History Main / HigherEducationIsForWomen

** A very realistic FlashForward shows Maggie and Lisa at college while Bart works a blue-collar job.

* The ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movies invert this, having Sam go to college in ''[[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and graduate by the events of ''[[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon Dark of the Moon]]'' while Mikaela sticks to manual labor.

When a cast of teenage characters graduate from HighSchool, the girls are more likely to go to university while the boys are more likely to either get a job straight out of the gate, join the military, or at least decide that university is not for them (sometimes briefly attending before dropping out). While there is a RealLife gender split when it comes to higher education -- that is to say, proportionally more women go to university -- in fiction, this trend can come across as heavily exaggerated. Its representation in modern fiction may be a consequence of real-world statistics and common notions in fiction -- perhaps a combination of the belief that female characters [[WomenAreWiser should automatically be smarter]] and that academia is not an appropriately "[[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass manly]]" or "[[GoodIsDumb heroic]]" pursuit for your male protagonist(s).

* ''LightNovel/ListenToMeGirlsIAmYourFather'': In the ''Rojou Kansatsu Kenkyuu Nisshi'' series, Yuuta was tricked into thinking he impregnated Raika and would have to get a job to support her while she furthered her education. Only after signing what he believed to be wedding papers, he realized he actually joined the Street Observation Research Society.

* Very much [[AvertedTrope averted]] by ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', with the only main character below a Master's level of education being [[TheChick Penny]]. Penny does later return to community college, however.

This is an EvolvingTrope as society changes -- a couple of generations ago, the gender ratio would have been reversed; and as late as the 1970s, young women attending further education would have been stereotyped as [[MrsDegree looking out for potential husbands]]. Currently, the sex ratio in universities is lopsidedly female, but there are often differences in the gender percentage of individual majors -- the STEM fields (natural and formal sciences, technology, and engineering fields) are more often than not a [[ChromosomeCasting sausage fest]], but women tend to dominate social sciences, arts, and humanities (also known as social studies), the kinds of fields that are often considered ADegreeInUseless; business fields can swing either way, but tend to lean slightly more towards men. For further analysis of the gender breakdown in scientific study, compare the manner in which HardOnSoftScience is frequently divided up by gender ("hard science" = male, "soft science" = female). That aside, the big exception to this "divide" is medicine and medical studies in general, one of the hard sciences that is dominated by women.

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': The number of confirmed female college-goers/females with doctorates far outnumbers the males. Compare [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo Katherine Hillard]], [[Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue Dana Mitchell, Angela Fairwather]], [[Series/PowerRangersWildForce Alyssa Enrile]], [[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder Hayley Ziktor]], [[Series/PowerRangersSPD Kat Manx]], [[Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive Rose Ortiz]], [[Series/PowerRangersRPM Dr. K]] and [[Series/PowerRangersSamurai Mia Watanabe]] who were all confirmed to either have a higher education, or were explicitly being shipped off to it in the epilogue, to [[Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder Tommy Oliver]] and [[Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive Andrew Hartford]] as two of the few male characters to attend college.

This is an EvolvingTrope as society changes -- a couple of generations ago, the gender ratio would have been reversed; and as late as the 1970s, young women attending further education would have been stereotyped as [[MrsDegree looking out for potential husbands]]. Currently, the sex ratio in universities is lopsidedly female, but there are often differences in the gender percentage of individual majors -- the STEM fields (natural and formal sciences, technology, and engineering fields) are more often than not a [[ChromosomeCasting sausage fest]], but women tend to dominate social sciences, arts, and humanities (also known as social studies), the kinds of fields that are often considered ADegreeInUseless; business fields can swing either way, but tend to lean slightly more towards men. For further analysis of the gender breakdown in scientific study, compare the manner in which HardOnSoftScience is frequently divided up by gender ("hard science" = male, "soft science" = female).

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' by Creator/BrandonSanderson is an interesting example. Alethi culture has very strict gender roles, and among those is that education is seen as an exclusively feminine pursuit. With the exception of the Ardents (a priestly caste that ignores most gender rules), Alethi men can't even read or write.

