Hey! I'm writing an essay comparing college major choices amongst different genders. Any reputable source or articles on what are the most common majors chosen by different genders? Your help is appreciated!
Absolutely! The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects yearly data on the number of degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, broken down by a variety of demographic factors, including gender. This data is publicly accessible and generally highly regarded as reliable and valid.
According to the NCES data for the 2018-2019 academic year (the most recent complete year of data available), the five most popular fields for women to major in were Health Professions and Related Programs, Business, Education, Social Sciences, and Psychology. For men, the five most popular majors were Business, Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences, Health Professions and Related Programs, and Social Sciences.
It's worth noting that while certain fields do tend to be dominated by one gender over the other, these trends are not absolute. The number of women in STEM fields especially has been increasing. There's also considerable variation within broader fields. For example, within the Business major, more men tend to concentrate in Finance, whereas more women tend to major in Marketing.
Remember exactly what this data means: it reflects the choices of people who choose to go to college, and within that, the people who choose and are able to declare a major. Other demographic factors, like socioeconomic status and race, can also significantly impact major choice, so consider that it's not only about gender.
Good luck with your essay! I hope this gives you a good starting point for your research.
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