College aspirations of men currently or recently enrolled in community college: A descriptive study

Men are underrepresented in higher education enrollment, persistence, and degree completion in the United States today. The gender gap is widest in public community colleges despite their mission to provide open access to students who do not meet the entrance requirements of four-year colleges and universities. This study describes the college aspirations and expectations of men who currently attend or who have recently attended a community college in a large district in the southwestern United States. Using a multimethod approach, quantitative results were obtained from over 1,000 men who responded to the Survey of College Aspirations, an online instrument developed for this study. Qualitative findings were derived from two focus groups comprised of survey respondents, and areas of convergence between the quantitative results and qualitative findings were identified.;While there appeared to be agreement in the literature concerning the decline in college enrollment and degree attainment among men, it was less clear why this phenomenon is occurring. Most survey respondents in the present study aspired to or expected a bachelor's degree when they were in high school. Once in community college, expectations rose to a Master's or higher degree. Despite these high college aspirations and expectations, this study did not find consistent evidence of the college enrollment and persistence behaviors required for degree attainment.;The qualitative phase of this study illuminated the inconsistencies between men's college aspirations and expectations, and their college enrollment and persistence behaviors. Focus group participants described missed opportunities, juvenile indiscretions, and overriding concerns for social acceptance while in high school. These missteps appeared to lead to unexpected decisions to enroll in community college, where most men do not avail themselves of the student success programs and services designed to enhance their academic progress.;This study concludes with recommendations for practice that may assist educators in improving curricula and instructional effectiveness, and in allocating resources to student success programs and services. Recommendations for further research are also provided especially to explore the intersections of gender, race, and class with college aspirations and expectations. The economic and social vitality of our democratic nation depends on the educational attainment of all its citizens. A primary goal of this study was to provide additional insights on the college aspirations and expectations of men in an effort to lessen the gender gap in higher education.