<p>Females make up student majority </p>
<p>Women projected to make up 57 percent of all undergrads by 2013, up from 42 percent in 1970 </p>
<p>By Sarah Breger </p>
<p>March 23, 2005 </p>
<p>Female students now represent the majority of undergraduate students in the United States, according to a report released this month by the National Center for Education Statistics. </p>
<p>According to the report, women made up 56 percent of all undergraduates in 2001 -- a marked increase from 42 percent in 1970. </p>
<p>Projections to 2013 indicate that female undergraduate enrollment will increase to 8.9 million, or 57 percent of the undergraduate population. </p>
<p>Barbara Gault, director of research at the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, said the information in the report is not surprising. </p>
<p>She cited the feminist movement, the entry of women into the labor force over the last four decades and a shift in family earning power as reasons for this significant increase. </p>
<p>However, scholars have been unable to reach a consensus on the reasons behind the trend. </p>
<p>"In 1982, women caught up to men in attaining bachelor's degrees and have been inching ahead ever since," Sociology professor Jerry Jacobs said. </p>
<p>The gender breakdown of Penn's School of Arts and Sciences almost perfectly mirrors the report's findings: Women make up 55.6 percent of the population. </p>
<p>The School of Engineering and Applied Science is 29.6 percent female, above the national average of 20 percent for undergraduate engineering schools. </p>
<p>According to Engineering Director of Academic Affairs Joseph Sun, Penn has a higher percentage of female engineers than most comparable schools because of dual-degree programs and a well-rounded academic experience. </p>
<p>And although the undergraduate Wharton School is 36 percent female, officials say they are crafting initiatives to lure more female applicants. </p>
<p>"The percentage mirrors the number of women who apply to business schools- -- it is significantly less than the number of women who apply to arts and sciences," said Suzanne Depuyt, director of undergraduate student services and administration at the Wharton School. </p>
<p>Many see the issue as not only how many women are enrolled in the University, but also what fields they choose to go into. </p>
<p>Demie Kurz, co-director of the Women's Studies Program, listed business as well as math and science as disciplines that need to open their doors to women. </p>
<p>"It is important to have programs with undergraduates to communicate that all fields are welcoming to women," Kurz said. </p>
<p>"For women to get to top positions in their field is still a challenge," Kurz said, adding that the increased number of female undergraduates could place pressure on faculty to increase female representation. </p>
<p>Gault agreed. "There is an enormous amount of gender disparity in the fields that men and women go into," she said. </p>
<p>"Even though overall, women have caught up in terms of their access to undergraduate education, the next frontier must be to make all frontiers accessible to them," she added. </p>
<p>Tipping the scales </p>
<p>The proportion of female undergraduates has increased. </p>
<ul>
<li><p>1970: 42.3% </p></li>
<li><p>1980: 52.3% </p></li>
<li><p>1990: 55.0% </p></li>
<li><p>2000: 56.1% </p></li>
<li><p>2013: 57.0%* </p></li>
</ul>
<p>*Projected</p>
<p>Source: National Center for Education Statistics</p>