There is a lot of debate over the value of a college education. Apart from the intellectual value, recent studies indicate that women in particular, benefit financially over the long haul from a college degree. In a recent op-ed, Laura D. Tyson writes, “The dramatic increase in college education among women is one major reason that the earnings of female workers have increased, that the gap between male and female earnings has fallen and that, in recent recessions, the unemployment rate for women has been lower than the rate for men. Over the last several decades, the real earnings of the median American male worker have stagnated. Indeed, in a widely cited recent report, scholars at the Hamilton Project found that these earnings may have declined significantly. But while the real earnings of the median male worker have stagnated, the real earnings of the median female worker have increased considerably.” http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/women-and-their-wages/
Something to consider when we thinking about the high rates of high school drop outs in NC and about what we can do at ECU to improve our retention of female students. Holly Mathews