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2022 Common App Research
2022 Common App Research
Genny was given exclusive access by the Common App to analyze the data on gender identity and pronouns—and the intersections with racial identity—of more than a million students who filled out the application during the Fall 2022 college admissions cycle. This research project yielded the largest body of data on the gender identities of incoming college students that had been available, to date. Some of the findings are presented below. (For 2023 findings, view 2023 Common App Research.)
Genny’s Common App 2022 research findings on this page may be quoted with appropriate attribution in educational settings and wherever fair use may apply. [Learn more about what constitutes “fair use.”]
Compilation and Analysis of the Gender and Pronoun Data from the Common App for Students Who Applied for Fall 2022 Admission
(n = 1,222,469)
- Gender Identity
- Gender Identity and Legal Sex
- Gender Identity and Intersections with Other Demographic Data
- Pronouns
Gender Identity
Gender Indicated by the Common App Students
(n = 1,222,469)
The Common App added optional questions on gender and pronouns for the students applying to college for Fall 2022. For the gender question, students could choose female, male, nonbinary, or “another gender,” with a fill-in box to indicate their gender. For the pronoun question, the choices were he/him, she/her, they/them, and “another set of pronouns,” with a fill-in box to indicate their pronouns. Students could choose more than one option for each question.
| Gender | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 646,932 | 52.92% |
| Male | 523,227 | 42.80% |
| Nonbinary | 13,114 | 1.07% |
| “Another gender”* | 2,425 | 0.20% |
| More than one response# | 7,077 | 0.58% |
| No data | 29,694 | 2.43% |
* These figures do not include 15 students who wrote in that they identified as cis (14 of whom were nonresident aliens). Their responses were removed and added to Female and Male categories.
# These figures do not include 4 students who wrote in that they identified as cis (all of whom were nonresident aliens). Their responses were removed and added to Female and Male categories.
Gender Identity: (Presumably) Cisgender* vs. Trans and Nonbinary Students#
| Gender | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Total presumably cisgender | 1,166,328 | 95.41% |
| – Presumably cis women | 645,498 | 52.80% |
| – Presumably cis men | 520,830 | 42.60% |
| Trans or nonbinary | 26,326 | 2.15% |
| No data | 29,694 | 2.43% |
* Students who are presumed cisgender are those who selected only either “Female” or “Male” gender and who indicated a legal sex that matched their selected gender. This may not account for students who did not choose to report a non-cisgender identity on the Common App or for students who may have changed their legal sex to match their gender identity, prior to completing the Common App.
# These figures do not include inappropriate, unclear, and non-disclosing responses, which were removed.
Trans and Nonbinary Students
| Gender | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Trans men* | 2,395 | 0.20% |
| Trans women* | 1,432 | 0.12% |
| Nonbinary | 13,114 | 1.07% |
| “Another gender”# | 2,364 | 0.19% |
| More than one response# | 7,021 | 0.57% |
| Total | 26,326 | 2.15% |
* Trans men students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as female and their gender identity as male, and trans women students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as male and their gender identity as female.
# These figures do not include inappropriate, unclear, and non-disclosing responses, which were removed.
“Another Gender” Responses
- 3,521 students wrote in a gender, either as “another gender” only or “another gender” in combination with a given gender choice (removing 121 inappropriate, unclear, and non-disclosing responses).
- These students provided about 130 different gender labels.
