Single female students at LSU possibly could look forward to several things after graduation — a good job, economic advancement and being proposed to by a man who probably makes less money than they do.
It is a growing trend in higher education — women are outnumbering men in earning college degrees and therefore may one day outnumber men in professionally advanced careers.
Since 1994, the number of female students at the University has risen from less than 50 percent of the total student body to more than 53 percent as of fall 2002, according to the Office of Budget and Planning. Nationally, females make up 56 percent of the college population, according to a March 3 article in Newsweek.
The numbers are comparable when broken down to undergraduate and graduate enrollment for the same time period at LSU. However, female veterinary students dwarf their male counterparts by a percentage more than two to one.
Women have dominated in earning bachelor’s, master’s and professional degrees from LSU since 1997. Men only have dominated during the same time frame in earning doctoral degrees, comprising 59 percent of the total doctoral degrees awarded in 2001-2002.
Associate Director of Admissions and Recruiting Services Andy Benoit said the gender gap in college population may only reflect the general gender population.
“What most conventional wisdom around the country is saying is that the population of women in the United States outnumbers men,” he said. “Officials in higher education are pointing the finger at that.”
Male students on campus blame the disparity on the belief women are more ambitious than men.
“Girls are more driven than guys are these days,” said construction management junior Matthew Greer.
Mass communication junior Jimmy Dunphy agreed.
“Most males are lazier than girls,” Dunphy said. “Girls just have a better work ethic.”
Sociology senior Anica Beggins offered other possible reasons.
“From my high school, males I graduated with already had jobs or a trade, or they just had no motivation,” she said.
Sociology junior Holly Patrick thinks parents push their daughters more than they do their sons.
“I think parents are more demanding on girls than guys,” she said. “They have higher standards for girls.”
Patrick said her parents taught her to excel because a higher degree was the only path to higher pay.
“We have to work harder than males for the equivalent,” Patrick said.
According to Newsweek, sociologists predict if this trend continues, women will in turn dominate in the professional world, positioning themselves to earn more money than men in general.
Therefore, some single professional women may be forced to marry men who are not as professionally and economically as successful as themselves.
Some male students confessed it would be challenging if their wives were the breadwinners of the family.
“I wouldn’t necessarily like it, but I would deal with it,” Dunphy said. “Although, I feel like I have to be the supporter.”
Greer said he would have a hard time because society expects a man to make more money than his wife.
“I wouldn’t care as long as nobody else knew,” he said.
Finance junior Aysem Oznel said it would not matter to her if her husband earned less money.
“What’s the big deal who’s earning more money?” she said. “Why does that sound awkward for a woman to make more than a man?”
Oznel said a man should be proud of his wife if she attains more success than he does.
“If women and men share the same rights in marriage, why would earning more money mean anything?” she said.
Beggins said as long as her husband was happy with what he was doing, it would not matter if he made less money than her.
“It depends on what his motivation is and why he performed less,” she said. “I’m not looking for someone with eight degrees.”