Why It Matters
Higher education remains one of the strongest pathways to economic security for women. Degrees and credentials open doors to better-paying jobs, lower unemployment, and greater long-term financial stability. For many women, education is the single biggest factor associated with higher lifetime earnings.
The earnings gains are clear across education levels. For Black women and Hispanic/Latina women, median earnings rise from about $40,000 with a high school diploma to more than $60,000 with a bachelor’s degree.
The gains continue at the graduate level: according to AAUW’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, earning a master’s degree increases median earnings by about 25% for Black women and 24% for Hispanic/Latina women compared with holding a bachelor’s degree.
When women have equitable access to education, they are better positioned to achieve economic security, strengthen their families, and lead in their communities. Education is not only a pathway to opportunity for individual women — it is an investment in a stronger and more equitable society.
Education Should Expand Opportunity — Not Create Barriers
Higher education helps women build careers, increase earnings, and contribute to their communities. Yet too many students face barriers that make it harder to enroll, persist, and graduate. Rising college costs, student debt, inadequate childcare, campus discrimination and harassment, and unequal access to support services continue to limit opportunity for many women, especially student parents, first-generation students, women of color, and students with disabilities.
Student Parents Need More Than Determination to Succeed
More than 4 million college students are raising children while pursuing their education. Student parents are more likely to face financial hardship, stop out before completing a degree, or take longer to graduate. That’s why AAUW supports campus-based childcare programs and other policies that help students balance school, work, and family responsibilities.
Affordability Shapes Who Gets to Earn a Degree
AAUW supports policies that make higher education more affordable, accessible, and equitable. This includes strengthening and expanding the Pell Grant and Federal Work-Study programs, protecting Public Service Loan Forgiveness, supporting affordable repayment options, and preserving access to federal student aid for graduate and professional students. AAUW opposed recent federal graduate student loan caps because they would make advanced degrees less accessible for many women and could disproportionately affect women pursuing careers in public service, health care, education, and research.
Civil Rights Protections Support Student Success
AAUW also supports strong civil rights protections in education. Every student deserves the opportunity to learn in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and violence. We support robust enforcement of Title IX and other civil rights laws, protections for pregnant and parenting students, and policies that ensure all students have the support they need to succeed.
Take Action
There are lots of ways to get involved with AAUW’s work to advance gender equity. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of women and girls.
Sign up for news & updates
Stay connected with AAUW and join our mission to advance gender equity. Sign up for our updates to receive the latest news, events, and opportunities to make an impact in the lives of women and girls.
