Women see more value in college degree than men

When it comes to seeing the value and benefits of earning a college degree, women beat out men, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. Half of the women surveyed with four-year college degrees gave the nation’s higher education system good or high ratings, while only 37 percent of their male counterparts did the same. Women surveyed were also more likely than men to say that college benefited them both intellectually and personally.

The positive sentiment about the college system seen in women comes during a time when there are more females enrolled in college than males. Consequentially, women appear to be graduating at higher rates than men. Last year, a record-breaking 36 percent of women aged 25 to 29 had earned a college degree, compared to 28 percent of their male counterparts.

Another possible reason for college’s positive reviews by women could stem from the study’s findings that the public believes attaining a higher education is more of a requirement for a successful career for women than men.

“While a majority of Americans believe that a college education is necessary in order to get ahead in life these days, the public is somewhat more inclined to see this credential as a necessity for a woman than for a man,” reads the study’s executive summary. “Some 77% of respondents say this about women, while just 68% say it about men.”

The study also unearthed some other interesting differences between the sexes when it comes to perceptions of the merits of a college education and the disparities between males and females when it comes to matriculation. Here are some of those findings, according to the study’s executive summary:

• Women seem to see more benefit in their college education than do men. College-educated women are more likely than their male counterparts to say college was “very useful” in increasing their knowledge and helping them grow intellectually (81% vs. 67%), as well as helping them grow and mature as a person (73% vs. 64%).
• More women than men question the affordability of college. Only 14% of women who graduated from college agree that most people can afford to pay for college these days. This compares with 26% of male college graduates. Large majorities of both women and men say that college is no longer affordable for most people.
• Women who graduated from college are more likely than their male counterparts to report that their parents financed their education. Four-in-ten women say their parents paid for most of their college expenses, compared with 29% of men.
• Public reactions to the changing gender patterns in higher education are mixed. By a ratio of 52% to 7%, Americans say the fact that more women than men are graduating from college is a good thing, rather than a bad thing, for society. However, when presented with the flip side of the story, the public’s enthusiasm disappears. Some 46% of Americans say the fact that fewer men than women are graduating from college is a bad thing, while just 12% say it is a good thing.