For example, from 1990-91, women earned 29.4 percent of bachelor's degrees in computer and information sciences and support services, but that percentage dropped off in 2005-06, when women earned just 20.6 percent of degrees in that field. Women earned nearly 18 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering and engineering technology in 2005-06, up from 14 percent in 1990-91.
Hispanics have shown the least progress compared to other minorities. According to the report, just 34 percent of the nation's Hispanic population in the 25-to-29 age bracket had completed some college as of 2007. This compares to the 66 percent of White and 50 percent of Black students in the same age group.
The report noted that Hispanic students now make up 1 in 5 public school students, but they, along with other minority students, often attend impoverished schools. There are also language barriers that pose a risk to Hispanic students' academic achievement as many students are immigrants for which English is a second language.
"The Conditions of Education 2008” went on to reveal that more Asian-Americans are enrolled in advanced-degree programs today than in the mid-1990s.
The report predicts that overall growth in degree-granting college programs will reach 15.6 million this fall.
The data in the report were obtained from various sources, including state education agencies, local schools, and colleges and universities using surveys and compilations of administrative records.
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