Reporter Deep Dive: Rethinking How Higher Ed Connects with Male Students
Across the country, colleges are grappling with a steady decline in male enrollment—a trend that’s been building for decades and now poses existential questions for higher education. In this episode of Higher Voltage, Kevin Tyler sits down with Erica Levi Zelinger to discuss her recent reporting on this trend — and what colleges and universities are doing to try to reverse it.
It’s not just a numbers game. As Zelinger explains, it’s a messaging one. Too often, higher ed marketing defaults to outdated masculine stereotypes—or avoids engaging male audiences altogether. The result? Young men feel disconnected, skeptical, and unseen.
The solution? Universities are trying to appeal to young men with stories of purpose, belonging, and transformation and are showcasing career pathways, reflecting diverse male identities, and ditching the clichés. Community colleges and trade schools, Zelinger notes, are already leading the way with targeted messaging that emphasizes contribution over caricature.
The conversation also touches on what happens after enrollment. Retention for male students is another mounting challenge—and one that institutions often fail to address. Programs like the Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative are beginning to move the needle, but much more needs to be done.
Ultimately, the stakes go far beyond enrollment goals. When men disengage from college, the ripple effects can be felt across the workforce, civic life, and community structures. If higher ed hopes to thrive in an era of technological change, demographic cliffs and shifting cultural dynamics, institutions must be willing to pivot.
