From kindergarten to college, girls consistently outperform boys. Boys are fourteen percentage points less likely than girls to be ready for school at age 5. They are three times as likely to be expelled and 50% more likely to drop out of school. Men receive 16 percentage points fewer bachelor’s degrees than women. These statistics are even more stark for Black and Hispanic boys. And while many educational interventions appear to benefit primarily girls,¹ Career and Technical Education (CTE) stands out as a potential solution to address some of these gender gaps. Several rigorous evaluations of CTE programs have found significant benefits for male students, including improved graduation rates, college enrollment, and future earnings.

In the United States, Career and Technical Education (CTE), defined under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V), encompasses a range of technical and career-focused classes. It remains a common fixture in U.S. secondary education, receiving significant attention from policymakers, researchers, and students. At the high school level, this framework includes traditionally male-dominated fields like logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction, but increasingly encompasses education for fields like counseling, health sciences, and hospitality.

CTE takes many forms

Currently, a majority (64%) of Perkins funding goes toward CTE programming at the secondary level, and CTE curricula vary widely in their design and delivery strategies. Overall, 85% of high school graduates in 2019 took at least one CTE course, and approximately 98% of public school districts report offering CTE programs, generally in five main formats:²

• Courses offered at traditional comprehensive high schools,
• Off-campus career or CTE centers that serve an entire district or geographical area,
• “School-within-a-school” programs housed within traditional high schools (e.g., career academies),
• Dedicated CTE high schools, and
• Virtual programming. In 2017, 30% of districts offered online or hybrid CTE programs, and this level may be increasing.³

Figure 1

Because education policies differ by state and locality, the specifics of CTE offerings even within each of these environments vary widely. For example, many programs incorporate career pathways, work-based learning, and on-the-job-training.

Participation in CTE is widespread, but focused engagement is much less common

CTE has been declining in popularity, possibly due to declining real funding from the Perkins Act since 1985 and a related concern over stagnant and declining academic test scores following the publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983 and a subsequent shift in emphasis toward college-preparatory courses.

Out of 17.3 million high schoolers in the 2021-2022 school year, 8.1 million students were CTE Participants (those who take at least one course in a CTE program) and 2.8 million were CTE concentrators (students who complete at least two courses within a single CTE program of study).⁴

In 2013, 81 percent of high school graduates participated in CTE, a decrease from the 88 percent reported in 1992. The decline in the share of students with a CTE concentration has dropped even more sharply: from 1992 to 2013, 2-credit CTE concentrators declined from 51 to 38 percent of all high school graduates, and 3-credits concentrators declined from 27 to 20 percent. Recent research suggests the decline has been driven by decreased course taking in business and traditional vocational fields like manufacturing even as CTE course-taking in growing fields like computer science and healthcare increased over the period from 1992-2013.

Figure 2

Boys participate more

CTE has evolved beyond just the traditional ‘shop’ class, and often includes high-quality programs that cater to students with a range of abilities and interests. Nationwide, however, boys are slightly more likely to take CTE courses during high school than girls. For the 2021-2022 school year, there were 1.5 million male CTE concentrators at the secondary level and 1.3 million female concentrators. Unfortunately, there are no statistics on total male participation in more intensive and dedicated CTE programming that recent research (summarized below) suggests may be particularly beneficial for boys.

There are big gender gaps by subject area, however. Boys concentrate in CTE more, and in programs that align with traditionally male-dominated fields–like manufacturing and construction. Meanwhile, there are several female-dominated fields that have been generating a large percentage of new jobs–like health, human services, and education—that may be worth encouraging men to consider. However, these industries often offer lower pay, and it is unclear whether men’s choices are due to a lack of career knowledge, differing interests, or expectations of higher pay and quicker workforce entry.

Figure 3

CTE works for boys

Several rigorous evaluations of intensive CTE programs have found positive outcomes, especially for male students:

1. A 2008 study on career academies found that male participants earned 17% more over 8 years following graduation. Earnings gains were concentrated among young men, while gains for female students were statistically insignificant. A 2012 re-analysis also found that the earnings benefits were greatest for boys who had the strongest participation.
2.  A 2019 study in North Carolina found that enrollment in an IT Career Academy significantly boosted high school graduation rates for male students by 8%, but not their female counterparts.
3. A 2023 evaluation of New York City’s P-TECH high school program found that boys were 10 percentage points more likely to earn a college degree three years out of high school compared to similar boys not admitted to P-TECH.
4. A 2023 evaluation of Connecticut’s Technical High School System showed several positive effects for male, but not female, students. By comparing those students who scored just below the threshold for admission to those just above, they found a 1.7 percentage point higher 9th grade attendance, a 10 percentage point higher graduation rate, and 32% higher quarterly earnings.

