State officials say the number of men pursuing public college degrees must increase to catch up with their female counterparts as part of a statewide effort to expand the number of Texans who graduate.
Officials with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board tell the Austin American-Statesman that lower enrollment figures among men impede efforts to have 550,000 young adults earn a post-secondary degree or certificate by 2030.
The board reports that some 62,200 men received degrees from public schools in 2016 compared to 82,700 women.
The gender divide is nothing new on public campuses in Texas. The board says women have comprised at least 56 percent of the population since 2000.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
