December 4, 2006
AtD Update #8: December 4, 2006 Male Participation and Success at Lone Star College System-Part I
One focus of the Achieving the Dream initiative is to encourage colleges to disaggregate student success data to identify gaps in success between groups based on factors such as gender, ethnicity, income or whether the student is a first generation college student. Lone Star College System is in the early stages of disaggregating data but there is some early information available on differences in gender. This AtD Update, along with the December 11th update will examine participation and success of male students at Lone Star College System.
Women tend to live longer then men and, as a results, the percentage of males within an age group tends to decrease as older and older age groups are considered. So, to determine if a participation gap exists between men and women at Lone Star College System, it important to know three pieces of information: the average age of students at Lone Star College System, the percentage of males found in the general population in that age range and the percentage of males at Lone Star College System.
In Fall 2004 and 2005, the average age of an Lone Star College System student was between 24.5 and 25.6 years (1). The 2005 Lone Star College System CCSSE survey, which did not include dual credit classes, also shows that on average, our students are young since 71 percent of survey respondents indicated they were under 25. For the purposes of this exercise, let's assume that the majority of regular credit students (excluding dual credit) are between the ages of 19 and 29(2).
According to 2000 US Census Data, in the 19-29 age range, the percentage of men to women is about 51 percent male, 49 percent female (3). Therefore, one might expect that the ratio of men to women at Lone Star College System would be similar to the ratio of men to women in the general population in a similar age range. However this is not the case. The actual percentage of men at Lone Star College System has held steady since 2003 at about 39 percent (4) - a significantly lower percentage than the general population.
A logical question to ask next is if other Texas two-year colleges are reporting similar gaps in participation between men and women. The short answer to that question is yes, although the gap appears larger at Lone Star College System.
| College (5) | Austin Community College | Collin County Community College District | Houston Community College District | Lone Star College System | San Jacinto Community College District |
| Average Age (2005) | 25.6 | 25.4 | 27.3 | 24.6 | 24.8 |
| Percent Male (2005) | 43.7% | 43.0% | 41.3% | 39% | 42% |
| College (6) | Prairie View A & M University | Sam Houston State University | Stephen F. Austin University | Texas A&M University | Texas Southern University | University of Houston | University of Houston-DT | University of Texas - Austin |
| Average Age-All (2005) | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 23 |
| Average Age-Undergrads (2005) | 21 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 21 |
| Percent Male (2005) | 38% | 41% | 39% | 52% | 41% | 48% | 41% | 49% |
So where do the men go? One explanation might be that young men tend to go off to four-year institutions while young women tend to start at two-year colleges. However, with a few notable exceptions like UT-Austin, U of H, and Texas A & M, the percentage of males is still significantly lower than the general population and similar to the percentage of males at community colleges.
If young men are not going to college at the same rate as young women, it's natural to wonder why this is the case. Are there factors which contribute to young men being less likely to go to college? For example, do young men consider the opportunity cost of staying out of the workforce for the one, two or four years needed to earn a degree, do not recognize the long-term benefits and thus refuse to forgo that income? Are young minority males less likely to go to college than their White peers?
More germane to our specific discussions within the District is that of why Lone Star College System has one of the lowest percentages of males of the 13 regional public colleges and universities highlighted in this update? Are there strategies which can be implemented to increase the percentage of men attending Lone Star College System? Finally, once male students enroll, what is their rate of success compared to the women at Lone Star College System?
These are hard questions and right now, there is not much direct qualitative or quantitative data to shed light on the answers. There are a few interesting pieces of research (both at the national level and from within Lone Star College System) which provide clues and hints in terms of male enrollment and success and it is these data that will be examined in the next AtD Update.
1. These data include dual credit students and of course these very young students tend to pull the overall average down. Source: http://research.lonestar.edu/iepublish/studp061.pdf .
2. An age range of 19-29 was selected somewhat arbitrarily - partially because of convenience and the fact that a 19-29 age range matches well with the way census data is reported.
3. Source: http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t9/tab01.pdf and http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t9/tab02.pdf
4. Source: http://research.lonestar.edu/iepublish/studp061.pdf
5. Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/PDF/1142.PDF
6. Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/PDF/1223.PDF
The AtD Updates are produced by the Lone Star College System Core Team and distributed to the Lone Star College System community in an effort to inform as well as promote discussions on issues critical to improving student success. Should you have any questions about the information contained in the AtD Updates, need clarification about the data or simple wish to comment please contact Lea Campbell, Director of Student Success Initiatives (832-813-6584, carol.l.campbell@lonestar.edu).