Female Supremacy Articles - Page 20

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Two girls for every boy sounded good to Jan and Dean, but it's not a healthy ratio for America's colleges and workplaces.

Women gaining on men in advanced fields

By BEN FELLER, AP Education Writer

Thu Jun 1, 2006

WASHINGTON - Women now earn the majority of diplomas in fields men used to dominate — from biology to business — and have caught up in pursuit of law, medicine and other advanced degrees.

Federal statistics released Thursday show that in many ways, the gender gap among college students is widening. The story is largely one of progress for women, stagnation for men.

Women earn the majority of bachelor's degrees in business, biological sciences, social sciences and history. The same is true for traditional strongholds such as education and psychology.

In undergraduate and graduate disciplines where women trail men, they are gaining ground, earning larger numbers of degrees in math, physical sciences and agriculture.

"Women are going in directions that maybe their mothers or grandmothers never even thought about going," said Avis Jones-DeWeever, who oversees education policy for the Institute of Women's Policy Research.

"We're teaching girls that they need to be able to explore every opportunity that they are interested in. It's good to see that is happening," she said.

The findings were part of a 379-page report, "The Condition of Education," a yearly compilation of statistics that give a picture of academic trends.