The most popular responses were:- “Genderfluid” (1,462): 41.52%
- “Genderqueer” (344): 9.77%
- “Trans Man” (315): 8.95%
- “Agender” (296): 8.41%
- “Demigirl” (180): 5.11%
- “Questioning” (124): 3.52%
- Binary responses other than Trans Woman or Trans Man (107): 3.04%
- “Trans Woman” (89): 2.53%
- “Gender Nonconforming” (72): 2.04%
- “Trans Masculine” (71): 2.02%
- “Transgender” (69): 1.96%
- “Demiboy” (49)
- “Unlabeled” (39)
- “Bigender” (38)
- Both a binary and nonbinary identity (34)
- Multiple nonbinary identities (27)
- Other nonbinary responses (27)
- “Flux” (26)
Some students specified how their gender is fluid or fluctuates or how they are a combination of identities. These responses included:
- “Agender/genderqueer”
- “Bigenderfluid (between woman and nonbinary)”
- “Demigirlflux”
- “Genderfluid (female and nonbinary)”
- “Gendergrey/agender”
- “Genderqueer, gender-nonconforming, androgynous”
- “Genderqueer/transmasculine”
- “Nonbinary trans man”
- “Polygender (being multiple genders at once; specifically, I am female, nonbinary, and a demiboy)”
- “Trans boyflux”
Trans Men, Trans Women, and Nonbinary Students*
(n = 25,990)
| Gender | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Nonbinary | 21,653 | 83.31% |
| Trans Men | 2,769 | 10.65% |
| Trans Women | 1,568 | 6.03% |
* This figure was calculated by recategorizing the “another gender” responses and the instances of more than one response into nonbinary, trans women, trans men, and unclear groups.
Gender Identity and Legal Sex
Legal Sex of All Students in the Sample
(n = 1,222,469)
| Legal gender | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Legally female | 681,009 | 55.71% |
| Legally male | 541,432 | 44.29% |
| No data | 28 | <0.01% |
Legal Sex of Students Who Indicated Their Gender as Nonbinary
(n = 13,114)
| Legal gender | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Legally female | 10,502 | 80.08% |
| Legally male | 2,612 | 19.92% |
Legal Sex of Students Who Indicated Their Gender as “Another Gender”
(n = 2,425)
| Legal gender | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Legally female | 2,002 | 82.56% |
| Legally male | 423 | 17.44% |
Gender Intersections with Other Demographic Data
Gender Identities of Common App Students Broken Down by Race
| Gender | American Indian or Alaska Native | Asian | Black or African American | Latinx | Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | Two or more races | White |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entire sample* | 0.22% | 9.39% | 11.08% | 15.60% | 0.14% | 4.53% | 46.27% |
| Nonbinary | 0.37% | 6.82% | 8.88% | 18.47% | 0.16% | 6.53% | 52.65% |
| Trans men# | 0.21% | 5.47% | 7.68% | 15.82% | 0.04% | 6.89% | 57.24% |
| Trans women# | 0.21% | 5.24% | 9.43% | 17.32% | 0.14% | 6.08% | 51.54% |
| “Another gender” | 0.37% | 6.43% | 6.85% | 20.33% | 0.16% | 6.52% | 52.62% |
* This figure does not include “nonresident alien” students (8.47%) because their races are unclear and students who did not indicate a race (2.06%).
# Trans men students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as female and their gender identity as male, and trans women students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as male and their gender identity as female.
How Different Racial Groups Identified Their Genders
| Racial group | Nonbinary | Trans men# | Trans women# | “Another gender” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 1.78% | 0.19% | 0.11% | 0.33% |
| Asian | 0.78% | 0.11% | 0.07% | 0.13% |
| Black or African American | 0.86% | 0.14% | 0.10% | 0.12% |
| Latinx | 1.27% | 0.20% | 0.13% | 0.26% |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 1.22% | 0.06% | 0.12% | 0.23% |
| Two or more races | 1.55% | 0.30% | 0.16% | 0.29% |
| White | 1.22% | 0.24% | 0.13% | 0.22% |
# Trans men students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as female and their gender identity as male, and trans women students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as male and their gender identity as female.
Gender Identities of Common App Students by First-Generation* Status
| Gender | First Generation |
|---|---|
| Entire sample | 33.36% |
| Nonbinary | 34.51% |
| Trans men# | 37.41% |
| Trans women# | 37.64% |
| “Another gender” | 36.25% |
* The Common App defines First-Generation as students whose parents have not received a bachelor’s or higher academic degree.
# Trans men students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as female and their gender identity as male, and trans women students were individuals who indicated their legal sex as male and their gender identity as female.
Pronouns
Pronouns Given by Students Who Indicated Their Legal Sex as Male and Their Gender as Female [i.e., Trans Women]
(n = 1,395*)
| Pronouns | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| She/her | 966 | 69.25% |
| He/him | 303 | 21.72% |
| She/her and they/them | 99 | 7.10% |
| All other responses | 27 | 1.94% |
* This figure does not include 37 blank responses.
