Title IX and Equity in Higher Education

Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments transformed the gender dynamics of U.S. higher education by prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. This landmark policy significantly expanded women’s access to higher education in the United States, as well as equal educational and athletic opportunity therein. It also represents an important component of U.S. civil rights policy, protecting the rights of women and LGBTQIA+ people in education and providing legal recourse against sex discrimination, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual misconduct. This chapter offers a historical overview of Title IX and its impact on sex discrimination in higher education since the 1970s. It examines the role that the landmark policy has played in significantly expanding women’s access to college, providing recourse against sexual harassment and assault on campus, and protecting transgender and nonbinary students, as well as its legacy for promoting equity in higher education and school-sponsored athletics.

Keywords: Title IX; higher education; education; gender equality; sex discrimination