When it comes to appreciating college, don’t mess with the ladies.
A recent study conducted by a group from the Pew Research Center led by director Paul Taylor found that women see greater value and benefits in their college experiences than men.
Women college graduates are more likely to say their education helped them grow and mature both personally and intellectually, according to the study. The researchers also found that approximately half of female college students rate the value for money spent on higher education as excellent or good as opposed to only 37 percent of men.
“Everything is tilting significantly towards women,” said Jacob L. Vigdor, professor of public policy and economics.
Vigdor noted that in the last few decades the economy has shifted from primarily manufacturing to service industries.
“It’s changed from a male skill set to a female skill set,” Vigdor said. “You have to be able to talk to people and interact and provide good service to people, which is not something that’s normally associated with males.”
Donna Lisker, associate dean of undergraduate education, said the pay gap between men and women has a role in the study’s findings because it leads female students to be more invested in their education.
Lisker said that this study clarifies that women need more education than men to make the same amount of money.
“There are more industries open to men and men don’t necessarily need college degrees for vocational industries,” said senior Rewa Choudhary, chair of Baldwin Scholars and a member of The Chronicle’s independent editorial board. “Women need that Bachelor’s [degree] to be taken seriously, and that aspiration leads women to really value their education.”
Choudhary noted the academic environment provides a place for women to excel.
“I think part of [the reason for women’s satisfaction] is because women are treated as equals in the classroom,” she said. “It’s become very commonplace for women to answer questions and be on top of their work. I’m in [the Pratt School of Engineering] and I’ve always felt treated equally.”
Vigdor also noted the rise in female university faculty may contribute to greater female satisfaction with college.
“There are female role models, which would make a difference,” he said. “I think that gives [female students] a different kind of mentality when looking at what others have pursued for themselves.”
The study also found that women across all racial and ethnic groups are more likely to be college educated.
“These universities 50 years ago were almost entirely white male dominated and it’s almost like they haven’t clued themselves in to the fact that there was competition and these people are setting themselves up for failure,” said Vigdor.
Lisker pointed out that although some of the findings resonate with Duke students, not all the conclusions about college in general may apply to Duke in particular.
“Highly selective colleges like Duke have such a low rate of admittance that all of our students, male and female, are very invested in their experience at Duke,” Lisker said.
Regardless of the dynamic at Duke, Vigdor noted the trends indicated by this study will continue to shape the state of education and the workplace.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see how this all plays out, because the differences among college students today are going to make a huge difference in the next 20 years,” he said.
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