A common theme on reddit and PPD in particular is that men are going to college to study hard sciences, and women are going to college to study nonsense and rack up debt while partying.

I agree that women making less on average among graduates, especially directly after graduation, reflects upon what women tend to study. However, this constant assertion that women are studying frivolously while men dominate all the "real" programs is a combination of wishful thinking and perhaps sour grapes among those who didn't go to college.

A lot of posters here overrepresent the trend of more men in STEM, and draw lines around particular STEM majors in order to tell a different story than the reality.

http://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/14/percentage-of-bachelors-degrees-conferred-to-women-by-major-1970-2012/

It is true that women are underrepresented in some of the highest paying BA degrees like engineering. Women also study computer science in much lower numbers.

However, they are overrepresented in the medical fields, which generally pay well and tend to have very low unemployment. Many of these jobs require extra schooling, such as specialization in a nursing field, Physicians Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, doctor, so the returns are not going to be reflected in the "best starting salaries by major" stats. Women major in biology more often than men, which is often a precursor to medical school or research based graduate programs. Women are beginning to supplant men at medical school.

Men and women study business in approximately equal numbers. About the same amount of men and women elect to study social sciences and history.

Women are not even that far below men in Math Majors and Physical Sciences majors.

While there may be inherent biological reasons why there are fewer women taking and passing this class, the dialogue would be a lot more productive is we stopped acting like the average woman is taking classes like this for 50k a year.