For men, the proportion with a high school diploma was not significantly different from women, but the percent of men with a bachelor's degree was somewhat higher at 26 percent.
Women comprise an increasing share of people being awarded college degrees.
Women are becoming better represented in many previously male-dominated professions. Among employed civilians, the proportion of women lawyers, for example, climbed from 15 percent in 1983 to 30 percent in 1996. Over the same period, the percentage of female physicians rose from 16 percent to 26 percent and the percentage of female economists climbed from 38 percent to 54 percent. The number of women-owned businesses in the U.S. reached 6.4 million in 1992. Women-owned businesses make up 33 percent of all domestic firms and 40 percent of all retail and service firms.