Women outpace men in college enrollment across 130 countries

Women have pulled ahead of men in college enrollment across much of the world, with global female college enrollment rates now 12% higher than those for men, according to World Bank and UNESCO data. Women enroll at higher rates than men in 130 countries, including several major economies. In the U.S., the female enrollment rate is 32% higher than the male rate, compared with 27% in Canada and 25% in France. Across OECD countries, 55% of women ages 25–34 had completed college in 2024, versus 42% of men. However, women still earn about 17% to 18% less than men with the same level of educational attainment.