Women Outnumber Men in Undergraduate Enrollment at Michigan Universities

The number of women enrolling at universities and colleges in Michigan, the United States after high school graduation has overtaken the number of men, according to official data.

The latest figures from MI School Data, the official source of Michigan state for pre-K, K-12, postsecondary, and workforce data, show that 69 percent of women in Michigan enroll at higher education institutions across the state one year after completing high school, Erudera.com reports.

According to a report by Bridge Michigan, a Michigan’s news source, experts say this is happening because more men are interested in finding high-paying jobs rather than attending college. Women at many community colleges and public universities in the state account for 60 percent or more of all students pursuing undergraduate degrees.

Data from the US Department of Education’s College shows that women make up 64.1 percent of undergraduate students at the University of Michigan-Flint, one of the top universities in Flint. Moreover, women account for the majority of undergraduates at some other universities in the state as well, including:

• Saginaw Valley State University, where 63.7 percent of undergraduates are women.
• Central Michigan University, where 61.2 percent of undergraduates are women.
• Eastern Michigan University, with 60.1 percent of women.
• Grand Valley State University, with 60 percent of women.

On the other hand, more men are enrolled at Michigan Technological University (70 percent) compared to only 29.5 percent of women. Similarly, at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, men outpace women, accounting for 53.2 percent of undergraduate students.

Among community colleges, women represent about 72 percent of undergraduate students at Kellogg Community College. Differently, at Alpena Community College, men outnumber women in college enrollment after high school graduation.

According to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, universities and colleges in Michigan experienced a decline in enrollment last year, four times sharper than the national average.

The research center revealed that the total number of students in the state was 417,216 in the spring of last year, a decrease of 75,000 from 2019.

The University Research Corridor reported that Michigan universities contributed $23.9 billion to Michigan’s economy in 2023. In its report, URC, an alliance between the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University, said that every dollar invested in these three universities generated a total of 24 dollars for Michigan’s economy.

In the US News & World Report’s list of 2024 Best Colleges in Michigan, the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor ranks among the top universities, with 32,695 undergraduate students and an acceptance rate of 18 percent.