Girls’ expectations for higher education have risen significantly since the 1980s, while boys’ expectations have remained flat, finds posted online by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The researchers say their findings, out this month, suggest one reason female students are outpacing males in college-going. In the 1980s, seniors of both genders had similar expectations for higher education, but by the 2000s, girls were 8 percentage points more likely to aspire to college. In that same time, girls’ GPAs rose, while boys’ GPAs have stagnated.