>>Why couldn't it be just students, and just education?
>>
>>And, you still haven't found the one thing that would make me retract all this (except the verb "co-", which is just... my software solution for today :), and that is the example of at least one girl college, which was converted into mixed, and where the male students were then called co-eds. If you can't find one, I'll stay with my statement, that term "co-ed" should be taken as an insult. That's where I'd train the PC police's sights.
>
>http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-12-12-women-college_x.htm
>
>Actually you seldom hear 'co-eds' to describe the students (I don't think I ever have in fact)

I heard it so first, in an unambiguous context ("and there goes the beautiful co-ed, her hair..." or some such description). I actually had to look it up, because for the life of me I couldn't begin to guess who is it that's being educated with whom. Who is the chair and who co-chair, who is the pilot and who co-pilot, who is the author and who is the co-author. Find me one co-something who is equal to the co-less something.

And even in that example (I had about six deja vus... as in multiple mirrors, remembering when you first posted the link), they don't call future male students co-eds; they only want to coe the school (i.e. make it coed, so I think they haven't heard co- is the verb; back then in 2004 they thought coe to be proper spelling) so it'd be coed.

>but rather coed gym (gym class where both girls and boys attend the same class) or coed school (school where both girls and boys attend).

Good - you probably have a better sample than I do.