The Myth of the Benefits of Single-sex Education

Cherish Weiler

According to a report by the UCLA, female graduates of single-sex schooling are more likely to outperform their “coeducational counterparts.” The report claims that graduates from single-sex schools have greater confidence in their academic potential as they enter college and are more likely to become involved in college activities. While many assume a single-sex education is more beneficial than coeducational education, there is no proof to support these claims. In fact, single-sex education and coeducation are equally beneficial in their own way.

Supporters of single-sex education argue the benefits of such an education are more practical than anything else. Advocates of all-female education claim that women are less likely to be side-tracked by members of the opposite sex. This in turn allows students to focus on academics and become less preoccupied with dating. Many argue that there are biological differences in the way the two genders learn; that is females are evolutionary “wired” in a way that calls for a different type of learning than males. However, these claims lack sufficient evidence. Studies do not show that females do better in single-sex schools than males. Epstein reports that “there is no consensus among psychologists as to the existence of psychological or cognitive differences between the sexes.” The fact of the matter is there is no definitive data that supports the idea that single-sex education is more beneficial for women than coeducation.

While the attendance rates at women’s colleges have declined in recent years, women are still choosing to attend all-female colleges. The decision to experience a single-sex education is a personal one. Perhaps some students flourish more in the single-sex environment, while others thrive in a coed situation. However, students should understand the facts behind the claims made for the benefits of single-sex education before making their decision, namely that there is no definitive research supporting the so-called benefits.