Other Responses:
- She/her and he/him: (9) 0.65%
- She/her, he/him, and they/them: (6) 0.43%
- They/them: (6) 0.43%
- All other responses: (6) 0.43%
Pronouns Given by Students Who Indicated Their Legal Sex as Female and Their Gender as Male [i.e., Trans Men]
(n = 2,368*)
| Pronouns | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| He/him | 1,952 | 82.43% |
| He/him and they/them | 236 | 9.97% |
| She/her | 147 | 6.21% |
| All other responses | 33 | 1.39% |
* This figure does not include 27 blank responses.
Other Responses:
- They/them: (6) 0.25%
- She/her and he/him: (6) 0.25%
- She/her, he/him, and they/them: (5) 0.21%
- She/her and they/them: (3) 0.13%
- All other responses: (13) 0.55%
Takeaways about the pronouns of students who are trans men and trans women
- 82.43% of the trans men used he/him exclusively, whereas only 69.25% of the trans women used she/her exclusively.
- Similarly, 93.24% of the trans men used he/him at least in part, whereas only 77.63% of the trans women used she/her at least in part.
Pronouns Given by Students Who Indicated that They Were Nonbinary
(n = 12,999*)
| Pronouns | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| They/them | 6,724 | 51.73% |
| She/her and they/them | 2,434 | 18.72% |
| He/him and they/them | 1,429 | 10.99% |
| She/her, he/him, and they/them | 1,408 | 10.83% |
| All other responses | 1,004 | 7.72% |
* This figure does not include 114 blank responses and 1 “prefer not to say” response, which were removed.
Most Common Other Responses:
- He/him: (286) 2.18%
- She/her: (224) 1.71%
- Any or all pronouns or no preference: (129) 0.98%
- She/her and he/him: (95) 0.72%
- They/them and xe/xem: (24) 0.18%
- They/them and it/its: (18) 0.14%
- He/him, they/them, and xe/xem: (16) 0.12%
- She/he/they/it: (14) 0.11%
- Individuals who use just a neopronoun#:(12) 0.09%
# Neopronouns are pronouns other than the traditional ones of he, she, they, it, and one.
Takeaways about the pronouns of students who are nonbinary
- 12,227 nonbinary students (93.24%) used they/them at least in part.
- 171 nonbinary students (1.30%) gave responses that included any or all pronouns or no preference.
- 153 nonbinary students (1.17%) gave responses that included neopronouns.
- 72 nonbinary students (0.55%) gave responses that included xe/xem.
- 66 nonbinary students (0.50%) gave responses that included it/its.
Pronouns Given by Students Who Indicated that They Were “Another Gender”
(n = 2,369*)
| Pronouns | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| She/her, he/him, and they/them | 710 | 29.97% |
| She/her and they/them | 521 | 21.99% |
| They/them | 290 | 12.24% |
| He/him and they/them | 229 | 9.67% |
| He/him – 180 with legal sex as female | 225 | 9.50% |
| All other responses | 394 | 16.63% |
* This figure does not include inappropriate, unclear, and non-disclosing responses, which were removed.
All other responses:
- She/her (107): 4.52%
- 46 of these students gave their legal sex as male
- Any or all pronouns or no preference: (98) 4.14%
- She/her and he/him: (75) 3.17%
- None/name only: (11) 0.46%
- All other responses: (103) 4.35%
Takeaways about students who indicated they are “another gender”
- Nearly 86% of the students who identified as a gender other than female, male, and nonbinary used pronouns other than just she/her or he/him.
- Compared to the nonbinary students, the “another gender” students were much more likely to use she/he/they or any/all pronouns.
- The “another gender” students were also much more likely than the nonbinary students to use she/her and he/him, reflecting that many identified as trans women and trans men, respectively.
- Only 5 students went by only a neopronoun.
