By Angela Hatton
Carbondale, IL – Southern Illinois University Carbondale is bucking a national gender gap trend with its higher male enrollment. The Southern Illinoisan reports SIUC had nearly 11,000 male students and just over 9,000 female students in 2010. Chancellor Rita Cheng says she was surprised to learn of the difference in enrollment numbers. The U.S. Census Bureau reports women ages 18 to 24 began surpassing men in higher education in the late 1980s and early 1990s. SIUC plans to boost enrollment by focusing on women. Efforts to close the gap include a plan to target all-girl high schools.