The Gender Gap in Bachelor’s Degree Awards to African Americans

In the 2004-05 academic year, black women earned 90,312 bachelor’s degrees, almost double the number earned by black men. Black women now earn two thirds of all bachelor’s degrees obtained by African Americans.

Do not be mistaken. Black men, too, have made progress. Over the past decade, the number of bachelor’s degrees earned by black men is up more than 40 percent. But the result pales in comparison to the huge gains posted by black women.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.