I analyzed and plotted the latest projections for degrees conferred from the U.S. Department of Education to show gender related trends. The graph below shows historical and projected data by gender for all degree types (Associated, Bachelors, Masters & Doctoral) from 2000-2015.

Degrees Conferred - 2000 to 2015

More Women than Men Graduating. Older Student Population (25+) Growing faster than the 18-24 Segment

Women have been graduating in greater numbers than men and the percentage of women graduates (shown in green) is continuing to rise.

Another interesting nugget was that the growth rates in enrollment for students aged 25 and older is projected to be significantly higher than for students aged 18-24. by 2018, students aged 25 & older are expected to account for 41% of the total college-enrolled population. (Source: US Dept. of Education – Projections of Education Statistics to 2018)

Potential Implications for Microstock Shoot Planning

I’m sure that most of you are already including men and women in your student & graduation shoots. It may also be worth experimenting with using older models in these shoots given the long-term trends around college enrollment.