When a cast of teenage characters graduate from HighSchool, the girls are more likely to go to university while the boys are more likely to either get a job straight out of the gate, join the military, or at least decide that university is not for them (sometimes briefly attending before dropping out). While there is a RealLife gender split when it comes to higher education -- that is to say, proportionally more women go to university -- in fiction, this trend can come across as heavily exaggerated. Its representation in modern fiction may be a consequence of real-world statistics and common notions in fiction -- perhaps a combination of the belief that women characters [[WomenAreWiser should automatically be smarter]] and that academia is not an appropriately "[[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass manly]]" or "[[GoodIsDumb heroic]]" pursuit for your male protagonist(s).

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' is almost a case of GraduationForEveryone (in Daria's grade), with everyone off to college as well. The exception is [[DumbJock Kevin]], who winds up flunking even as his girlfriend [[DumbBlonde Brittany]], none too bright herself, is accepted to exactly one school, which is noted for having [[TheCheerleader one of the country's top cheerleading squads]].

** "Lisa the Simpson" [[ExaggeratedTrope took this to the logical extreme]]: Almost every woman in the extended Simpson family (aunts, nieces, cousins, etc.) had graduated from college, as well as being successful in their careers. Almost every man, however... didn't. Bart and Homer, upon learning this, simply shrug their shoulders and join their uncles, nephews, and cousins in a head-butting contest.
*** Apparently, this is because there is a hereditary gene for extreme stupidity in the Simpson family that only carries down the Y chromosome, meaning all Simpson males are doomed to be idiots at birth.

This is an EvolvingTrope as society changes -- a couple of generations ago, the gender ratio would have been reversed; and as late as the 1970s, young women attending further education would have been stereotyped as [[MrsDegree looking out for potential husbands]]. Currently, the sex ratio in universities is lopsidedly female, but there are often differences in the gender percentage of individual majors -- the STEM fields (natural and formal sciences, technology, and engineering fields) are more often than not a [[ChromosomeCasting sausage fest]], but women tend to dominate social sciences, arts, and humanities (also known as social studies), the kinds of fieldss that are often considered ADegreeInUseless; business fields can swing either way, but tend to lean slightly more towards men. For further analysis of the gender breakdown in scientific study, compare the manner in which HardOnSoftScience is frequently divided up by gender ("hard science" = male, "soft science" = female).

This is an EvolvingTrope as society changes -- a couple of generations ago, the gender ratio would have been reversed; and as late as the 1970s, young women attending further education would have been stereotyped as [[MrsDegree looking out for potential husbands]]. Currently, the sex ratio in universities is lopsidedly female, but there are often differences in the gender percentage of individual majors -- the STEM fields (natural and formal sciences, technology, and engineering fields) are more often than not a [[ChromosomeCasting sausage fest]], but women tend to dominate social sciences, arts, and humanities (also known as social studies); business fields can swing either way, but tend to lean slightly more towards men. For further analysis of the gender breakdown in scientific study, compare the manner in which HardOnSoftScience is frequently divided up by gender ("hard science" = male, "soft science" = female).

Contrast MRSDegree, which is about women getting into higher education not to get an education, but a husband with one, although both this trope and the opposite trope can overlap if the woman wants both an education and a husband, particularly if she didn't have a [[HighSchoolSweethearts High-School Sweetheart]].

* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', education is for women. Jerin's ability to read and write is highly unusual ... not to mention his ability to read thieves' cant. He meets Cullen, whose cousin tries to teach him how to read and write, but Cullen isn't a good pupil as he considers it as waste of time.

* In ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'', only three characters to go on to university: Annie, Ivy and Naomi -- even though Naomi is an indifferent student at best it is never even suggested she might not want to go to university and Ivy likewise was never suggested to be a particularly book smart girl. Another female character (Silver) was all set to go to go but her interview was sabotaged by her rival. Meanwhile, all boys are abandoning their education, even the nerdy Navid.
* Very much [[AvertedTrope averted]] by ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', with the only main character below a Masters level of education being [[TheChick Penny]]. Penny does later return to community college, however.

* On ''Series/FamilyMatters'', this trope was played straight within the Winslow family. Laura was a straight A student and was on her way to become a lawyer, but Eddy was never good in school, and even though he spent a couple of years in College, he would drop out to become a policeman instead. Steve however is an aversion, as he too had always had been a straight A student and was excelling in College.
* ''Series/GilmoreGirls'': Rory Gilmore (page image) and Paris Geller were both accepted into numerous Ivy League schools and Lane also attended college. Meanwhile neither of Rory's ex-boyfriends considered carrying on serious study: Dean dropped out of community college and Jess didn't even graduate high school. Logan did attend college but only because his father forced him to and spent most of his time partying, as did all his male College friends while all of Rory's female suitemates were focused and highly intelligent.

