Gender and College Women: Supporting Adult Women’s Development Through a Multidisciplinary Lens

Abstract All students experience challenges and obstacles during their college years, yet an underexplored topic in higher education is the gender gap that exists for college students and how it manifests in college student development. It is important for higher education professionals to understand not only the gender gap in college but also how women experience college in the United States. This conceptual article will explore how adult women experience college and how continuing studies and adult education professionals working with college women may draw upon both counseling and student development theory to assist the students with whom they work and to foster their development.