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Through a Gender Lens

Education

Education plays an important role in an individual’s economic mobility and ability to increase their income [1][2]. Generally, residents with higher levels of education earn more income, and higher levels of education can increase the likelihood that children in low-income families will become higher-earning adults.
However, significant disparities exist in access to opportunities for education [2], particularly for Black and Latinx children [3]. The Forsyth Promise, a local education collaborative, recently released the 2019 Forsyth County Education Report, which provides more details on local education and educational disparities.
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Key Findings

From 2014-2018, Black and Latinx females generally had lower levels of educational attainment than their White counterparts. Most notably, 25% of White females had a bachelors’ degree, compared to 18% and 10% of Black and Latina females, respectively.

Furthermore, an estimated 38% of Latina females had less than a high school diploma compared to 11% and 6% of Black and White females, respectively. Educational attainment is associated with a variety of quality-of-life outcomes, including wages and unemployment.
Females had significantly higher high school graduation rates than males, and females generally had higher levels of education than males; however, males are more likely to earn bachelor’s degrees than females in several fields associated with high-earning occupational categories, such as architecture and engineering.

High School Graduation Rates

The high school graduation rate represents the percentage of students who start high school in ninth grade and graduate four years later; this is considered on-time graduation.

Key Points

Graduation rates have increased over time for both males and females, but females graduate from high school at a higher rate than males.

Data Dashboards

High School Graduation Rates

1-year Estimates

Key Points:

  • Females have significantly higher high school graduation rates than their male peers. In the 2012-2013 academic year, 88% of females graduated from high school compared to 77% of males. In the 2018-2019 school year, 90% of females graduated from high school compared to 83% of males.
  • When looking at racial and ethnic differences in labor force participation rates among females, there is not much variation in the 2018 1-year estimates (between 1-3%). Since the 5-year samples are the averages across each year included, there are significant differences among females from 2014-2018. About 63% of Latina females participated in the labor force during that time period compared to 72% of Black females and 71% of White females.

Data Notes:

1-year Estimates
Key Points
Data Notes
  • Females have significantly higher high school graduation rates than their male peers. In the 2012-2013 academic year, 88% of females graduated from high school compared to 77% of males. In the 2018-2019 school year, 90% of females graduated from high school compared to 83% of males.
  • When looking at racial and ethnic differences in labor force participation rates among females, there is not much variation in the 2018 1-year estimates (between 1-3%). Since the 5-year samples are the averages across each year included, there are significant differences among females from 2014-2018. About 63% of Latina females participated in the labor force during that time period compared to 72% of Black females and 71% of White females.
What is the difference between 1-year and 5-year estimates?

Educational Attainment

Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education completed by someone who is at least 25 years old.

Key Points

In general, females had higher levels of educational attainment compared to males from 2014-2018.
There are racial disparities in educational attainment with more White females having higher educational attainment than Black and Latina females.

Data Dashboards

Highest Level of Educational Attainment

1-year Estimates

5-year Estimates

Key Points:

  • In general, for the period from 2014-2018, females had higher levels of educational attainment than males. Females had higher rates of having both 1) some college or an associate’s degree and 2) a bachelor’s degree, whereas males had higher rates of having less than a high school diploma.
  • Black and Latina females generally had lower levels of educational attainment from 2014-2018. Most notably, 25% of White females had a bachelors’ degree compared to 18% and 10% of Black and Latina females, respectively. An estimated 38% of Latina females had less than a high school diploma compared to 11% and 6% of Black and White females, respectively.
  • Notable changes from the 2006-2010 period to the 2014-2018 period include:
  • an increase in Black females who have some college or an associate’s Degree (31%-35%, respectively), and
  • an increase in White females who have a bachelor’s degree (23% to 25%) and more than a bachelors’ degree (11%-14%).

Data Notes:

1-year Estimates
5-year Estimates
Key Points
Data Notes
  • In general, for the period from 2014-2018, females had higher levels of educational attainment than males. Females had higher rates of having both 1) some college or an associate’s degree and 2) a bachelor’s degree, whereas males had higher rates of having less than a high school diploma.
  • Black and Latina females generally had lower levels of educational attainment from 2014-2018. Most notably, 25% of White females had a bachelors’ degree compared to 18% and 10% of Black and Latina females, respectively. An estimated 38% of Latina females had less than a high school diploma compared to 11% and 6% of Black and White females, respectively.
  • Notable changes from the 2006-2010 period to the 2014-2018 period include:
  • an increase in Black females who have some college or an associate’s Degree (31%-35%, respectively), and
  • an increase in White females who have a bachelor’s degree (23% to 25%) and more than a bachelors’ degree (11%-14%).
What is the difference between 1-year and 5-year estimates?

