# Co-Eds **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 13, 2001, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823 "2001-04-13T12:35:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2001, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/1 "2001-04-13T12:35:56Z")
In another forum I read the term “co-ed”, which referred to a female college student. I understand that once-upon-a-time single-sex schools were more numerous than they are now, and that “co-educational” schools were less so. There were jokes about women being in college when they “should have been” making a home for their husbands. But in my lifetime colleges have _always_ had male and female students. The idea that a woman’s place in society is in the home has long been outdated. While I know that single-sex schools still exist, it’s difficult for me to imagine them. IMO “co-ed” is an outdated, sexist term. And yet I still hear it occasionally. Is it still acceptable to refer to a female college student in a mixed-sex school as a co-ed? If so, why? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2001, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/2 "2001-04-13T12:53:42Z")
I have a feeling that this may get moved to IMHO or GD because I don’t think there is an answer to it. “Co-ed” is one of those terms that is in transition. I agree that it sounds outdated and somewhat sexist, but I wouldn’t go so far as to label all uses sexist (at least not yet). It does tend to get used in patronizing or denigrating senses. I don’t think that it serves any useful function and will die a natural death. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/3 "2001-04-14T21:49:17Z")
I tend to think of the term less to describe the people, but to describe the school. For example, some colleges/universities have male-only residences, female-only res, and co-ed. I never thought of this in reference to the females, like described in the OP. To me, it just means “mixed”. I don’t think that describes what I mean very well, but I tried. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/4 "2001-04-15T00:10:02Z")
I agree with **Jeff** about this term being in transition. My thing was that whenever the term was used as a noun that it was referring to a female college student (and usually an attractive one at that, don’t ask me why) and when used as an adjective to describe a mixed sex environment. ---
**Author:** ![Synergist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Synergist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Synergist)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/5 "2001-04-15T03:29:35Z")
Let’s see. We all seem to agree that the noun “coed” serves no purpose and is almost(?) always sexist. (I personally have never seen it used in a non-sexist way.) Sounds like a dead word to me. ---
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/6 "2001-04-15T04:00:02Z")
When I was in the sixth grade (c. 1980) our Home Ec teacher was selling subscriptions to a magazine called “Co-Ed”. She explained that co-ed meant co-educational, so it could refer to boys as well as girls (i.e. boys should buy it too). Even in the sixth grade we knew she was full of crap, just trying to sell a crummy magazine. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/7 "2001-04-15T09:37:39Z")
The word is still used now, but mostly to describe college living arrangements (“Co-ed by room”). ---
**Author:** ![scampering\_gremlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@scampering\_gremlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scampering_gremlin)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/8 "2001-04-15T14:19:30Z")
Mainly on the East Coast it’s in use as “coed fraternity” for a fraternity that accepts both men and women as full members. The members themselves are not called coeds. Usually these houses are progressive in their gender role views. It’s a clumsy term but it’s the best anyone has found. The oldest sororities are still “women’s fraternities” in their official charter. It was several decades before someone invented a better word. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co-eds/61823/9 "2001-04-15T19:01:17Z")
Just on Friday, a professor of mine told a story in which he used the term “coed” to refer to a female college student. It’s handy shorthand, I suppose, but it does seem kinda dated. I’m surprised that the term didn’t show up in my old “Women: What Terms Offend You?” thread.