PHILADELPHIA — Colleges and universities in Pennsylvania are failing to provide equal athletic opportunities for women, more than 30 years after the landmark Title IX law was passed, according to a study released Tuesday.

In a three-year study of 112 schools, the Women's Law Project found the percentage of female students remained at just more than 53 percent from 2001 to 2004, while the percentage of athletic positions for women hovered around 43 percent.

Athletic expenditures for men's sports rose from about $111.3 million in 2001-2002 to $141.8 million in 2003-2004, while such expenditures for women rose from $66.1 million to just under $88 million. The study also found disparities in scholarships, as well as on recruitment spending.

"Pennsylvania schools are shortchanging female athletes almost across the board," said David S. Cohen, a staff attorney for the Women's Law Project.

Passed in 1972, Title IX bars sex discrimination in any educational program receiving federal funds, but it is best known for promoting women's athletics. Some schools argue that the policy hurts men's sports, a claim the law's proponents deny.

Based on the difference between the percentage of women enrolled and the percentage of athletic positions for women, the study ranked Temple University as the worst large school. Temple's disproportion was 14.6 percent in 2001-02, 12.4 percent in 2002-03 and 14.4 percent in 2003-04.

Of the 14 state-owned universities, West Chester, Kutztown, Bloomsburg, Edinboro, Millersville and Clarion also were ranked among the worst in that category.

The best large school in that category was Penn State's main campus, which had a 1.3 percent disproportion in 2001-02, followed by 3.5 percent and 2.8 percent respectively the next two years.

Steve Murray, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, said the state-owned schools have made strides, but that there is room to improve. One challenge, Murray said, is that many of those schools have female enrollments of 60 percent or more.

Athletic aid rates and other figures have improved since the conference started looking into the issue 12 years ago, he said. At that time, for instance, two schools sponsored women's soccer; 13 schools have programs now.

Larry Dougherty, assistant athletic director at Temple, said his office hadn't had a chance to closely review the study. But he said the school — which has 135 male scholarship athletes and 121 female scholarship athletes — is always trying to increase opportunities for women.

"We're making strides to increase the opportunities for female student athletes," Dougherty said.

Federal law requires colleges and universities to report their Title IX data, but it does not require the same of secondary schools, Cohen said.

Georgia, California, Washington and Florida have laws requiring secondary schools to report Title IX data. Cohen said the center plans to lobby the Legislature to pass a similar law in Pennsylvania.

"Title IX compliance at the high school (level) is minimal at best," said Peggy L. Pennepacker, athletic director at Blue Mountain High School in Schuylkill County. "I believe this compliance needs to be bottom up rather than top down."