one million of that drop, while women make up only about 200-thousand.
There is no clear reason for the sharper decline in young male college students. However, there was no such gender disparity at two-year colleges, where overall enrollment also declined. One possible explanation is that more young men are choosing to attend trade schools or two-year colleges rather than four-year universities. Jean Burk, education expert and CEO of College Prep Genius, can't explain the specific drop in male college students, but notes it is part of an overall decline in college enrollment she has witnessed. "I think the main reason is the cost of college," she tells KTRH. "Higher education costs have really spiraled out of control, and so a lot of young people are saying why do I want to get in debt, why do I want to spend twenty years paying off something I did in four years?
"Kids also need to get better information," she continues. "For instance, there are so many ways to go to college for free, and if people knew and understood that, then they may make some different choices."
Burk also believes changing attitudes and values among young people are driving them away from college. "You've got a group of people nowadays who want quick success," she says. "So they're thinking if I can become an influencer or do something on TikTok, I can make some quick money and I don't need to go to college."
Overall, less than 4-in-10 young men with a high school diploma are now in college, while less than half of young women who graduated from high school (48%) are enrolled in college. And even those who do go to college often don't make it through. "High school is not preparing kids for college," says Burk. "I think a lot of kids probably should take a gap year, because of the students who do enroll in college, two-thirds of them will drop out."
Photo: Dorwart, Mike (uploader)