College gender gap widens: 57% are women

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Yet because of potential conflicts with federal laws created to ensure gender and racial equity, educators "can't target resources to where they see the need," says Deborah Wilds of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which finances college scholarships for underrepresented kids. "You know that the kids least likely to graduate are a particular gender or ethnic background, but then you have to walk a fine line in how you serve them."

Value in. .. equal numbers:

Most of those tracking the issue agree that getting males into the college pipeline is best addressed in elementary and secondary schools.

Even so, the disparities on campuses worry some admissions officials, particularly at liberal arts colleges where gaps are widest.

"We think there's value in having equal numbers," says Jim Bock, admissions dean at Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College. Last year, the school admitted more women than men, but it admitted a greater percentage of the male applicants than female. The student body's male/female breakdown is about 48/52.