Dropping Out

By the time they reach 12 years of age, boys are almost twice as likely as girls to have repeated at least one grade.

  • Boys are more than twice as likely to be suspended from school.
  • Boys are more than three times as likely to be expelled.
  • Boys comprise the majority of permanent high-school dropouts.
  • In 2004, only 43% of college undergraduates were men – a number that is expected to continue to decline as fewer men enter college.
  • In 2001, only 60% of male high school graduates were enrolled in college by October, compared to 64% of female graduates.
  • Once in college, males are more likely to withdraw from or leave school without completing their degree.
  • For every 100 women in America who earn a bachelor’s degree, only 73 men complete the same degree.
  • Women who earn master’s degrees outnumber men by more than 30%.