Most Common Pronouns Given by Students Who Chose Only “Another Pronoun Set”
(n = 5,732)
| Pronouns | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| She/her and they/them | 3,887 | 67.81% |
| He/him and they/them | 736 | 12.84% |
| She/her, he/him, and they/them | 386 | 6.73% |
| Any or all pronouns or no preference | 385 | 6.72% |
| All other responses | 338 | 5.90% |
Most Common Other Responses:
- No pronouns or name only (94)
- 17 students gave their own names.
- She/her and he/him (62)
- He/him (31)
- Use a neopronoun# as a pronoun set (24)
- Use only a neopronoun# (19)
- Xe or xie / xem or xim being the most common.
- She/her (17)
# Neopronouns are pronouns other than the traditional ones of he, she, they, it, and one.
Takeaways about students who use “another pronoun set”
- 94.85% (5,437) of students who selected “another pronoun set” used they/them as one of their pronoun sets.
- 0.42% (24) of students who selected “another pronoun set” used a neopronoun, either exclusively or in combination with another pronoun set.
Most Common Pronoun Responses among All Students Who Indicated an Option Other Than Just She/Her and He/Him*
(n = 36,841)
| Pronouns | Number (n) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| She/her and they/them | 16,917 | 45.92% |
| They/them (only) | 8,087 | 21.95% |
| He/him and they/them | 5,988 | 16.25% |
| She/her, he/him, and they/them | 3,602 | 9.78% |
| Any or all pronouns or no preference | 525 | 1.43% |
| No pronouns or name only | 103 | 0.28% |
| All other responses | 1,619 | 4.39% |
* This figure does not include the 83 students who gave unclear, inappropriate, or non-disclosing responses.
Takeaways
- 3.01% of the Common App students use a pronoun set other than just she/her or he/him.
- 96.54% use they/them as at least one of their pronoun sets.
- Just 19 students use only a neopronoun.
Write-In Pronouns
Students were presented with several options for pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them, and “another set of pronouns”), but could also write in their own.
- The students provided about 146 different pronoun combinations and about 78 different pronoun sets.
- Write-in pronouns included pleopronouns (also called “non-themed pronouns”), which are not based on existing English words, and nounself pronouns, which use existing English nouns as pronouns.
| Some of the pleopronouns students provided: | Some of the nounself pronouns students provided: |
|---|---|
|
|
Pronouns Given by Nonbinary Students of Different Races and by Nonbinary International Students
| Pronoun | All nonbinary students* (12,732) | American Indian or Alaska Native (47) | Asian (882) | Black or African American (1,155) | Latinx (2,404) | Non-resident (530) | Two or more races (850) | White (6,864) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| They/them | 50.38% | 63.83% | 45.24% | 44.50% | 50.48% | 38.30% | 46.71% | 53.29% |
| She/they | 19.44% | 14.89% | 18.71% | 24.33% | 20.08% | 16.60% | 20.82% | 18.65% |
| He/they | 11.11% | 10.64% | 10.88% | 11.17% | 10.40% | 15.09% | 11.06% | 11.09% |
| She/he/they | 10.83% | 2.13% | 14.97% | 11.08% | 11.35% | 10.38% | 13.06% | 9.94% |
| Any or all | 1.50% | 4.26% | 2.61% | 1.13% | 1.66% | 1.13% | 1.88% | 1.31% |
| Total of preceding rows | 93.26% | 95.75% | 92.41% | 92.21% | 93.97% | 81.50% | 93.53% | 94.28% |
| He/him | 2.09% | 2.13% | 3.06% | 2.25% | 1.37% | 8.87% | 1.76% | 1.70% |
| She/her | 1.70% | 2.13% | 1.93% | 2.60% | 1.95% | 5.47% | 1.76% | 1.14% |
| She/he | 0.76% | 0 | 0.68% | 0.78% | 0.87% | 1.89% | 0.82% | 0.61% |
| Other | 2.14% | 0 | 1.93% | 2.16% | 1.83% | 2.26% | 2.12% | 2.27% |
* This figure does not include Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students because of the small number who identified as nonbinary and provided pronouns (n = 20) and does not include nonbinary students who did not indicate their race (n = 248), pronouns (n = 106), or both (n = 8).