* In ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', Darlene went to college (and in fact got accepted into a writing program earl)y) and Becky wanted to; however, her plans were derailed when she got married. Neither of the two boys who the Conner daughters dated went. David wanted to, but was rejected. Mark, who was shown to be an incredibly gifted mechanic, attempted a local garage management program, but dropped out.

* In ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'', Tarka culture is very prejudiced against males in positions of higher education. This is due to the belief that their male hormones makes them too irrational and emotional to do well at it. Most positions that require long education are instead filled by females, with males being more involved in the military and lower-education jobs.

** It's not just college either, it's grad school and professional programs. Women have earned more [=PhDs=] than men every year since 2008. There are now more women than men in law school (since 2016) and medical school (since 2017). Women make up 80% of attendees in veterinary school and over 60% of attendees of pharmacy in school. Pharmacy, in particular, is considered to be the best career choice for women due to its high pay and the possibility for flexible hours. You can work part-time and still make good money or you can also work from 6-2 and be off by the time your kids get home from school. The gender wage gap (which largely comes from women still bearing the brunt of childcare) is negligible between men and women pharmacists.

* Due to an observed phenomenon in patriarchal societies, this is a trend of attitude that may be likely to continue: work and practices thought of as 'feminine,' like nursing and teaching, tend to be devalued, paid less, and have fewer opportunities for advancement. On the flip side, the more a job is considered "male," the more it is likely to have [[WhenYouComingHomeDad longer hours]], less stability, [[NoOSHACompliance greater health hazards]] and [[MenAreTheExpendableGender a higher tolerance for mortality rates]]. 'Male' areas are given more esteem ''unless'' they are labor work (think ''Series/DirtyJobs''). A woman going into a "man's" field is considered admirable (but may receive unwanted attention), but a man going into a "woman's" field can be considered [[BumblingDad inept]] at best and a [[PedoHunt potential predator at worst]] (but may receive better opportunities and treatment within the field in a phenomenon known as the “glass escalator”). Higher education can also be seen as a good for women due to [[GoGetterGirl social advancement for women]] or for the "benevolent" sexism that [[WomenAreDelicate women are too fragile for trade and labor work and need to be in "protected" office jobs]].
* Since many factory and labor jobs have been outsourced, automated, or become obsolete since the TurnOfTheMillennium and the economy is shifting to computer based, service-based work, economic downturns have been hitting [[https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/1999/mar/wk3/art05.htm?view_full young]] [[https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/gender-gap-reversal working class]] [[https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-get-american-men-working-again-11574436197 men]] far more than young women. Parents may be more eager to send their daughters to school but figure their sons can just go and work a labor job (or [[SignedUpForTheDental or join the Army]]) like their fathers did. Mix high unemployment and lower education rates for young men, high student debt and lower pay for women, and you have young people unable to marry because a young man who can't support his half of the family bills is almost unmarriageable and young women can't get out of the student debt so they can support a family.

* Due to an observed phenomenon in patriarchal societies, this is a trend of attitude that may be likely to continue: work and practices thought of as 'feminine,' like nursing and teaching, tend to be devalued, paid less, and have fewer opportunities for advancement. On the flip side, the more a job is considered "male," the more it is likely to have [[WhenYouComingHomeDad longer hours]], less stability, [[NoOSHACompliance greater health hazards]] and [[MenAreTheExpendableGender a higher tolerance for morality rates]]. 'Male' areas are given more esteem ''unless'' they are labor work (think ''Series/DirtyJobs''). A woman going into a "man's" field is considered admirable (but may receive unwanted attention), but a man going into a "woman's" field can be considered [[BumblingDad inept]] at best and a [[PedoHunt potential predator at worst]] (but may receive better opportunities and treatment within the field in a phenomenon known as the “glass escalator”). Higher education can also be seen as a good for women due to [[GoGetterGirl social advancement for women]] or for the "benevolent" sexism that [[WomenAreDelicate women are too fragile for trade and labor work and need to be in "protected" office jobs]].