<p>Looking at schools for DD, in passing we noticed a ratio of 64% women to 36% men. I've seen lots of 55/45 and even 60/40, but this was almost 2/3 women. </p>
<p>At what point does this have a noticeable impact on social life? Perhaps to location & size comes into play as well. A skewed ratio might be less of a concern in a big city with other schools in the area (Boston or something). </p>
<p>I agree that the ratio is less of a concern where there are other schools nearby. I would guess this is a LAC.</p>
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At what point does this have a noticeable impact on social life?</p>
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<p>do you mean as far as your DD finding boys to date? It can be a concern when the ratio is skewed towards girls. I don’t know if this is true, but someone once posted here on CC that at schools that are heavily skewed towards girls, there may less straight males. So, if that is true, and finding dates is the issue, then that could be a consideration. My kids went to a school that is about 50/50, so I personally have no experience with this. </p>
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<p>As in, a higher percentage of males are gay than at colleges where the balance isn’t skewed? That sounds like such a weird statement. Was there an explanation?</p>
<p>My daughter has the opposite, about 25% women and 75% male. She really doesn’t notice it at all. Boys have not been lining up at her door, but there are plenty around. When I do notice it is in pictures of groups. There are 3x as many male RA’s as female. The orientation team was mostly male. Group projects? She might be the only female on the team.</p>
<p>^^
I don’t remember the exact theory. Obviously, there are straight & gay males at all schools. If I remember correctly, the person suggested/claimed that the % of straight males is lower (much lower?) at schools where the number of males is lower. I don’t remember the details of the explanation. </p>
<p>Obviously, no one cares about such things if you’re just looking for a social circle of pals, but if you’re a girl looking for boys to date, it would be an issue. </p>
<p>Sexual preference can be a factor as well. A school may have a 2:1 ratio of women to men, but often the more socially relevant ratio is “people of the sex(es) I prefer : people I have to compete with for their attention”.</p>
<p>I’m curious about how a raw female:male ratio that skewed affects in-class behaviors. I suspect it can have a significant effect on classroom dynamics. </p>
<p>There are far more straight men and lesbian women, so the numbers are even more skewed than typically appears.</p>
<p>As someone who attended colleges with a roughly even balance, and then another in the 62/38 range, I’d say that it does matter. The whole tenor of social life was affected by it, to be honest. But people are curiously defensive about it. Say that the numbers mean it’s “paradise for boys” and everyone agrees. But say that they mean it’s “hard on the women” and it doesn’t go down well.</p>
<p>This is a particular concern at schools on the East Coast, where there is in any case a shortage of single men relative to single women.</p>
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In my neck of the woods, the closer a class is to 50/50, the more likely everyone is to be helpful and polite or at least quiet. When the percentage skews male, the guys are more likely to be rude and sexist. When the percentage skews female, the women are more likely to chat.</p>
<p>I should qualify my comments by pointing out that when my classes skew male, it is because they are remedial students, not engineers. So part of that reflects my personal course assignments.</p>
<p>Indeed, I just want her to have a normal social life. “Two girls for every boy” is fine if you’re Jan & Dean, but probably less fun as an 18 y/o young lady. </p>
<p>The school with the 64/36 ratio is Loyola Chicago. </p>
<p>Don’t see why a women-heavy school would be inherently more attractive to gay men, or less attractive to straight men. Indeed, straight men looking for romantic partners may prefer a women-heavy school, if other things are equal. If women-heavy schools seem to have more gay men, it may be due to other features about the schools besides the gender ratio (e.g. academic majors offered, social scene, etc. at each particular school).</p>
<p>I have the same concern for my daughter. All the PA state schools are 60-40 women, or even more skewed. Penn State is more even, but that’s the exception. My daughter is shy to begin with, but would like to have a dating life. </p>
<p>I agree with ucbalumnus, think it is more that some schools with lopsided ratios often have especially strong programs in fields that have historically tended to attract gay men like theater or dance. </p>
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Don’t see why a women-heavy school would be inherently more attractive to gay men, or less attractive to straight men. I</p>
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<p>I am trying to remember what the reason given was. </p>
<p>But after doing some of my own thinking, I would guess that seriously women-heavy schools have less strong Div I male sports, and maybe straight men (on average?) may be more attracted to schools that have big sports? That’s just a guess. (Of course, I am NOT saying that gay men don’t like sports. I know that isn’t true. lol )</p>
<p>Nationwide, 57% of incoming freshmen are female. So 40/60 is basically the norm, not the exception. It has nothing to do with gay vs. straight. </p>
<p>Schools that are 50/50 these days usually have big engineering programs and/or practice affirmative action for guys. The schools think it makes a difference, which is why they consider gender in admissions if they are able to. </p>
<p>Because of ballot initiatives adopted in some states, some state universities are prohibited from practicing AA in admissions on the basis of race or sex. While the focus of those initiatives has usually been race-based preferences, it turns out that another big impact is on the gender balance. </p>
<p>Lots of hypotheses (ADD, military enrollments, crime/jail, K-12 schools not being sympatico with boys) for why boys enroll in college in such low numbers. But that’s a different discussion. </p>
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<p>PSU is even worse? Collegeboard has PSU as men 46 to women 54. Or are you talking about the satellites? </p>
<p>I imagine that if there are opposite-sex dating-opportunity issues, it’s when the numbers get closer to 33 male/ 66 female</p>
<p>Penn State is “MORE EVEN” between males and females. Due to its large engineering program, it is in the minority of colleges that is majority male enrollment. 53% male. That’s the typical pattern. Compare, for example, Va Tech, GA Tech and NC State to UVA, UGA and UNC.</p>
<p>According to these college gals, even 45/55 is problematic.</p>
<p><a href=“On College Campuses, a Shortage of Men - The New York Times”>On College Campuses, a Shortage of Men - The New York Times;
<p>My daughter attends a school with a 66/34 ratio of men to women (strong engineering/tech programs). That said, when I was there for move-in day, there seemed to be a lot of socially delayed/nerdy looking freshmen of both genders but especially young men. Her high school was 60-40 boys but the guys seemed to catch up socially by senior year.</p>
<p>Some schools may have been historically female only, although only Vassar comes to mind at the moment.
But many schools aim for a balance, if the school is really skewed on way or the other I would wonder why.</p>
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<p>But wouldn’t there be other fields that attract gay men that are also male dominated (possibly CS)?</p>