More than half of all college students today are women, a distinct change from the 1970s, the Census Bureau said Tuesday.
Fifty-six percent of college students in 1992 were women, up from 43 percent in 1972, according to a report on school enrollment by demographer Robert Kominski.
“For older women going back to school, it may be a matter of catching up with an opportunity they were denied,” Kominski said. “For younger women who intend to be competitive, it’s a need to have a comparable education to men.”
A census survey found that 39 percent of all college students in 1992 were age 25 or older and 17 percent were 35 or older, up from 9 percent over 35 in 1972.
“Two-thirds of college students over 35 are women,” Kominski said. “Others are starting right up front. Of the students 18 to 24, the usual college ages, 4.4 million are women, 3.9 million are men.”
Among the findings in the survey:
– Seven million children were in nursery school and kindergarten.
– Sixty-five million people were enrolled in schools, from nursery school through college, in October of 1992. About 43 million were in elementary and secondary schools.
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“Children of Baby Boomers are reaching school age,” Kominski points out. “Their numbers may increase future elementary school levels by 1 million within the next five years.”