Bachelor's Degrees by Field of Study

The field of study (or major) that college students choose can significantly affect their post-college job opportunities and, therefore, the economic returns of a college degree. The information presented below reflects the most up-to-date bachelor's degrees conferred in the state of North Carolina that is publicly available.

Key Points

There was a sex gap in the type of bachelor’s degrees that males and females recieved from 2013-2014. There were also differences by race/ethnicity and sex in the kind of degrees earned in that same time period.
More males than females earned a bachelor’s degree in fields that are associated with higher-earning occupational categories in Forsyth County.

Data Dashboards

Degrees Received by Field of Study in North Carolina, 2013-2014

5-year Estimates

Key Points:

  • The percentage of males receiving the following degrees is higher than the percentage of females earning the same degree:
  • agriculture and natural resources
  • architecture and environmental design
  • business and management
  • computer and information sciences
  • engineering
  • mathematics
  • physical sciences
  • public affairs
  • The percentage of females receiving the following degrees is higher than the percentage of males earning the same degree:
  • area studies (interdisciplinary fields pertaining to geographic or cultural areas)
  • biological sciences
  • communications
  • education
  • health professions
  • home economics
  • psychology
  • Among degrees associated with the six occupational fields with the highest median incomes in Forsyth County, a higher percentage of males earned degrees in these fields: architecture and environmental design, business management, computer and information sciences, engineering, mathematics, and physical sciences. A higher percentage of females earned degrees in biological sciences, health professions, and psychology.
  • Among students earning those same degrees associated with higher-earning fields, a higher percentage of Black females earned business and management degrees than White females, and a higher percentage of Black and Latina females earned psychology degrees than White females. A higher percentage of white females earned degrees in health professions, and Black females were the least likely to earn a degree in physical sciences.
  • Degrees in these areas that are received by more male graduates are also degrees in subjects that are associated with some of the occupational categories with the highest median incomes in Forsyth County. 

Data Notes:

  • This data is about the State of North Carolina, not Forsyth County specifically.
  • All of the differences noted in key findings are greater than could likely happen by random chance, but some of the differences displayed in the visualization could be due to random chance.
  • Data in this section comes from the Statistical Abstract of Higher Education in North Carolina, 2014-2015. It is the most current publically-available report. Degrees conferred are from the academic year 2013-2014. The source PDF can be found here: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED586051.pdf
5-year Estimates
Key Points
Data Notes
  • The percentage of males receiving the following degrees is higher than the percentage of females earning the same degree:
  • agriculture and natural resources
  • architecture and environmental design
  • business and management
  • computer and information sciences
  • engineering
  • mathematics
  • physical sciences
  • public affairs
  • The percentage of females receiving the following degrees is higher than the percentage of males earning the same degree:
  • area studies (interdisciplinary fields pertaining to geographic or cultural areas)
  • biological sciences
  • communications
  • education
  • health professions
  • home economics
  • psychology
  • Among degrees associated with the six occupational fields with the highest median incomes in Forsyth County, a higher percentage of males earned degrees in these fields: architecture and environmental design, business management, computer and information sciences, engineering, mathematics, and physical sciences. A higher percentage of females earned degrees in biological sciences, health professions, and psychology.
  • Among students earning those same degrees associated with higher-earning fields, a higher percentage of Black females earned business and management degrees than White females, and a higher percentage of Black and Latina females earned psychology degrees than White females. A higher percentage of white females earned degrees in health professions, and Black females were the least likely to earn a degree in physical sciences.
  • Degrees in these areas that are received by more male graduates are also degrees in subjects that are associated with some of the occupational categories with the highest median incomes in Forsyth County. 
  • This data is about the State of North Carolina, not Forsyth County specifically.
  • All of the differences noted in key findings are greater than could likely happen by random chance, but some of the differences displayed in the visualization could be due to random chance.
  • Data in this section comes from the Statistical Abstract of Higher Education in North Carolina, 2014-2015. It is the most current publically-available report. Degrees conferred are from the academic year 2013-2014. The source PDF can be found here: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED586051.pdf
What is the difference between 1-year and 5-year estimates?

References

  1. Haskins, R. (2016). Education and economic mobility.  The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/02_economic_mobility_sawhill_ch8.pdf
  2. Greenstone, M., Looney, A., Patashnik, J., Yu, M.& The Hamilton Project. (2013). Thirteen economic facts about social mobility and the role of education. The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/research/thirteen-economic-facts-about-social-mobility-and-the-role-of-education/
  3. Darling-Hammond, L. (1998, March 1). Unequal opportunity: race and education. The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/unequal-opportunity-race-and-education/
Through a Gender Lens:
The Economic Security of Women and Girls in Forsyth County, 2020
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