Closing the gender gap in college attendance: Variation by family background in China over time

Abstract

Ample scholarship has noted a global trend in the reversal of the gender gap in college attendance and completion, with women gradually reaching parity or even surpassing men. While the findings are encouraging, this study asks: do all women benefit equally? More specifically, do women from all family backgrounds reach parity with men in college enrollment over time? This question is especially important to address in countries like China that have gone through a rapid process of marketization and changes in gender attitudes. By analyzing nationally representative data from China, the study finds that an overall decrease in gender inequality over time can create a perception of parity while at the same time masking differential experiences of women from different family backgrounds. Only women from socioeconomically advantaged family backgrounds reach parity or surpass men. Moreover, gender inequality becomes more contingent on family background over time such that women's opportunity to access college relative to that of men increasingly depends on their family background. This study makes several notable contributions to understanding and reducing gender inequality in higher education.