YouScience released the second half of its national student survey on Oct. 24.
This report aligns with the recent Post Graduation Readiness Report that showed a decline in high school graduates' interest in going to college. But it also shows how interest in college and confidence in preparedness, exposure and opportunities vary between male and female high school graduates.
YouScience is a technology provider based out of American Fork that works to solve the skills gap crisis for students and employers.
The company also focuses on aptitudes and how those can help students find what they’re good at and will enjoy doing.
“So whenever a student graduates from high school, we throw them out into the world, hopefully, to find the right fit path," Larsen said. "The challenge is that if they haven't been exposed to enough of the industry that's out there any of the different jobs, careers, pathways, the hundreds and hundreds of options that they've got, they don't necessarily take into account all of their different options.”
The gender report found the amount of female graduates pursuing a four-year college degree after high school has decreased from 53% in 2022 to 44% in 2023.
It also showed that male high school graduates showed a higher degree of preparedness when it comes to making a career choice or declaring a major than female graduates.
Larsen said that women currently outnumber men in college enrollments and make up the majority of the college-educated labor force in the country. But despite this, the report shows that many women are now looking for a path different from the four-year university.
According to the survey results, female students have less exposure to a diverse array of career options than their male counterparts.
“If we can get their aptitudes in front of them if they know what they're good at, if they know what's going to bring them joy and how their brains work, then they also will feel confident enough to pursue these different pathways,” Larsen said.
