On most of the nation’s college campuses, the number of African American females out-numbers African American males by nearly two-to-one. However, according to a report released last week by the American Council on Education, the gender gap for Blacks and whites appears to be stabilizing with a slight increase in the number of males enrolling in college.

The only exception is among Hispanics where the percentage of females enrolled in institutions of higher learning continues to grow faster than the number of males.

Currently, among Blacks, 63 percent of college undergraduates are female compared to 37 percent who are male – this represents the largest gender gap among all ethnic and language groups. It remains unclear as to why families appear more likely to send their daughters and not their sons to college.

Another highlight of the study was that despite educational progress by African Americans of both genders, Blacks continue to obtain bachelor degrees at a much lower rate than whites. Indeed, the gap between Blacks and whites is larger today than it was in the 1960s and 1970s.

Gender Equity in Higher Education: 2010 (Item #312188) is available for purchase as a PDF for $20.00 via the ACE web site at www.acenet.edu/genderequity2010. (source: Taylor Media Services)