RALEIGH, N.C. (February 12, 2026) The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal today released a new brief examining the growing gender imbalance in North Carolina’s higher-education system and asking a pressing question: Where are all the men?
The brief analyzes enrollment trends across the University of North Carolina System and the North Carolina Community College System, documenting a decades-long decline in male participation. While women now make up the clear majority of students in postsecondary education, male enrollment has steadily fallen since 1980.
“This brief provides data to go with what we have all seen on today’s campuses” said Jenna Robinson, president of the Martin Center. “Women now outnumber men significantly”
Nationally, women account for nearly two-thirds of student-loan debt and dominate many of the lowest-earning majors, though they also lead in high-demand healthcare fields. North Carolina reflects these broader trends. The decline in male enrollment is not merely a campus statistic; it signals deeper issues in workforce participation, family formation, and long-term economic stability.
“We shouldn’t expect perfect parity between men and women on college campuses. But it’s crucial to understand what’s driving these trends,” said Shannon Watkins, the research and policy fellow at the Martin Center and co-author of the brief.
The brief explores several potential explanations for the enrollment gap. Men may be:
- Opting for alternative career paths
- Disenchanted with education due to a dysfunctional K-12 system
- Skeptical of higher education’s value
The report concludes with several concrete recommendations: end discrimination against men; promote alternative admissions pathways; expand career-oriented options; and return to the use of standardized tests. Taken together, these reforms would strengthen educational pathways and help ensure that higher education serves the needs of all students.
The Issue Brief, Where Are All the Men? A Look at Male vs. Female Postsecondary Enrollment in North Carolina, is available HERE.