Figure 4

The impacts of CTE course-taking seem to improve with depth of engagement. More intensive programs lead to higher graduation rates and higher earnings. These studies suggest that CTE programs, particularly intensive ones, can have significant benefits for male students. As a recent review by Sabrina Klein and her colleagues at MDRC concludes: “studies demonstrate that while young men have been falling behind young women educationally for decades, participation in CTE pathways and programs seems to be an exception.”

A growing body of evidence, then, suggests an intriguing and consistent pattern: CTE programs, especially with higher levels of concentration or intensity, really help boys.

More research needed

While the evidence for CTE’s positive impact on male students is promising, several key research gaps remain:

1. Data availability and consistency
   Gaps in national-level data and varying state definitions limit our ability to comprehensively assess CTE’s impact across different contexts and student groups. For example, we are not able to tell how many students, including boys, are enrolled in specific types of CTE programs—like career academies—that may be especially helpful.
2. Student decision-making
   More research is needed to understand how boys explore and choose CTE pathways and careers, including the influences on their choices and alignment with labor market demands. This also involves examining workforce and education policies—referred to as “ecosystem influences” by Sara Haviland and Steven Robbins—that affect CTE demand and provision. Understanding these factors is crucial for guiding boys towards promising but less-considered fields.
3. Effectiveness factors
   We need to identify which elements of CTE programs benefit male students, such as hands-on learning, workforce connections, peer groups, or Dual Enrollment credits. Understanding these factors can help design effective CTE programs and improve the overall educational landscape for boys.
4. Teacher and counselor impact
   The role of CTE teachers and guidance counselors in student outcomes is an area that requires further investigation, including how to effectively recruit and train CTE instructors with the appropriate expertise and who may have much higher-paying options in the private sector.
5.  Long-term outcomes
   More longitudinal studies are needed to examine the impact of CTE on long-term outcomes such as wages, job mobility, and adaptability to changing labor market conditions. This is particularly important as technology and globalization drive changes in the demand for particular skills.

Policy Implications

Based on the current evidence and identified research gaps, policymakers should consider the following:

1. Invest in Intensive CTE Programs
   Providing intensive CTE programs, like career academies and technical high schools, is costly but essential. Prioritizing funding for these programs can involve pooling resources across districts, partnering with post-secondary institutions, offering grants to establish new programs, and providing tax incentives for businesses to donate equipment or hire new graduates. Expanding and replicating proven CTE programs will allow us to capitalize on our success and extend CTE’s benefits to more boys.
2. Improve Data Collection and Research
   Establishing standardized definitions and metrics for CTE across states is essential for accurate assessment and improvement. A national database to track CTE enrollment, completion, and long-term outcomes will provide valuable insights. Funding longitudinal studies on CTE impacts and supporting research on how and why specific elements benefit male students can inform more effective educational strategies.
3. Enhance Career Guidance and CTE Integration
   CTE is no longer simply “shop class” or a catch-all for struggling students. Providing professional development and best practices for counselors to better understand and promote a range of CTE options will ensure that students receive accurate and helpful guidance. Promoting dual enrollment programs that allow students to earn college credits through CTE courses can incentivize participation. Finally, developing integrated curricula that combine CTE with core academic skills can enhance the appeal of CTE and create more flexible and innovative workers.

By continuously learning from these innovations and rigorously investigating CTE’s impacts, we can refine educational strategies that not only meet the immediate needs of students but also prepare them for future challenges and opportunities in an evolving labor market. This ongoing learning and adaptation will enable us to capitalize on CTE’s strengths, both by spreading proven practices and adapting core program elements into more traditional academic settings.

While we certainly have a lot to learn, CTE represents one of the few spaces where we know there is great promise for improving male educational and employment outcomes. It appears to be a crucial educational framework to achieving something uncommon: male students seem to thrive.