The higher ed gender gap is widening, reports Richard Fry for the Pew Research Center. Fewer young men are pursuing degrees, especially at four-year colleges and universities.

College enrollment has been declining for all students over the past decade, he writes, but the fall is steeper for males. “Today, men represent only 42% of students ages 18 to 24 at four-year schools, down from 47% in 2011.”

[There have been expressions of concern over the disparity and its sociological consequences. Women tend to look for economic potential in men for serious consideration of marriage and family life, which means that the narrowing band of male graduates will have more demand and competition — or so the worry goes. But there’s another factor here too, which is that men with good jobs in the trades may not be interested in settling down with women who have boatloads of student debt, even if their income potential is higher than ever. Happiness may eventually only be found in the working classes. — Ed]